NORML’s Key West Legal Seminar has outstanding speakers from around the country presenting important topics such as: issues related to defense of marijuana consumers, legal issues in the cannabis industry, and resources to support each other in the pursuit of justice.
Paul Armentano
Paul Armentano has over two decades experience working professionally in cannabis policy. He is the Deputy Director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and he also serves on the faculty of Oaksterdam University, where he is the Chair of Science.
His writing on cannabis and cannabis policy has appeared in over 1,000 publications, scholarly and/or peer-reviewed journals, as well as in more than two dozen textbooks and anthologies. Mr. Armentano is the co-author of the book Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? (2009, Chelsea Green), which has been licensed and translated internationally. He is also the author of the book The Citizen’s Guide to State-By-State Marijuana Laws (2015), available from Whitman Publishing.
He is the 2013 Freedom Law School Health Freedom Champion of the Year and the 2013 Alfred R. Lindesmith award recipient for achievement in the field of scholarship. He is the 2019 recipient of the Al Horn Award to Advance the Cause of Justice, presented by the NORML Legal Committee.
Monica Basche
Monica represents clients in a diverse range of cases from civil rights litigation, including disability rights, housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and prisoners’ rights, to commercial litigation and business disputes, including breach of contract and business torts cases. Monica also represents blind vendors and state licensing agencies in cases involving the Randolph-Sheppard Act, a federal statute that gives blind licensed vendors priority in operating vending facilities on federal properties.
Monica has wide-ranging experience with litigation in state and federal court, as well as in administrative proceedings. She has successfully represented individual clients in employment discrimination, disability discrimination, prisoners’ rights, and Randolph-Sheppard Act cases. She has also successfully represented corporate clients in commercial business disputes. Monica prides herself on the strong relationships she builds with her clients. She takes a client-centered approach to lawyering, counseling her clients on all their options, including, when possible, those that avoid litigation.
When Monica is not working on behalf of her clients, she is active in both state and local bar associations and in the community. Because of her commitment to bettering the legal profession and improving access to justice, Monica was recently inducted as a fellow into the Baltimore Bar Foundation. Last year, Monica was named a Leader In Law by the Maryland State Bar Association and The Daily Record.
Prior to joining the firm, Monica was a law clerk to Judge George L. Russell, III on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and to Judge Sally D. Adkins on the Supreme Court of Maryland (formerly known as the Court of Appeals of Maryland).
During law school, Monica was the Executive Articles Editor for the Maryland Law Review. She worked as a student attorney in the Gender Violence Clinic, where she represented clients in family and civil law matters in state court. Monica was also a research assistant to Professor Donald Gifford, whom she assisted with researching and editing the sixth edition of Cases and Materials on the Law of Torts, Harper, James and Gray on Torts, and Keeping Cases from Black Juries: An Empirical Analysis of How Race, Income Inequality, and Regional History Affect Tort Law.
Monica received the 2016 Elizabeth Maxwell Carroll Chesnut Prize, known as the “Dean’s Award,” which is given to a member of the graduating class for excellence in legal scholarship and writing.
Prior to law school, Monica worked for Agora, Inc., where she focused on regulatory compliance for dietary supplements. She also taught English in Moscow, Russia.
Monica is an active member of the Bar Association of Baltimore City, and currently serves as an Elected Member. She previously served as the Bar Association of Baltimore City Young Lawyers’ Division’s Treasurer and as Co-Chair of its Public Service Committee. She also serves on the board of Maryland CASA Association, which trains volunteer Court-Appointed Special Advocates to speak up for the best interests of children who are under the protection of the courts. Monica was a member of the Maryland State Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Section Publications Committee. In addition, she served as a member of the Uniform Bar Exam Maryland Law Component Committee, which helped design the new Maryland law portion of the bar exam.
Joe Bondy
Named one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys and one of the Top 100 Criminal Trial Lawyers by the American College of Trial Lawyers, Joseph Bondy is an internationally-recognized expert in criminal litigation. With over 25 years of superlative trial and federal sentencing experience, Bondy has advised thousands of clients in complex criminal defense, cannabis business and advocacy, and crisis management matters. The New York Times has described him as “eloquent and armed with the serene demeanor of a surgeon,” saying that “his oratorical intensity hovers at the evangelical.” High Times dubbed Bondy “one of the nation’s preeminent cannabis attorneys,” and his outstanding talent for defense strategy has been hailed by such outlets as CNN, Politico, and New York Law Journal, as well as legal analysts from around the world. Bondy’s unique approach to criminal defense and public media strategies were particularly praised on a global level while he represented Lev Parnas, a Giuliani associate connected to the Ukraine scandal leading to Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Bondy and Parnas’ interview on The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC) was its highest audience-drawing episode of all time, earning an Emmy nomination; and a subsequent feature on Anderson Cooper 360 was one of that program’s most-viewed episodes of the year.
