James Forman Jr.

James Forman Jr. is the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He holds degrees from Brown University (A.B., 1988) and Yale Law School (J.D., 1992). His career includes six years as a public defender in Washington, D.C., where he co-founded the Maya Angelou School for incarcerated youth. A leading scholar on mass incarceration, he authored Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America (2017 Pulitzer Prize winner) and co-edited Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change (2024). He launched the Access to Law School pipeline program and co-founded the Yale Law and Racial Justice Center, advancing racial justice initiatives. His work bridges academia, activism, and policy.

• Education: A.B. Brown University, J.D. Yale Law School
• Racial Justice Initiatives: Yale Law and Racial Justice Center, Access to Law School program
• Key Projects: Maya Angelou School (education for incarcerated individuals), Justice Book Club
• Awards: Pulitzer Prize, Honorary Degrees, American Academy of Arts and Sciences membership

His research critiques systemic racism in criminal justice, emphasizing race, class, and policy reform. He frequently publishes commentaries and appears in media debates on criminal justice, policing, and incarceration trends.