The prestigious Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award is given annually to the one criminal defense attorney who best exemplifies the goals and values of the Association and the legal profession. The award was established in 1981 to honor NACDL’s 18th President, the late Robert C. Heeney, of Rockville, MD.
Where available, click on the award recipient's name to watch their acceptance remarks.
| 2021 | Barry J. Pollack | Washington, DC |
| 2020 | Theodore Simon | Philadelphia, PA |
| 2019 | Christopher A. Wellborn | Rock Hill, SC |
| 2018 | Drew Findling | Atlanta, GA |
| 2017 | George H. Newman | Philadelphia, PA |
| 2016 | Rick Jones | New York, NY |
| 2015 | Peter Goldberger | Ardmore, PA |
| 2014 | Cynthia Eva Hujar Orr | San Antonio, TX |
| 2013 | Bonnie Hoffman | Lessburg, VA |
| 2012 | Vicki Young | Palo Alto, California |
| 2011 | William R. Gallagher | Cincinnati, OH |
| 2010 | Ellen S. Podgor | Gulfport, FL |
| 2009 | Martin S. Pinales | Cincinnati, OH |
| 2008 | Jeffrey L. Fisher | Stanford, CA |
| 2007 | Jim E. Lavine | Houston, TX |
| 2006 | Joshua Dratel | New York, NY |
| 2005 | Lisa M. Wayne | Denver, CO |
| 2004 | J. Cheney Mason | Orlando, FL |
| 2003 | James A. H. Bell | Knoxville, TN |
| 2002 | John Wesley Hall, Jr. | Little Rock, AR |
| 2001 | Carmen D. Hernandez | Washington, DC |
| 2000 | Barbara E. Bergman | Albuquerque, NM |
| 1999 | Irwin H. Schwartz | Seattle, WA |
| 1998 | Lawrence S. Goldman | New York, NY |
| 1997 | Bruce M. Lyons | Ft. Lauderdale, FL |
| 1996 | Barry C. Scheck | New York, NY |
| 1995 | Albert J. Krieger | Miami, FL |
| 1994 | Judy Clarke | Spokane, WA |
| 1993 | Gerald B. Lefcourt | New York, NY |
| 1992 | Barry Tarlow | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1991 | Gerald H. Goldstein | San Antonio, TX |
| 1990 | Michael Bender | Denver, CO |
| 1989 | Neal R. Sonnett | Miami, FL |
| 1988 | James M. Russ | Orlando, FL |
| 1987 | Nancy Hollander | Albuquerque, NM |
| 1986 | Dennis N. Balske | Portland, OR |
| 1985 | Jeffrey S. Weiner | Miami, FL |
| 1984 | Ephraim Margolin | San Francisco, CA |
| 1983 | Alan Ellis | Mill Valley, CA |
| 1982 | William L. Summers | Cleveland, OH |
| 1981 | Robert C. Heeney | Rockville, MD |