Bondy serves on the Board of Directors for NORML and is a Vice President and Board Member of the Cannabis Cultural Association (CCA). A graduate of Columbia University and Brooklyn Law School, Bondy was a leading member of a team of attorneys on the seminal case Washington v Barr (2019), originally Washington v Sessions (2017), which took action against the Department of Justice with the aim to legalize cannabis federally. He is the founder of In The Know 420, a well-known podcast on cannabis law, policy and industry. Bondy is also a lifetime member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and serves on the faculty of Cardozo Law School’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP).
Tom Dean
Tom Dean has been an attorney advocate for nationwide cannabis policy reform for over 25 years. He attended his first NORML state chapter event in Ohio while a sophomore in college. As a young lawyer in Flagstaff, Arizona, he represented numerous clients charged with marijuana related offenses facing the many terrible consequences of marijuana prohibition. In 1995, he joined the NORML Legal Committee and remains an active Lifetime Member.
In 1998, Tom became the Legal Director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in Washington, DC. As Legal Director, he initiated and managed important marijuana related cases of national importance to the cannabis community. In that capacity, he also coordinated the efforts of the NORML Amicus Committee (former chair) in key cases throughout the U.S. He is also credited with creating The NORML Foundation Freedom Card and initiating the NORML Hemp Alliance.
In 2015 the organization recognized his successful advocacy by inducting him into the NORML Distinguished Counsel’s Circle.
Tom moved back to Phoenix in 2008 and established his current practice which provides representation in marijuana related criminal and administrative matters. In 2016, Tom received the President’s Commendation award from the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice (AACJ) for his work in cannabis criminal defense. In 2020, Tom received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Errl Cup, a medical marijuana event producer which includes Arizona’s premier cannabis awards festival (30,000 attendees this year). In 2021, Tom received the Mikel Weiser Lifetime Achievement Award from Arizona’s Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA). Most recently, in 2023, Tom was honored by NORML with the Al Horn Award, which is awarded each year “in recognition of a lifetime of ceaseless work to advance the cause of justice and for their extraordinary support for NORML.”
Tom is also active in other important cannabis organizations on both a local and National level. Of note, he was a founding member of the Arizona Cannabis Bar Association (ACBA), an organization that seeks to educate lawyers and the public about the many unique aspects of cannabis law and emerging cannabis related areas of practice. He continues to serve on the ACBA board and as its current Vice President. In 2024, Tom formed a new firm with two other phoenix attorneys, Julie Gunnigle and Jon Udell, called Full Spectrum Law Collective. FSLC represents clients in a broad array of cannabis practice areas. Outside of his practice, Tom enjoys, among other things, trout fishing, hiking, and presenting at marijuana and hemp related seminars and conferences for lawyers and the public.
Stephen W. Dillon
Stephen W. Dillon is a 74 year-old attorney who has practiced criminal defense and constitutional law throughout the state of Indiana and U.S.A. in both federal and state courts for almost 50 years.
Steve lives in Monroe County with his wife, Jessie A. Cook. She is also a criminal defense attorney and is an adjunct professor of law at Indiana University in Bloomington. Steve has one child and four grandchildren. Born in Sterling, Illinois on December 5, 1949, Steve grew up and lived in Lafayette, Indiana. He graduated from Culver Summer Naval Academy in 1966. He graduated from Jefferson High School in 1968 and graduated from Purdue University in 1972 (cum laude) with a major in Communications and a minor in Psychology. He was a varsity debater and a member of Phi Kappa Psi social fraternity, Phi Kappa Phi academic honorary, and Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha debate honorary. Steve was employed at Dillon Hardware Company in Lafayette during high school and college. Steve was on the Board of Directors of Dillon Hardware Company (Indiana) and Dillon Travel Agency (Florida) for many years.
Steve moved to Indianapolis in 1972 to attend Indiana University Law School at Indianapolis. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence in May 1975 and was admitted to the Indiana Bar in October of 1975. Steve served the State as a Deputy Public Defender of Indiana from 1975 until 1977. From 1978 until 1988 he practiced with other private Indianapolis attorneys. In 1988 Steve opened Dillon Law Office which is located at 3601 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46205.
