national criminal defense college

What national criminal defense college does

The National Criminal Defense College (NCDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in Georgia on March 26, 1985, and headquartered at 501 College Street, Suite 107, in Macon. The organization delivers intensive trial-skills training to criminal defense attorneys across the United States, including private practitioners, public defenders (roughly one-third of attendees), federal defenders, and military defense counsel. Its stated mission is to pursue justice by elevating the quality of criminal defense representation through a diverse faculty and a curriculum that confronts racism and bias in the legal system.

NCDC's core product is the Deryl Dantzler Trial Practice Institute, a two-week residential program run in two summer sessions of 128 participants each, delivered using a "three-step" methodology of lecture, small-group exercise (groups of eight), and faculty demonstration with professional actors playing witnesses and clients. The portfolio extends to the Cross-Examination Workshop (four days, $1,300), Forensic Cross-Examination Workshop (three days, $1,300, co-delivered with The Innocence Project), Master the Courtroom: Theory, Theme, Story, and Performance (four days, $1,300, at Arizona State University College of Law), and an Online Cross-Examination Workshop (four weeks, $795). Programs are taught by 80+ nationally renowned trial lawyers and coaches, many of whom have taught for decades without reimbursement, and are staged at rotating law school venues (Mercer 1985-2018, Roger Williams 2019-2022, Fairfax 2023-2025, University of Iowa 2026).

Revenue is generated from program tuition, charitable donations to scholarship and operating funds (including the Deryl Dantzler Scholarship Fund), tiered corporate sponsorships of the Trial Practice Institute ($1,500-$20,000 tiers), and a branded merchandise Swag Shop. NCDC also runs scholarship programs (Deryl Dantzler, Ramon Alvarado Memorial, ACTL, Carl Maxey, and state-level awards) and operates the Defense Network alumni portal for ongoing case support. Distribution combines application-based direct enrollment for individuals or offices, rotating law school venue partnerships, state criminal defense association partnerships, and self-serve online access via Zoom-enabled breakout sessions.

Name

national criminal defense college

Legal name

National Criminal Defense College

Website

https://ncdc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The National Criminal Defense College (NCDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Macon, Georgia, that delivers intensive trial-skills training to U.S. criminal defense attorneys, including private practitioners, public defenders, federal defenders, and military counsel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Education / Continuing Legal Education

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Legal Education & Legal Aid Clinics (Law School–Run) (EDAHAIAG)

Keywords

• Trial skills training
• Criminal defense education
• Continuing legal education
• Cross-examination workshops
• Attorney professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Macon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition and Fees: Revenue from tuition fees for the Deryl Dantzler Trial Practice Institute ($2,700), Cross-Examination Workshops ($1,300), Online Cross-Examination Workshop ($795), Master the Courtroom program ($1,300), and Forensic Cross-Examination Workshop ($1,300). Additional revenue from CLE credit fees and housing arrangements.
2. Donations and Scholarships: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, NCDC receives tax-deductible donations to the Deryl Dantzler Scholarship Fund and general operating funds. Donations range from $10 to $50,000.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities for the Trial Practice Institute including Coffee Break ($1,500), Program Bags ($6,000), African American Lawyers Dinner ($3,000), Lawyers of Color Dinner ($5,000), Welcome Dinner, Graduation Party, and DDTPI Partner level ($20,000).
4. Merchandise Sales: The Swag Shop sells branded merchandise including hoodies ($50), t-shirts ($25), and accessories ($20) to alumni and supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCDC conducts intensive, hands-on trial-skills training programs for criminal defense attorneys, anchored by its flagship two-week Deryl Dantzler Trial Practice Institute and supplemented by shorter in-person and online Cross-Examination Workshops, a Forensic Cross-Examination Workshop with The Innocence Project, and Master the Courtroom at Arizona State University College of Law. Programs use a three-step methodology of creative lectures, on-your-feet small-group exercises, and faculty demonstrations with professional actors playing witnesses, and award CLE credits across most U.S. states and territories.

Product overview

National Criminal Defense College (NCDC) offers a portfolio of trial skills training programs for criminal defense attorneys. The core offerings include the flagship Deryl Dantzler Trial Practice Institute (two-week intensive), Master the Courtroom (four-day intensive), Forensic Cross-Examination Workshop (three-day), Cross-Examination Workshop (four-day), and Online Cross-Examination Workshop (four-week online). Additional services include scholarship programs, an alumni network with the Defense Network portal, sponsorship opportunities, and a merchandise shop. The organization also coordinates with partner organizations like The Innocence Project for specialized training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deryl Dantzler Trial Practice Institute: The original, transformative, two-week trial skills program designed exclusively for criminal defense practitioners. Flagship program conducted annually since 1985, held in two 2-week sessions.
• Cross-Examination Workshop
• Forensic Cross-Examination Workshop
• Online Cross-Examination Workshop
• Master the Courtroom: Theory, Theme, Story, and Performance

