James Forman Jr.

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law


James Forman Jr. is the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He teaches criminal law and Access to Law School, a pipeline program serving first-generation and underrepresented minority students from New Haven who wish to pursue a legal career. He is the faculty director of Yale’s Center for Law and Racial Justice.

FULL BIOGRAPHY
James Forman Jr.

Contact Information



Faculty Assistant


Monika Piotrowicz

Education & Curriculum Vitae


J.D., Yale Law School, 1992

A.B., Brown University, 1988

Courses Taught


  • Criminal Law
  • Inside Out—Issues in Criminal Justice (joint seminar for YLS students and incarcerated men and women)
  • Access to Law School

James Forman Jr. is the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law. He attended public schools in Detroit and New York City before graduating from the Atlanta Public Schools. After attending Brown University and Yale Law School, he joined the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C., where for six years he represented both juveniles and adults charged with crimes.

During his time as a public defender, Professor Forman became frustrated with the lack of education and job training opportunities for his clients. In 1997, along with David Domenici, he started the Maya Angelou School, an alternative school for school dropouts and youth who had been arrested. In the decades since its founding, Maya Angelou School has expanded to run multiple schools inside D.C.’s youth and adult prisons. The Maya Angelou leadership team dreams of a world in which no person is behind bars; in the meantime, they believe that everyone — including those incarcerated — deserve a high-quality education.

Professor Forman’s scholarship focuses on schools, police, and prisons. He is particularly interested in the race and class dimensions of those institutions. Professor Forman’s first book, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America, was on many top 10 lists, including The New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2017, and was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. His second book, Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change, will be published in July, 2024 by Farrar Straus & Giroux. Co-edited by Forman, Premal Dharia and Mario Hawilo, the anthology focuses on how to undo the damage and depredations of the carceral state.

In September 2020, Forman convened 12 Yale Law students and 20 first-generation New Haveners for a novel experiment in legal education: a law-student run pipeline program helping people from under-represented groups achieve their dreams of becoming lawyers. To date, over 18 program participants have been admitted to law school, including to UConn, Quinnipiac, Yale, Villanova, American University, Berkeley, Georgetown, and Western New England. In January 2022, Forman helped launch the Yale Law and Racial Justice Center, which brings together New Haveners, Yale students, staff, and faculty, local government officials, and local and national experts to imagine and implement projects advancing racial justice.

Professor Forman is a Trustee of the Council on Criminal Justice and a member of the American Law Institute. In 2023, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.

Wednesday, July 5, 2023


Aim Lower — A Commentary by Lara Bazelon and James Forman Jr. ’92

Lara Bazelon is a professor of law and the director of the Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs at the University of San Francisco School of Law. James Forman Jr. ’92 is J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School. 

Wednesday, May 24, 2023


James Forman Jr. Elected to American Philosophical Society

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 was elected to the American Philosophical Society for his accomplishments in social sciences.

Wednesday, April 19, 2023


James Forman Jr. Elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 has been elected to the 2023 class of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Wednesday, April 12, 2023


Yale Law Professors, Via Open Letter, Support Work on Pardons and Paroles

Several criminal law experts from Yale Law School wrote to stakeholders about Connecticut’s pause in commutations.

Thursday, April 6, 2023


‘Vicious Cycle’: Inside the Police Recruiting Crunch With Resignations on the Rise

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 comments on how police departments can recruit officers who would best serve communities.

Wednesday, April 5, 2023


How Just Is Connecticut’s Criminal Justice System?

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 joins a discussion on the state of criminal justice reform in Connecticut.

Sunday, March 26, 2023


Black Men Are Paying the Price for the Failed War on Gun Violence

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 comments on how enforcement of gun possession laws in Chicago disproportionately impacts Black men.

Tuesday, January 31, 2023


Tyre Nichols Case: Does Diversity in Policing Address Police Brutality?

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. comments on the pattern of violent behavior seen in specialized police units.

Monday, January 30, 2023


Tyre Nichols Beating Opens a Complex Conversation on Race and Policing

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. comments on the role that police officers’ race plays when acts of violence are committed by police.

Friday, November 25, 2022


3 Reasons Yale Law Was Right to Quit the U.S. News Rankings — A Commentary James Forman Jr. ’92

James Forman Jr. is J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School. 

Sunday, November 6, 2022


What Critics of Progressive Prosecution Get Wrong About Crime Spikes and the Reform Movement

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 comments in an analysis of the progressive prosecutor movement.

Thursday, March 3, 2022


For New Yale Center, the Fight for Racial Justice Begins Locally

A look at the The Law and Racial Justice Center, directed by Professor James Forman Jr. and executive director Kayla Vinson.

Thursday, July 15, 2021


James Forman Jr. on The Drug War in a Black Community

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 discusses on a podcast his book Locking Up Our Own and his experience as a public defender in Washington, D.C. in the 1990s.

Friday, May 21, 2021


Violent Crime Is Spiking. Do Liberals Have an Answer?

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 was interviewed on The Ezra Klein Show podcast about the recent increase in violent crime across the country.