Steve was an active member of the National and Indiana Libertarian Party for many years. He is a member of F.I.J.A., the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Indiana Bar Association. Steve was a founding member and continues to remain active on the NORML Legal Committee. He helped start Indiana NORML in 1974 and was State Director for over 30 years. He continues to be active on the Indiana NORML Board of Directors. Steve has served as a member of the NORML Board of Directors since 1991 and was Chairman of the Board from 1999-2011. In 1993, Steve was ordained as a minister by the Indiana Association of Spiritualists, Inc.. Steve served seven years on the Board of Trustees of the Association. In 1994, Steve became an active member of the Criminal Justice Section of the Indiana State Bar Association and served as chair 2013-2014. Steve served for years as an active member of the Indiana Supreme Court Committee to Study Evidence-based Pre-trial Release. He served four terms on the Judicial Committee of the National Libertarian Party. Steve served six years on the Board of Directors and was President of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington for two years. Steve has served for over twenty years as President of the Lake Lemon Homeowner’s Association, Inc.. Steve has authored two books: A Collection of Short Stories and Poems (2017) and More Short Stories and Poems (2019).
Steve entered the political arena in 1986 when he ran for Prosecutor of Marion County on the Libertarian ticket. In 1987 Steve put his name in the running for City-County Council at Large as an unslated Republican. In 1988 Steve was nominated for U.S. Senator as a Libertarian. The Libertarian Party was unable to collect the required 35,000 signatures on petitions to put his name on the ballot. In 1990, primarily through the efforts of Steve and Dillon Law Office, the Libertarian party won their federal lawsuit against Indiana’s ban on write-in voting. Therefore, Steve once again was on the campaign trail for the Libertarian Party of Indiana running for the United States Senate as a write-in candidate in the fall election of 1990. In 1992, Steve was on the ballot for U.S. Senate as a Libertarian receiving over 30,000 votes.
In 1994, Steve ran as a Libertarian for Secretary of State of Indiana and received over 32,000 votes statewide, which represented 2.2% of the total vote count and secured ballot status for the Libertarian Party of Indiana. In 1995, Steve ran on the Libertarian ticket for Mayor of Indianapolis and received 6.5% of the total vote. In 1996 Steve was the Libertarian candidate for Governor and received about 2% of the total vote. In 1998 Steve was on the ballot again as the Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State of Indiana and received over 3% of the total vote. In 2000, Steve ran as a Libertarian candidate for Monroe Circuit Court Judge and received 28% of the vote in a two-way race.
Steve was honored with several professional awards. In 1999, Steve received the “Dr. Barbara Bourland Light of Liberty Award” from the Libertarian Party of Indiana. In 2009, Steve received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the NORML Board of Directors in recognition of “a lifetime of activism reforming marijuana laws and advancing the cause of personal freedom.” In 2011, Steve received the “Attorney of the Year Award” from the Indiana Cannabis Action Network and Relegalize Indiana. In 2014, Steve received an award for leadership and dedication as Chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the Indiana State Bar Association. Also in 2014, Steve received the Al Horn Award for “a lifetime of ceaseless work to advance the cause of justice and extraordinary support for NORML” from the NORML Legal Committee.
In 2016, Steve received the, “Steve Dasbach Chairman Award for Extraordinary Service” from the Libertarian Party of Indiana for helping to grow the party in extraordinary ways over many years. In 2024, Steve was honored by the State of Indiana with a Proclamation for 50 years of work to reform the marijuana laws with Indiana NORML. Steve also received a Founder and 50 Year Service Award from the Indiana NORML Board of Directors.
Drew Findling
Drew Findling is the founding partner of The Findling Law Firm, P.C., based in Atlanta, GA. The firm tries cases ranging from complex white-collar crimes to serious violent felonies. Drew spent the first three years of his career as a public defender refining his legal and courtroom skills before transitioning to private practice. For the next 35 years, Drew has represented clients in state and federal courts across the country, as well as in international matters.
As a Fulton County, Georgia public defender, he was a leader in developing the battered woman syndrome defense. Nationally, Drew was the first attorney to successfully employ that defense based exclusively on verbal abuse. For his efforts, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL) awarded him their Indigent Defense Award. In recent years, Drew and his team have successfully represented a bevy of high-profile clients including basketball icons: Dennis Rodman and Shaquille O’Neal; NBA standout Montrezl Harrell, NFL star Alvin Kamara; Grammy Award Winner Cardi B, Grammy Award Nominees Faith Evans and Rod Wave, Emmy Award Winner Katt Williams, Grammy Award Winner Tiffany Haddish, and Actor/Comedian Mike Epps. Hip Hop superstars such as NBA Young Boy, Gucci Mane, Glorilla, Waka Flocka, the late Young Dolph, Offset, Quavo and the late Takeoff from the Grammy-nominated group Migos, Jackboy, Da Baby, Trippie Redd, Boosie, Lucci, and Lil Baby have all leveraged Drew’s renowned legal expertise.
