Joshu Harris

Joshu Harris is a Lecturer in Law at Delaware Law School and the deputy director of Philadelphia’s Office of Criminal Justice and Public Safety. He has held influential roles in criminal justice policy at the local, state, and national levels, including leadership positions in the American Bar Association and advisory roles in political campaigns and government.

Education and Professional Background:

• Law clerk for U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, focusing on U.S. Supreme Court nominations.
• Policy advisor to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro during his 2016 attorney general campaign.
• Legislative director for Philadelphia Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, leading reforms in justice, policing, and taxation.
• Former prosecutor in the district attorney’s offices of Manhattan, Philadelphia, and Norfolk (MA).

Research and Professional Interests: Joshu Harris specializes in criminal law, gun violence prevention, and public safety policy. His work bridges legal advocacy and public health, particularly in firearm injury risk mitigation and opioid response legislation. He co-founded the ABA’s Task Force on Stand Your Ground Laws and led advocacy for bipartisan gun safety laws in Congress and Florida. His initiatives have been covered by major media outlets and studied by scholars at the University of Pennsylvania and UC Berkeley.

Teaching and Academic Engagement: Harris has taught criminal law at Delaware Law School and has been an invited speaker at the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Drexel University, Rutgers University-Camden, Penn State Brandywine, and Arizona State University, demonstrating strong academic engagement.

Leadership and Advocacy:

• Immediate past chair, ABA Standing Committee on Gun Violence.
• Member, Gun Violence Prevention Committee, President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
• Co-founder, ABA Presidential Task Force on Stand Your Ground Laws.
• Served on the Council and Standards Committee of the ABA Criminal Justice Section.
• Currently developing a 50-state medical-legal clinical guidance tool with the American Medical Association.

Community and Civic Involvement: A resident of Fishtown, Philadelphia, Harris is active in neighborhood initiatives, including helping to permanently protect the Crease Street Garden, a community-led revitalization project.