The Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Kimberly Benjamin is the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL) 2013-2014 president. MACDL is a statewide organization, composed of criminal defense lawyers, that assists lawyers who need help with appellate issues and other challenging legal matters, which relate to the practice of criminal defense. The Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers provides a vital, unified, voice to criminal defense lawyers throughout the state of Missouri.

The Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers started out as just a few defense lawyers, who decided that Missouri needed an organization like the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), an organization that seeks to maintain our cherished civil rights and liberties, by supporting rational criminal justice policies which promote fairness for all. This small group, with the common goal of defending the Constitution and being the best defense lawyers they could be, started an organization that is now well over 400 members strong. The mission of MACDL is to promote the fair administration of criminal justice, to encourage the integrity and expertise of criminal defense lawyers, to provide a forum for the exchange of information regarding the administration of criminal justice, to protect individual rights, to improve the practice and procedure of criminal law, and to promote the knowledge of criminal law among its members.

The Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers conducts legal education seminars for criminal defense lawyers in Missouri and is the only statewide organization that lobbies the Missouri Legislature in support of the rights of the criminally accused. Through this latter role, MACDL testifies to State Legislative Committees, on appellate and criminal defense issues and both pursues new legislation and defeats bad legislation in Jefferson City. Year after year, MACDL has fought to protect our Constitutional rights at the state capitol and within each of our state’s courtrooms. Each year MACDL tracks and monitors all of the bills filed in the Missouri Legislature that relate to criminal law. Often, MACDL will take a position on proposed criminal law legislation and testify accordingly before legislative committees.

The Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers also maintains the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Strike Force. This service provides protection to Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers members who have been threatened for providing legal representation to a client in a criminal proceeding.

Kimberly is only the second woman to become President of the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since its inception. She is an authority on appellate and criminal defense issues. Due to both her level of expertise and her involvement with MACDL, she has been interviewed by several newspapers about criminal defense issues. Kimberly’s term as the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers president has helped her to enhance her litigation skills and her ability to apply those skills within her criminal defense practice.

More information can be found about the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers at their website: http://www.macdl.net