Drew has also represented clients such as Morris Brown College President Dolores Cross, Fulton County, Georgia Sheriff Jackie Barrett, Clayton County, Georgia Sheriff Victor Hill, former State of Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, and former President Donald Trump. Notably in 2023, Drew and his team secured a full acquittal in a 23-count federal indictment in the Northern District of California.
Drew is a member of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers (ABCL), the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL), and the American Bar Association (ABA). He is a past President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and current trustee of the NACDL Foundation for Criminal Justice. Drew also served on the Board of Advisors for the prestigious National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology, and the Law. In 2018, he was the recipient of the prestigious Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award, which is given to one criminal defense attorney in the country each year by NACDL Drew received the NAACP’s Civil and Human Rights Award and a commendation by the Legislative Black Caucus of Georgia for his continued service to justice.
Due to his success in jury trials, appeals, and post-conviction work, Drew’s firm has been consistently named to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms list, Georgia Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite, Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Top Lawyers in Georgia, as a Georgia “Super Lawyer” by Atlanta Magazine, and one of the Best Lawyers in America© in criminal defense. Most recently his trial prowess, professionalism, and integrity were recognized when he was invited to become a fellow to the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL).
In his more than 30 years of practice, Drew has published numerous articles and become a highly sought-after speaker, delivering remarks in more than 40 states across the country. He has spoken extensively on topics such as race in the criminal justice system, combatting collateral consequences of convictions, defending battered woman syndrome cases, jury selection in high profile cases, forensic preparation for a criminal trial, effective opening statements and closing arguments, professionalism, and advanced cross-examination. Drew has lectured at Emory Law School, Georgia State University College of Law, and the University of Georgia Law School. He has served on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College and previously taught at NACDL’s White Collar Criminal Defense College at Stetson and Tulane University Law School’s Pre-Trial Criminal Litigation Boot Camp.
Drew has been featured in The National Law Journal, The Daily Report, Law 360, The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Washington Times, The Seattle Times, the New York Post, The New Yorker’s “On the Run,” Sky Sports, Rolling Stone, Axios, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Fast Company, Bloomberg News, the BBC, and The Times (UK). His television and social media appearances include CBS News, MSNBC, VICE News, and VLADTV. Billboard Magazine recognized Drew as one of the Power Players in the R&B and hip-hop industry. The Hollywood Reporter listed him as a Power Lawyer and one of the Hollywood Reporter’s Top 20 Troubleshooters. In 2024, Forbes magazine named Drew to their inaugural list of the Top 200 Lawyers in America.
Morgan Fox
Morgan Fox is the Political Director at NORML, focusing on congressional lobbying and changing federal cannabis laws. As a professional cannabis policy reform advocate since 2008, Morgan has been directly involved in dozens of successful state ballot initiative campaigns to establish medical and adult use cannabis programs, as well as legislative victories at the local, state, and federal levels. He has been featured in hundreds of print, radio, television, and online publications. Morgan was most recently the Media Relations Director and chief spokesperson for the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) before joining NORML, and spent nearly a decade at the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) prior to that. He lives in Washington, DC, and when he’s not working to end prohibition and repair the damage it has caused, he can usually be found exploring the numerous parks and playgrounds of our nation’s capital with his children.
Nikki Fried
Before being elected chair in February 2023, Nikki served as Florida’s 12th Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services from 2019-2023. She is a lifelong Floridian, attorney and passionate activist. Born and raised in Miami, Chairwoman Fried graduated from the University of Florida, where she received her bachelor’s, master’s in political campaigning and juris doctor degrees. While at the University of Florida, she served as student body president – the first woman to hold the position in nearly two decades.
When Nikki was elected Commissioner in 2018, she became Florida’s only statewide elected Democrat, and the first female ever elected to serve as Commissioner not only in Florida but the entire South.. As Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner, she helped build the state hemp industry, stood up for LGBTQ+ equality, fought for clean water, improved the gun licensing process, and much more.
In 2021, Nikki announced her campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor. After the primary, she founded Won’t Back Down – an organization dedicated to electing pro-choice women to office in Florida. She traveled the state to get out the vote for down-ballot candidates throughout the 2022 election.
