Princeton SPIA Welcomes Prominent Garden State Civil Rights Figures as New Jersey Fellows

The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs' SPIA in New Jersey initiative has named two prominent Garden State civil rights figures as fellows for the 2024-25 academic year. Joe Krakora, the former Public Defender of New Jersey, has joined SPIA in New Jersey as a Faculty Fellow, while Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union-New Jersey, is coming on board as a Policy Fellow.

"Joe's and Amol's years of experience and expertise, backgrounds, and demonstrated commitment to New Jersey speak directly to the priorities of SPIA in New Jersey, including accountability, fairness, and transparency," said SPIA in New Jersey Founding Director Anastasia Mann. "Both of these experts will offer the Princeton community on-the-ground, real-world insights on the creation and implementation of democracy-aligned research and policy."

Joe Krakora

SPIA in New Jersey's Faculty Fellow is responsible for an original intervention at the intersection of academic theory and practice, leveraging research for public policymaking. Krakora, a 1976 graduate of Princeton, will lecture in courses throughout the University, convening talks with national leaders, supporting research across programs, spearheading a robust collaboration with the Office of the Public Defender and the ACLU, and supervising graduates and undergraduates supporting clemency and exoneration cases.

As New Jersey's former Public Defender, Krakora is a national leader in criminal legal defense, having spearheaded the state's model bail reform and advanced initiatives for his office's clients that protect their rights while respecting public safety and community wellbeing. Krakora is a graduate of Cornell Law who has previously taught at Seton Hall Law.

"As a Princeton alum with a career in public service, I am grateful for the opportunity to join the SPIA community," Krakora said. "I am looking forward to using my experience as New Jersey's Public Defender to contribute to the advancement of SPIA in New Jersey's mission to turn policy theory into practice."

Amol Sinha

The Policy Fellowship program brings to the School experienced, mid-career professionals with track records of significant public policy engagement statewide, with the goals of sharing knowledge, experience, research, analytic acumen, contacts, and insight to advance the mission and objectives of SPIA in New Jersey. Fellows coordinate talks, participate in events across campus, mentor graduate students, support research grounded in New Jersey, and more.

Sinha is a nationally recognized civil rights leader who has dedicated his career to advancing racial justice, holding institutions accountable, and promoting and defending rights and liberties. At the ACLU-NJ, Sinha has overseen the organization's important advocacy in the courts and in the legislature, which has resulted in landmark victories including successfully legalizing cannabis through a racial justice lens, spearheading litigation and legislation that led to the early release of over 9,000 people from New Jersey prisons and jails, and leading the charge on the state's recent categorical clemency initiative. Before joining the ACLU-NJ in 2017, Sinha was an advocate at the Innocence Project, where he led campaigns to address wrongful convictions and reform the criminal legal system across the country.

"At the ACLU of New Jersey, we've been guided by our mission to preserve and advance civil rights and civil liberties in the courts, in the legislature, and in our communities for more than 60 years," Sinha said. "I am honored to be named a Policy Fellow for the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs' SPIA in New Jersey initiative. I'm eager to work with Princeton's students, faculty, and staff - and the broader University community - to continue pursuing our shared vision of a fairer, stronger, and more just New Jersey."

Sinha joins current Policy Fellows Adriana Abizadeh, executive director of Kensington Corridor Trust; Brandon McKoy, president of the Fund for New Jersey; and Nedia Morsy, deputy director of Make the Road New Jersey.

SPIA in New Jersey launched in spring 2023, embodying Princeton SPIA's commitment to collaborate with government, advocates, and communities statewide through original research and analysis, convening opportunities to grow and be inspired, and advancement of best practices from around the nation and the world, consistent with multiracial democracy. To learn more about SPIA in New Jersey, click here.