Jonathan J. Wroblewski

Jonathan J. Wroblewski is a Lecturer in Law at Harvard Law School and has directed the Semester in Washington Program since 2010. His career bridges academia and public service, including a 16-year tenure (2008–2024) as Director of the Office of Policy and Legislation in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, where he shaped national crime and sentencing policies. He has also served as an adjunct professor at George Washington University and George Mason University.

Wroblewski’s research focuses on criminal sentencing, judicial discretion, and criminal justice reform. His recent publications analyze tensions between rigid sentencing algorithms and equitable justice, drawing on Marvin Frankel’s seminal work to critique the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s approach. His scholarship emphasizes simplification and humility in sentencing policy.

As a practitioner, he has represented the Department of Justice on the United States Sentencing Commission, Federal Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on the Criminal Rules, and the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Council. His expertise spans federal sentencing frameworks, legislative drafting, and policy analysis.