Products and services

• Deryl Dantzler Trial Practice Institute NCDC's flagship two-week intensive trial-skills program conducted annually since 1985 in two summer sessions, designed exclusively for criminal defense practitioners. Limited to 128 participants per session divided into 16 small groups with individualized feedback using professional actors playing clients and witnesses.
• Master the Courtroom: Theory, Theme, Story, and Performance Intensive four-day program hosted at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, focusing on transforming trial advocacy through mastery of theory of defense, persuasive themes, client-centered narrative, and compelling examinations, with interdisciplinary coaching from professional storytellers and actors.
• Cross-Examination Workshop Four-day in-person workshop teaching NCDC's trial-tested cross-examination techniques through breakout sessions coached by NCDC faculty with professional actors playing true-to-life witnesses. Covers the three rules of cross-examination, witness control, theory of the case, and chaptering strategies. Groups from the same office limited to eight people.
• Forensic Cross-Examination Workshop Three-day workshop presented in partnership with The Innocence Project, focused on cross-examining forensic experts. Covers forensic examination error rates, professional bias, and peer review critique in breakout sessions co-led by NCDC and Innocence Project faculty.
• Online Cross-Examination Workshop Four-week online course teaching NCDC's cross-examination techniques through video presentations, live Zoom breakout sessions coached by faculty, and professional actors playing witness roles. Approximately 9-11 hours per week time commitment with CLE credits available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9,000 criminal defense attorneys trained since 1985
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Mercer University's Walter F. George School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, GA served as NCDC's home from 1985-2018. The law school donated facilities free of charge for the Trial Practice Institute. Deryl Dantzler was a professor at Mercer, making it the natural choice for hosting the reorganized college.
• University of Iowa School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 2026 Deryl Dantzler Trial Practice Institute will be held at University of Iowa School of Law in Iowa City. Participants stay at the Graduate by Hilton hotel.
• Arizona State University College of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law in Phoenix hosts the Master the Courtroom: Theory, Theme, Story, and Performance program.
• Roger Williams University School of LawmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership secured in 2018 for the 2019 Trial Practice Institute and continued through 2022. Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island provided a larger venue as the program had outgrown Mercer's space.
• The Innocence ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Innocence Project partners with NCDC for the Forensic Cross-Examination Workshop. Faculty from both organizations co-lead the workshop focusing on challenging forensic evidence and junk science in the courtroom.
• American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerACTL provides generous donations enabling NCDC to grant scholarships to Trial Practice Institute applicants demonstrating financial need and outstanding commitment to criminal defense.
• Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and IdahominorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunds the Carl Maxey Scholarship in honor of civil rights attorney Carl Maxey, awarded to members of the Black Public Defender Association.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association Continuing Legal Education: ABA CLE provides the broadest range of continuing legal education across all practice areas, including criminal defense. While not specialized in trial skills, it competes for CLE dollars and provides an alternative channel for defense attorneys seeking training.
• National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA): NLADA is the US membership organization for civil legal aid and public defender programs, providing training, technical assistance, and advocacy. It serves much of the same institutional customer base as NCDC, particularly public defender offices.
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL): NACDL is the largest US membership organization for criminal defense lawyers, providing training, resources, and advocacy. While not a dedicated training institution, it offers overlapping training programs and serves the same customer base as NCDC.

Others

• The Innocence Project: The Innocence Project is NCDC's partner on the Forensic Cross-Examination Workshop and shares a criminal justice reform mission. While primarily a litigation/advocacy organization rather than a training provider, it co-delivers training content for NCDC.
• Center for Constitutional Litigation: Provides specialized criminal defense training and litigation support, particularly for complex appellate and post-conviction matters. While smaller and more litigation-focused, it competes for the same trial lawyer audience and CLE dollars.

Direct peers

• National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA): NITA is the largest US provider of trial advocacy training for lawyers, offering courses across multiple practice areas and skill levels. It is the closest direct competitor to NCDC in the trial skills training market, with a comparable focus on experiential learning and CLE credits.
• Trial Lawyers College: Founded by Gerry Spence, Trial Lawyers College offers intensive, weeklong trial skills programs using experiential methods with non-lawyer faculty. While oriented toward plaintiff's trial lawyers rather than defense, it is highly comparable to NCDC in pedagogy, exclusivity, and community-building.

Regional players

• Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop: Harvard's intensive trial advocacy workshop provides hands-on trial training similar to NCDC's Trial Practice Institute. While a university program rather than a dedicated training institution, it competes for the same trial-ready attorney segment.
• National Association for Public Defense: NAPD provides training, technical assistance, and resources to public defender offices across the US. While focused on institutional support rather than individual trial skills, it overlaps with NCDC's public defender customer segment and training mission.
• Georgetown Law's Criminal Justice Institute: Georgetown's Criminal Justice Institute offers criminal defense training programs, including trial skills workshops. As a law school-anchored program, it competes with NCDC for advanced trial training demand from public defenders and private criminal defense attorneys.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/National-Criminal-Defense-College-NCDC-50794929098
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalcriminaldefensecollege

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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