Most bar associations are made up of good people. Smart lawyers. Well-meaning committees. Annual banquets with dry chicken and quiet networking. But when it comes to taking a stand on issues that actually matter—like judicial misconduct, unconstitutional statutes, or systemic abuse of the accused—they flinch.

Why? Because they can’t afford not to. They’re consensus-driven. Politically entangled. Built to protect their members, even when their members are part of the problem. When a judge routinely violates defendants’ rights, that judge might be on their CLE panel next month. When a defense lawyer is texting arrestees within minutes of booking, that lawyer might be a dues-paying member.

We don’t have that problem.

The Institute for Advanced Criminal Law Studies isn’t here to make friends. We don’t do cocktail hours or legacy awards. We’re here to stop bad behavior at the root—whether it’s a judge coercing pleas, a prosecutor hiding evidence, or a statute that doesn’t survive a first-year constitutional analysis.

We’re not consensus-based. We don’t need permission. And we’re not interested in being liked by people who get uncomfortable when someone says out loud what everyone already knows.

Here’s What That Looks Like in Practice:

• We’ve filed judicial complaints when judges crossed the line—publicly and unapologetically.
• We’ve sued prosecutors who enforced unconstitutional laws, even when no one else would touch it.
• We’ve cut off the flow of arrestees’ private phone numbers that fed unethical advertising tactics.

These are things bar associations could have done. But didn’t.

We’re Not Replacing Them—We’re Doing What They Won’t

There’s still a place for the bar associations. We’re not here to duplicate their work. We’re here to fill in the wide, gaping space where defense of liberty goes to die in silence. We’re not worried about hurting feelings. We’re worried about protecting rights—because nobody else is coming to do it for us.

If that resonates with you, you know where to find us. friends@iacls.org