Prior to being elected, Fried was the head of the Felony Division at the Alachua County Public Defender’s Office and worked in private practice in South Florida, defending homeowners against foreclosure during the 2007-2008 housing crisis. She also worked at law firms as a government consultant, advocating on behalf of clients before the Florida Legislature. In 2017, she formed her own firm to advocate in Tallahassee for at-risk children, the Broward County School Board, and for the expansion of patient access to medical marijuana.
Throughout her career she has served with numerous organizations including NORML, the Young Lawyers Board of Governors, Chair of the Broward Days Board of Directors, Legal Needs of Children Bar Committee, LeRoy Collins Institute, Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, University of Florida Governmental Relations Advisory Committee, University of Florida Board of Trustees, Florida’s Children First, and others.
Gerald “Gerry” Harris Goldstein
Gerry Goldstein is a nationally known and respected defense lawyer at Goldstein, Goldstein & Hilley in San Antonio, Texas. He is a past president of both the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He has served as amicus curiae for NACDL in many high-profile cases, including CNN v. Manuel Noriega and Joe Does v. United States, arguing lawyers should not be required to disclose the identity of cash-paying clients on IRS forms.
His forceful Congressional testimony during the 1996 House Waco hearings is credited with helping to turn the tide against further suppression of citizens’ rights in America. More recently, he represented Dr. Al-Badr Al Hazmi, a fifth-year radiology resident in San Antonio who was arrested on Sept. 12, 2001. Subsequently, Goldstein testified before Congress on his client’s request to speak with counsel.
Gerry Goldstein is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Texas Lawyer’s Legal Legends. He also has been profiled in numerous publications, served as an adjunct professor of law at University of Texas School of Law in Austin and at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio and is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
He also is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. In his role as an adjunct professor, Gerry teaches a course titled Advanced Criminal Law (Defense of a Complex Federal Prosecution). Other lectures and presentations include U.S. Supreme Court updates, Crawford & the Current State of the Hearsay Rule, Crossing the Double Crosser and Federal Appeals.
His published works include: Grand Jury Practice; Pretrial Release; Indictment [Joinder/Severance/Transfer]; Pretrial Motions; Suppression of Evidence; Jury Selection; Trial [Evidence]; Examination of Witnesses; Jury Instructions; Closing Arguments; Creative Trial Techniques; Criminal Issues – Civil Cases; Jury Arguments [Closings to Remember]; Search and Seizure; Life and Hearsay – Post Crawford Era; Federal Appeals; and Supreme Court Review.
Gerry earned his juris doctor at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas, in 1968. He also graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1965, with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Gerry received a certification in Criminal Law in 1975 from the State Bar of Texas. He holds the following bar admissions: Texas (1968), Colorado (1989), U.S. District Court Western District of Texas (1970), U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit (1982), U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit (1970), U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit (1983), U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit (1979), U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit (1983), U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit (1981) and the U.S. Supreme Court (1975).
Gerry Goldstein received NORML’s Al Horn Award in 1999, which commemorated a lifetime of advocacy and support for responsible marijuana law reform. He has also received the following honors and awards: Best Lawyers in America, 1987 — Present; Texas Monthly – Texas Super Lawyers; Top 100 Texas Super Lawyers; Top 50 Central and West Texas Region Super Lawyers, Criminal Defense: White Collar, 2003 — 2007; Scene in SA Monthly – San Antonio’s Best Attorneys, San Antonio Law, Top Ten Lawyers, 2004 — present; Texas Lawyer Legal Legends, 100 Best Lawyers over Last 100 years (100 Year Anniversary of State Bar of Texas), 2000; Fellow, State Bar Foundation, 1976 — Present; Recipient, Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award [Outstanding Criminal Defense Attorney in the United States] from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1991; Recipient, Outstanding Criminal Defense Lawyer in Texas from the State Bar of Texas, 1991; Justice Albert Tate, Jr. Award [Outstanding Contribution to Criminal Advocacy] from the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1993; Recipient, John Henry Faulk Civil Libertarian of the Year Award from the American Civil Liberties Union; Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Hall of Fame, 2002; Marquis Who’s Who, Who’s Who in American Law, 14th Edition, 2006 — 2008; First Annual Michael J. Kennedy Social Justice Award, George Washington University, (May, 2016); William S. Sessions American Inns of Court First Annual Goldstein Award of Excellence (2015); San Antonio Bar Association, Joe Frazier Brown, Jr., Award of Excellence for Outstanding Leadership and Service to the Legal Community & Citizens of Texas, 2016.
