We're in San Antonio, a great city, for a meeting of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). We have a great two track program going on for the next few days--Responding to the Ashcroft Agenda (Capital Litigation and Corporate Investigation.) The white collar speakers are among the best in the country. Abbe Lowell from D.C., John Keker from San Francisco, Barry Tarlow from LA; Jerry Lefcourt from New York; Hal Haddon from Denver; Gerry Goldstein from San Antonio. We just ran into Judge Edward Prado, recently appointed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (and the only Bush judicial nominee we championed, see why, here).

There are a host of stellar defense lawyers here, some of our favorites from arouind the country. Many that we consider to be personal heroes. Given the Bush/Ashcroft agenda that is permeating our criminal justice system, it's great to be among like minds who fear for the future as much as we do.

Today the rights that are being taken away belong to the disenfranchised, the poor and the non-citizens among us. Tomorrow it could be us. Boot Bush.

TChris will be back guest blogging at TalkLeft this weekend--we'll be checking in periodically. Be sure also to check out the great blogs on our blogroll--this is a community we feel privileged to be a part of.