The Board of Directors adopted a statement of principles regarding the overcriminalization of public health order violations related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Board of Directors adopted the following protocol for the Lawyers’ Assistance Strike Force on February 15, 2020.

The Executive Committee authorized NACDL’s president and executive director to seek available government and other financial assistance in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

NACDL  opposes all laws that base criminal liability and/or penalty enhancements on one’s HIV status rather than on the intent to harm another individual. NACDL supports the repeal of such criminal laws as fundamentally unfair and unjust. Recognizing that outright repeal can result in the abusive use of existing statutes, NACDL also supports modernization of these criminal laws to incorporate strong principles of intent and proportional punishment.

NACDL urges the criminal defense bar to develop best practices for pretrial discovery. To that end, the Board authorizes the NACDL President to impanel a Rule 16.1 Task Force of practitioners and other experts to gather facts, collect data, and assess discovery procedures that have been implemented throughout the nation.

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers urges the Government of Canada to abandon Bill S-10 and to reject mandatory minimum sentences; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers urges the Government of Canada to reallocate the money intended for S-10 to fund drug treatment and harm reduction programs, alternatives to incarceration, employment opportunities, and human services.

NACDL urges enactment of legislation to explicitly make all sentencing reform provisions of the First Step Act retroactive; to support commutation; and to support pro bono representation for inmates who might qualify for commutation pursuant to any systematic program announced by the Executive Branch.

NACDL supports pretrial policies and practices which ensure the protection of fundamental constitutional rights including the presumption of innocence, the prohibition on excessive bail, and robust due process protections. Fundamental to preserving these rights, is NACDL's efforts to ensure the right to counsel at first appearance.

NACDL adopts recommendations to reform flaws in criminal conspiracy law, and to calls for principled limits on the application of conspiracy law that recognize the inherent evidentiary, outcome reliability, and constitutional problems associated with all forms of conspiracy.

The Board unanimously adopted a Director and Leader Personal Conduct Policy.

NACDL is committed to providing a safe environment free of harassment, discrimination, intimidation and insult. NACDL prohibits any discrimination or harassment of our employees and program attendees based on a person’s race, color, gender, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or any other ground prohibited by the federal government, District of Columbia, relevant state or local law.

NACDL's Board of Directors adopted a resolution modifying the NACDL Continuing Legal Education Institute, as established by the Board of Directors on August 8, 2009.

NACDL opposes categorical, legislative prohibition of specific defenses.

NACDL urges all states and U.S. territories to adopt such constitutional provisions, laws or regulations necessary to guarantee that every accused person, irrespective of financial capacity to engage counsel, shall be guaranteed counsel at the first appearance before a judicial officer at which liberty is at stake or at which a plea of guilty to any criminal charge may be entered. ............

NACDL endorses Proposition 34 as a more effective, just, and cost-efficient method of preventing, solving, and punishing crime.