He is a member of the following professional associations: National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Past President (1994 — 1995); Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Past President; International Academy of Trial Lawyers; American College of Trial Lawyers; American Board of Criminal Lawyers; American Board of Trial Advocates, President; Dean’s Round Table, University of Texas School of Law; Texas Civil Liberties Union; San Antonio Bar Association; American Bar Association; and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.
Julie Gunnigle
Julie Gunnigle is a co-founder of the Full Spectrum Law Collective, an innovative Phoenix-based firm where she focuses on cannabis law, impact litigation, and government relations. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School and a former prosecutor of financial crime and public corruption in Cook County, Illinois. During her eighteen years as an attorney, Julie has served as legal director for the Arizona Poor People’s Campaign, Arizona NORML, and for the National Council of Jewish Women, Az. In 2022, she won the landmark case of Ridgell v. Department of Child Safety, establishing immunity from child safety investigations for expectant medical marijuana patients. Since that time, Julie has led the expungement program at Arizona NORML, automating the record sealing process to help Arizonans expunge their convictions and get a true second chance. This year, she was named Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers Az and awarded LULAC’s Civil Rights Award. She remains committed to transformation in our criminal legal system and holding those who abuse their power accountable.
John Wesley Hall
John Wesley Hall, Little Rock criminal defense attorney, is a Past President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Hall received the organization’s prestigious Robert C. Heeney Award in 2002 for service to the criminal defense bar. He was chair of the NACDL Ethics Advisory Committee from 1990-2005, and on the International Criminal Court’s Disciplinary Appeals Tribunal. He has tried 250+ jury trials and handled 250+ appeals, including three in the U.S. Supreme Court. He is the author of Search and Seizure (3d ed., 4th ed. forthcoming), Professional Responsibility in Criminal Defense Practice (3d ed.), Trial Handbook for Arkansas Lawyers (4th ed.), and numerous articles. He has done CLEs in 38 states, 3 provinces, and The Hague.
Jasmin Mize
Jasmin Mize is a civil rights and criminal defense attorney. She currently teaches Advanced Litigation and Trial Practice at the Prison and Justice Initiative at Georgetown University Law Center. She has previously been on faculty at CUNY School of Law, teaching subjects of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Civil Procedure. From 2020 – 2022, Jasmin handled class action cases as Senior Supervising Attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center. In that role, Jasmin led case teams engaged in litigation against departments of correction across the Deep South. Jasmin is a former Visiting Professor and Director of the Housing & Consumer Law Clinic at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law. As clinical director, she supervised law students handling a spectrum of cases on behalf of low-income tenants in Washington, D.C., including criminal record sealing cases before the D.C. Superior Court. Prior to joining the UDC Law faculty, Jasmin spent eight years as a public defender on the state and federal levels.
As part of her expertise in criminal justice reform, Jasmin has worked both nationally and globally to advise businesses and advocates who work to decriminalize and regulate cannabis and other controlled substances. Jasmin’s scholarly agenda is focused on how the law can best serve those who have been impacted by the War on Drugs. Her most recent scholarship, Reefer Reparations, is a discussion on how to deal with the aftermath of marijuana prosecutions against the backdrop of a burgeoning billion-dollar legal cannabis industry.
Marvin Miller
Marvin D. Miller has been practicing criminal defense law out of Alexandria, Virginia, since the early 1970’s. His practice is nearly exclusively dedicated to the representation of those accused of violating the law. He has handled cases throughout much of the country in both state and federal courts. A large part of his practice focuses on defending drug cases.
Marvin began an association with NORML almost at its founding. He served on the legal committee for a number of years, and also had the honor of being on NORML’s Board of Directors for a period of time. Additionally, he had the opportunity to serve on the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Board of Directors for a period of years, and is one of the founding members and a past president of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Marvin not only represents defendants in trials but he also does a large number of appeals. He has had cases in 18 states, seven federal circuits, some state supreme courts, and the United States Supreme Court.
Gregory Morse
Gregory J. Morse is a partner at the law firm of King | Morse, PLLC in Palm Beach County, FL where he has practiced criminal defense in state and federal court for more than twenty years. Greg began his career at the West Palm Beach Public Defender’s Office in 2000 and he is currently on the CJA panel for the United States Southern District of Florida. He is a member of the NORML Legal Committee, The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), and The American Inns of Court (CSB).
Greg has had cases featured on: Vengeance: Millionaire Murderers, 48 hours, Inside Edition, American Monster, and In Ice Cold Blood. He is considered a Top 100 trial lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers and a 10 Best Attorney in FL by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys. He has been published in the New York Law School Law Review, “Techno-Jury: Techniques in Verbal and Visual Persuasion.” He graduated from New York Law School, cum laude; SUNY Buffalo; and University of North London, England. Greg has presented on topics covering all aspects of trial from Jury selection to sentencing. Greg is also an author. His debut novel, The Untested was released in 2022.
