Rick Jones is the Executive Director and a founding member of the Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS). He is a distinguished trial lawyer with 30 years’ experience in multi-forum litigation and an internationally recognized expert in public defense. Mr. Jones is a lecturer in law at Columbia Law School and a faculty member of the National Criminal Defense College in Macon, Georgia. Mr. Jones formerly served as President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). There, he co-chaired the Special Task Force on Problem-Solving Courts and the Task Force on Restoration of Rights and Status After Conviction, helping drive forward justice reform. He also held the inaugural NACDL Presidential Summit on Race Matters in Detroit and the Race Matters II conference in Los Angeles. Mr. Jones is a commissioner on the New York State Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration. He is an inaugural member of the steering committee of the National Association for Public Defense, sits on the boards of the New York State Defenders Association and the Sirius Foundation, and serves on the Editorial Board of the Amsterdam News. He was appointed to the Advisory Board of the National Task Force on Fines, Fees, and Bail Practices.