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The American Council of Chief Defenders (ACCD) mission is to "secure a fair justice system by advocating sound public policy and ensuring quality legal representation for indigent people facing a loss of liberty or accused of a crime" by promoting defender independence and resource parity to guarantee high-quality legal representation for those facing criminal charges.  

Key points about the ACCD mission: 

• Focus on indigent defense: The ACCD specifically aims to ensure quality legal representation for people who cannot afford an attorney.  
• Advocacy for policy change: They actively advocate for policies that promote a fair justice system.  
• Defender independence: The ACCD strives to promote the independence of public defenders.  
• Quality legal representation: Their primary goal is to guarantee high-quality legal representation for all indigent clients. 

The  American Council of Chief Defenders (ACCD) is a national community of public defense leaders dedicated to securing a fair justice system and ensuring high quality legal representation for people facing loss of life, freedom, or family.  A practice section of NLADA, ACCD draws from NLADA’s network of defenders to bring together chief and deputy chiefs of diverse indigent defense programs, including public defender offices, assigned counsel systems, and contract systems. ACCD members collaborate through a listserv and annual conferences. The ACCD Conference convenes a national community of public defense leaders dedicated to securing a fair justice system and ensuring high quality legal representation for people facing loss of life, freedom, or family. Attendance at ACCD is restricted to Chief Public Defenders and Deputy Chief Public Defenders.

Click here to become a member!