William H. Murphy, Jr.
William H. “Billy” Murphy, Jr. has practiced law for 35 years, including three years as a judge on the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, the highest level Maryland trial court. Mr. Murphy has tried numerous high-profile criminal and civil cases, including some of the most celebrated cases in Maryland history and in the country. In 2004, Mr. Murphy received the Charles Hamilton Houston Award for Lifetime Achievement in Litigation from the University of Baltimore School of Law in “recognition of his career of excellence, innovation and achievement in courtroom advocacy.”
Keith Stroup
Keith Stroup is a Washington, DC public-interest attorney who founded NORML in 1970. Stroup obtained his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Illinois in 1965, and in 1968 he graduated from Georgetown Law School in Washington, DC. Following two years as staff counsel for the National Commission on Product Safety, Mr. Stroup founded NORML and ran the organization through 1979, during which 11 states decriminalized minor marijuana offenses.
Stroup has also practiced criminal law, lobbied on Capitol Hill for family farmers and artists, and for several years served as executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). In 1994 Stroup resumed his work with NORML, rejoining the board of directors and serving again as Executive Director through 2004. He is currently serving as Legal Counsel with NORML.
In 1992 Stroup was the recipient of the Richard J. Dennis Drugpeace Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Drug Policy Reform presented by the Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, DC. In 2010 he received the Al Horn Award for Advancing the Cause of Justice from the NORML Legal Committee. And in 2012 Stroup received the High Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2013 Stroup published the history of NORML entitled It’s NORML To Smoke Pot: the 40 Year Fight for Marijuana Smokers’ Rights.
William Swor
Bill Swor has practiced Federal, Criminal and Civil Rights Law for 52 years. He is admitted to practice before the United States & Michigan Supreme Courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Eastern (December 14, 1972) and Western Districts of Michigan (June 3, 1981). He is also admitted to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (March 24, 2023). He has presented cases in over twenty (20) state and federal trial and appellate jurisdictions.
Mr. Swor has been recognized by placement in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers annually since 2004. In 2005 Mr. Swor received the Detroit Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild’s Defender of Justice Award in recognition of his work on behalf of four Middle Eastern men who had been falsely accused of supporting terrorism. In 2004 he was a co-recipient of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan Justice for All Award. He has also received the Detroit ACLU 2006 Bernard Gottfried Award. The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers presented him with the 2007 Rodney Thaxton, Against All Odds Award. In 2010 the American Arab Chamber of Commerce named him its Legal Professional of the Year. He was presented with the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM) Right to Counsel Award on March 17, 2017; He received the CDAM Certificate of Exceptional Achievement on March 2, 2018.
Bill Swor is a Past President of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers (ABCL). He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM) and served on its Education Committee. He has served as a member of the Representative Assembly of the State Bar of Michigan and served two terms as chairman of the General Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan.
He has tried many high-profile and politically charged cases, including Young Boys Incorporated (drug conspiracy), & The Chambers Brothers (drug conspiracy). He was counsel for one of the defendants in the first terrorism case tried in the United States after September 11, 2001, United States v. Koubriti, et al. That case resulted in dismissal of all charges against the defendants, and criminal prosecution of the lead Assistant United States Attorney.
Mr. Swor was lead counsel for 19 Arab men who were rounded up immediately after 9/11, and falsely accused of conspiracy to engage in terrorism. He has participated in the defense of a number of Islamic charities accused by the government of providing support to terrorism or providing humanitarian aid in violation of US Government sanctions. He represented one of the defendants in the Jose Padilla terrorism conspiracy case in the Southern District of Florida.
In 2012 Mr. Swor was counsel for the lead defendant in United States v. David Stone, et al, a case in which members of a rural Michigan militia were charged with a Seditious Conspiracy to Oppose and Overthrow the United States Government. The trial of that case resulted in an acquittal of all major charges.
In 2013, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office charge the father, and mother of a chronically ill infant who died at age 11 months, with first degree murder, felony murder, manslaughter and first & third-degree child abuse. Mr. Swor represented the father. On March 7, 2014, after a jury trial, and post-trial litigation, Mr. Swor’s client was acquitted of all charges.
Mr. Swor has authored articles on various aspects of the practice of law and has spoken frequently on legal issues in both the print and electronic media. He has taught at conferences hosted by numerous professional and civic organizations, including the State Bar of Michigan, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms, and the ACLU of Michigan.