Friday, April 16, 2021


Get police out of the business of traffic stops — A Commentary by TJ Grayson ’21 and James Forman Jr. ’92

TJ Grayson is a member of the class of 2021 at Yale Law School. James Forman Jr. ’92 is J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021


Ahead Of Inauguration Day, Capitol Riots Raise Questions About NYPD's Approach To Black Protesters

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is quoted in a Gothamist article about the disparate manner in which New York City police respond to majority Black versus majority white protests.

Monday, November 30, 2020


Video Project Amplifies Jailed People’s Words, Liman Fellows’ Case

A COVID-19 outbreak in a Maryland jail at the core of a class-action lawsuit to which Liman Fellows contributed has inspired a media campaign highlighting the words of incarcerated people.

Friday, October 16, 2020


The Complicated Role Of Black Leaders In Shaping The Criminal Justice System

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law Professor James Forman Jr., ’92 speaks with NPR’s Code Switch about Sen. Kamala Harris’s past as a prosecutor and his book Locking Up Our Own.

Thursday, October 15, 2020


How One Police Chief Kept Her City from Blowing Up This Summer

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is quoted in a Politico article about policing.

Thursday, October 8, 2020


Council on Policing Reforms and Race

The National Police Foundation announced that J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 has been named co-chair of the new Council on Policing Reforms and Race.

Monday, September 21, 2020


Lighting Up the Path to Law School

The Law School Access Program aims to serve first-generation, low-income, and under-represented minority students from New Haven by lighting up the pathway to successfully applying to law school and launching their legal careers.

Monday, August 3, 2020


How the rise of anti-crime politics caused lasting harm to Black Americans

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman was interviewed by City Metric about current crime trends, and the effect of policing policies on the Black community. 

Thursday, July 16, 2020


The “Find Something New” Edition

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was the guest host of Slate’s Political Gabfest podcast where the COVID-19 pandemic, cancel culture, and racial justice were discussed.

Friday, June 26, 2020


‘Let Freedom Ring’ from Georgia

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is quoted in a New York Times opinion piece about Atlanta.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020


When It Works to ‘Defund the Police’

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. is quoted by Nicholas Kristof in his column in the New York Times.

Thursday, August 1, 2019


Every D.A. in America Should Open a Sentence Review Unit — A Commentary by James Forman Jr. '92 and Sarah Lustbader

James Forman Jr. '92 is the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019


Legal Assistance Association Honors James Forman Jr. ’92

James Forman Jr. ’92, the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School, was honored by New Haven Legal Assistance Association at its Equal Access to Justice Reception on June 11, 2019.

Thursday, June 27, 2019


Studying Criminal Justice from the Inside Out

Students get a deeply personal and powerful look at the criminal justice system by learning side-by-side with classmates inside a prison

Monday, June 10, 2019


How They Got the Story

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 is interviewed on a podcast about the process of writing a reporting-intensive book.

Friday, April 26, 2019


Beyond Guilt: Reducing Mass Incarceration by Reducing Excessively Long Sentences

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 is quoted in an article about an Ohio law firm that is tackling mass incarceration by addressing the issue of prisoners who are serving excessively long sentences.

Monday, April 15, 2019


‘Brick by Brick.’ Ending Mass Incarceration Will Take Concrete Steps at the Local Level

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman Jr. is interviewed about ending mass incarceration in advance of his talk on the subject.

Sunday, March 31, 2019


Will DC’s Attorney General Finally Be the One Who Gets His Hands on Trump’s Tax Returns?

J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is quoted in an article about D.C. attorney general Karl Racine.

Sunday, March 10, 2019


The Democratic Candidates Should Tell Us Now Who They’ll Put on the Supreme Court — A Commentary by James Forman, Jr. ’92

James Forman Jr. ’92 is the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law. 

Monday, October 1, 2018


Yale Law Professor James Forman discusses the myths of black criminality

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 gave a talk in Charlottesville, VA titled “Claiming Your Power: American Racism and Radical Resistance.”

Friday, June 22, 2018


Forman: We’re Expelling Our Own, Too

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was interviewed.

Thursday, April 26, 2018


James Forman Jr. - "Locking Up Our Own" and the Path to Criminal Justice Reform - Extended Interview

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was a guest where he discussed his book “Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.”

Friday, April 20, 2018


Yale Law Professor Wins Pulitzer For Book On Mass Incarceration

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was interviewed on the occasion of his Pulitzer Prize award.

Monday, April 16, 2018


Yale Law's James Forman Jr., Former O'Connor Clerk, Wins Pulitzer

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 won a Pulitzer Prize for his book “Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.”

Monday, April 16, 2018


Professor James Forman Wins 2018 Pulitzer Prize

James Forman Jr. ’92 is the 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner in General Nonfiction for his book, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.

Thursday, April 5, 2018


Bills move state backward on crime—A Commentary by James Forman Jr. ’92

James Forman Jr. is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School.

Sunday, March 11, 2018


James Forman Jr., tackling criminal justice from multiple angles

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. '92 is interviewed.

