Nation's Criminal Defense Bar Responds to Racism, Bigotry, and Violence in Charlottesville, VA -- Washington, DC (Aug. 14, 2017) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is profoundly disturbed by recent events in Charlottesville, VA. While NACDL respects the First Amendment rights of all people peaceably to assemble and express their views, even unpopular ones, NACDL deplores violence, racism, and bigotry.

Death Penalty Condemned at U.N. - Washington, DC (April 7, 1998) -- "Capital punishment in the United States is a direct descendant of lynching and other forms of racial violence," a representative of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) told the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland last week.

On the Second Anniversary of George Floyd’s Murder, Nation’s Criminal Defense Bar Calls for Renewed Focus on Reform – Washington, DC (May 25, 2022) – Two years ago, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, shocking the nation and setting off a renewed wave of calls for reform of police use of force against people of color.

NACDL President Nina J. Ginsberg Demands Law Enforcement Reforms to Address Systemic Injustice and Promote Healing

Criminal Defense Bar Applauds Retroactive Federal Crack Cocaine Sentencing Guideline - Washington, DC (June 30, 2011) – When the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 was signed into law last year, something sad happened. Defendants who were arrested for possession or distribution of cocaine base, or crack, the day the law went into effect no longer faced the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity and draconian mandatory minimum sentences of the 1986 law for possession of as little as 5 grams of crack, which was treated as severely as 500 grams, or over a pound, of powder cocaine.

Criminal Defense Bar Urges Sentencing Commission to Make Reduced Crack Cocaine Guideline Retroactive - Washington, DC (June 1, 2011) – Last summer, the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 was signed into law. While the legislation failed to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine completely, it did reduce that disparity to roughly 18:1.

Minorities Still Burdened with Mandatory Minimum Sentences - WASHINGTON, DC (Nov. 1, 2011) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) has opposed mandatory minimum sentences for two and a half decades. The U.S. Sentencing Commission’s comprehensive report on mandatory minimum sentences, released yesterday, shows that statutory mandatory minimum penalties “apply too broadly, are set too high, or both, to warrant the prescribed minimum penalty for the full range of offenders who could be prosecuted under the particular criminal statute.”

Reducing the Crack and Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity Should Also Reduce Racial Disparities in Sentences and Prisons - Washington, DC (July 28, 2010) – The House of Representatives today passed the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, adopted in the Senate earlier this year by unanimous consent. Currently, Federal drug sentences for possession and sale are based on the weight of the controlled substance.

"Crack" Guideline Long Overdue, Criminal Lawyers Say - Washington, DC (April 28, 2007) -- The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers has fought for fairness in drug sentencing since the first set of U.S. Sentencing Guidelines was drafted 20 years ago. NACDL has actively participated in the guidelines comment and amendment process continuously since then.

NACDL president to testify before U.S. Sentencing Commission - Washington, DC (March 18, 2002) --Testimony to be presented to the United States Sentencing Commission by National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President Irwin Schwartz calls crack cocaine sentencing guidelines "egregiously harsh" and cites statistics which show that 93% of crack cocaine defendants are African-American or Hispanic.

Written Statement of Edward A. Mallett on behalf of the NACDL before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary - Washington, DC (January 22, 2001) -- As the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the nation’s criminal defense lawyers to ensure justice and due process, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers appreciates this opportunity to share its concern about justice in America if John Ashcroft is confirmed as Attorney General.