Mr. Swor has served on the national legal committees of numerous legal, political, religious, and charitable organizations. He served on the Practitioners Advisory Group to the United States Sentencing Commission. He served as a member of the Community Advisory Board of the American Civil Liberty Union of Michigan.
In 2014, then-Governor Rick Snyder appointed William Swor to serve as a criminal defense representative to the newly created Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, charged with developing long-term standards, strategies and programs to improve Michigan’s indigent criminal defense system. He was reappointed by Governor Snyder in 2018 and was reappointed to the Commission by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.
Jon Udell
Full Spectrum Law Collective PLLC Founding Partner Jon Udell has spent half a decade helping businesses and everyday people navigate Arizona’s ever-changing marijuana laws and regulations. With a background in consumer protection class actions, Jon sensed an opportunity to pursue his passion for plant medicine in 2019, deciding to stay with his firm and join the first cannabis department at an Arizona law firm. After starting his new practice, Jon quickly became a Director of NORML’s Arizona Chapter, assumed a leading role advocating for Arizona’s legalization of adult-use cannabis in 2020, and was named one of the Arizona Republic’s “Faces of Arizona” for his free work expunging marijuana records in 2021. Later, Jon became the co-chair of his prior firm’s cannabis department and the State Director of NORML’s Arizona Chapter. Last year, he launched Full Spectrum Law Collective PLLC, with NORML alumnus Tom Dean, Esq. and Arizona NORML Legal Director Julie Gunnigle, Esq. as his partners. Jon is a respected voice at the Arizona Capitol and sought after for both his legal guidance as well as his knowledge of the Arizona industry and the influential people who shape it.
Rebecca Wade
The Honorable Rebecca J. Wade is an Alexandria, Virginia native. She attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec for her undergraduate education, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Honours Economics and spending her summers traveling and working in Latin America. After college, Judge Wade returned to Virginia to attend the University of Richmond School of Law. After graduating law school, Judge Wade spent the first 6 years of her career as an Assistant Public Defender in Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties, Virginia. There she was the sole Spanish-speaking attorney in the office. After the birth of her daughter, Judge Wade returned to Alexandria to pursue a career in private practice. In private practice she practiced criminal and family law and in March of 2024 she was elected by the Virginia General Assembly to an eight year term as a Judge in the Circuit Court for the City of Alexandria.
Jeffrey Weiner
Jeff Weiner is the Managing Partner of Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A., based in Miami, Florida. He has been a practicing criminal defense attorney since 1974 and has represented clients in state and Federal criminal cases in over 25 states. Mr. Weiner maintains an active criminal defense practice.
For 50 years, Mr. Weiner has been a staunch advocate for the preservation of our constitutional rights. He is a nationally Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification. Mr. Weiner also represents U.S. citizens and foreign nationals in international criminal law matters; as well as fellow lawyers, other professionals, and law students in grievance matters. Many of his criminal cases are “high profile,” in which he represents fellow attorneys, professional athletes, politicians, and business executives.
Mr. Weiner has argued trials and appeals, including appeals before the United States Supreme Court, the Florida Supreme Court, and numerous Florida and Federal appellate courts. He had the distinction of arguing Florida v. Jimeno, 500 U.S. 248 (1991), before the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Weiner’s distinguished legal career includes terms as president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), president of the Florida Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, chair of the Dade County Bar Criminal Courts Committee, chair of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers’ Criminal Law Section, and Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers. He is also a former Regent and Faculty member of the National Criminal Defense College. Mr. Weiner was voted by fellow lawyers as one of the 2023 Best Lawyers in America as a “Florida Super Lawyer.” He is named in Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” which singles out less than 2% of the active Florida Bar members practicing in Florida and is named in the 2023 South Florida Legal Guide’s “Top Lawyers.” Mr. Weiner enjoys an AV Preeminent-Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest peer rating given to lawyers who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards.
Mr. Weiner received the Robert C. Heeney Award, NACDL’s highest honor, awarded annually to “the one criminal defense attorney who best exemplifies the goals and values of the Association, and the legal profession.” In 2021, Mr. Weiner received the prestigious Founders Award from the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers “in recognition of a career dedicated to preserving constitutional rights and manifesting an open-hearted devotion to justice, civility, discretion, courage, respect for human dignity and mercy for all citizens.” Mr. Weiner is a graduate of the Chicago-Kent College of Law where he was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus and the 2023 Commencement Speaker. Mr. Weiner is a popular CLE lecturer and author of articles pertaining to criminal law and constitutional procedure topics.
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