Member Application

PACDL Dedicated to Educate, Advocate and Inspire

Since 1988, PACDL has been a uniquely driven, professional legal association dedicated to creating member value.  Established by a group of respected criminal defense attorneys, the Association was designed to represent public, private, and court-appointed criminal defense attorneys in Pennsylvania and foster collaboration across the broadest spectrum possible.

This commitment to excellence and thought leadership continues today.  PACDL informs the criminal defense bar's professional knowledge through educational experiences designed to be positively memorable, responsive, and customized to criminal defense practitioners' business needs.  Additionally, PACDL builds a body of knowledge through member-generated forums that offer timely and strategic insights from distinguished colleagues.

Leading with a revolutionary spirit, it challenges convention, demands change, and always looks to the future. It focuses on your success. Its value-driven commitment to educate, advocate, and inspire is where PACDL begins and ends every day.  

Membership Application

Join the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. To apply for membership, you can complete and fax or scan/email the PACDL membership brochure or fill out the online membership application today. Join us today and take the next step towards a more fulfilling and successful legal career. If you have any questions or need assistance with the application process, please feel free to call PACDL at 717.234.7403. Join us, and together, we will shape the future of criminal defense law in Pennsylvania. 

Membership Options

Regular Members: For Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania possessing professional competency, integrity, and good moral character, who are actively engaged in the defense of criminal cases.

Public Defenders: Open to full-time public defenders of professional competence, integrity andgood moral character who are in the full-time employee of local, state or federal public defender offices or legal service nonprofit agencies who exclusively represent indigent defendants..

Law Students: Open to law school students of integrity and good moral character attending ABA approved law schools.

President's Club Members: Conferred by the Board of Directors on a Regular Member, Public Defender, New Lawyer Member who, in lieu of payment of the esttablsihed dues, makes an annual dues payment to the Association in an amount set by the Board of Directors.

Sustaining Members: Conferred by the Board of Directors on a regular member, new lawyer member or public defender member, who in lieu of the payment of the established dues pays the sustaining member dues.

Emeritus Members: Available to a voting member of at least fifteen years who has retired from the active practice of law.

Life Members: For those who wish to make a lasting commitment to PACDL.

Honorary Members: Any person who shall have made an outstanding contribution to the public welfare and aided in the achievement of the goals of this Association and proposed for Honorary Membership by five members of the Association. Honorary members are exempt from the payment of annual dues after an affirmative vote of the majority of the Board of Directors..