Sunday, February 4, 2018


Georgia incarcerating fewer African-Americans in its prisons

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. '92 is quoted in an article about the declining rate of African Americans jailed in Georgia.

Tuesday, December 5, 2017


Law professor’s book named on New York Times’ ‘10 Best of 2017’

The New York Times selected James Forman Jr.’s “Locking Up Our Own” as one of the “10 Best Books of 2017.”

Thursday, November 30, 2017


The Ten Best Books of 2017

Professor of Law James Forman Jr.'s book Locking Up Our Own was named one of the best books of the year.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017


Judging A Book: Saris Reviews 'Locking Up Our Own'

Professor of Law James Forman Jr.’s ’92 book Locking Up Our Own is reviewed by Judge Patti Saris.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017


The Word May Be Toxic, but Amnesty Is Everywhere

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is quoted in a blog post about amnesty.

Friday, September 15, 2017


A Prison Sentence Ends. But the Stigma Doesn’t.—A Commentary by James Forman Jr. ’92

James Forman Jr. ’92 is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School. 

Friday, September 15, 2017


The National Book Awards Longlist: Nonfiction

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 has been named a finalist for a National Book Award for “Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.”

Monday, August 14, 2017


'Tough-On-Crime' Policies Came From Conservative Demagogues, Also Black Leaders, Says Expert

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was interviewed about his book, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.

Monday, July 17, 2017


How Black Leaders Unwittingly Contributed to The Era Of Mass Incarceration

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was interviewed about his book, “Locking Up Our Own: Crime And Punishment In Black America.”

Friday, June 23, 2017


James Forman, Jr.: Locking up Our Own

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is interviewed about his book Locking Up Our Own.

Monday, June 5, 2017


An Interview with James Forman Jr. "Locking Up Our Own"

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was interviewed about his book Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017


Guest: James Forman, Jr.

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was a guest where he discussed his new book, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017


When Black America Was Pro-Police

A book by Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 is discussed in an article about views about police by black Americans.

Saturday, April 29, 2017


Time & Punishment

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was interviewed about his book “Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.”

Saturday, April 29, 2017


Black-on-black crime, black-on-black punishment in America

A book by Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was reviewed.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017


'Until the Drug Dealer's Teeth Rattle'

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is interviewed about his new book “Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.”

Thursday, April 20, 2017


The age of mass incarceration may actually be abating

A commentary cites the new book by Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92.

Thursday, April 20, 2017


Former public defender explains why we need to go further on fighting mass incarceration

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 was interviewed about his new book Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017


'Locking Up Our Own' Details The Mass Incarceration Of Black Men

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ‘92 was interviewed about his new book, “Locking Up Our Own.”

Tuesday, April 18, 2017


Professor Forman Publishes New Book, Locking Up Our Own

In his new book, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America, Professor James Forman Jr. ’92 explores the complex relationship between race, class, and the American criminal justice in a new and original light.

Friday, April 14, 2017


Power and Punishment: Two New Books About Race and Crime

Professor of Law James Forman Jr.’s ’92 book Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America is reviewed.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017


A War With Unintended Consequences

A review of Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America by Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92

Monday, March 27, 2017


Justice Springs Eternal—A Commentary by James Forman Jr. '92

James Forman Jr. '92 is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017


What we get wrong about mass imprisonment in America

Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is quoted in a blog article about mass incarceration.

Sunday, September 4, 2016


We Are Not Beasts

Clinical Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 wrote a book review of Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson.

Sunday, February 28, 2016


U.S. prison brutality will not end with Guantanamo

Clinical Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is quoted in an article about violence perpetrated against inmates of American prisons.

Saturday, June 27, 2015


VIDEO: Confederate Flag Debate

Clinical Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 was a guest on CNN where he discussed the history of the Confederate Flag.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015


From the Archives: Driving Dixie Down: Removing the Confederate Flag from Southern State Capitols

In 1991, James Forman, Jr., then a YLJ editor, published a Note entitled Driving Dixie Down: Removing the Confederate Flag from Southern State Capitols.

Sunday, May 24, 2015


South Carolina lawmakers to consider taking down Confederate flag

Clinical Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is quoted in an article about the Confederate flag.

Thursday, January 22, 2015


Lecture honors King’s message of hope, unity

Clinical Professor of Law James Forman Jr. ’92 gave a speech at Vanderbilt University to honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Monday, January 19, 2015


The Other America, lecture at Vanderbilt

James Forman Jr. delivered the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lecture, titled "The Other America," at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Monday, Jan. 19.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014


VIDEO: Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline

Clinical Professor of Law James Forman, Jr. ’92 is a speaker on a panel titled "Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline," which took place at the Albert Shanker Institute on January 8, 2014.

Monday, June 27, 2011


Anne Alstott ’87, James Forman Jr. ’92, and David Singh Grewal ’02 Appointed to Law School Faculty

Anne Alstott ’87, James Forman Jr. ’92, and David Singh Grewal ’02 will join the Yale Law School faculty on July 1, 2011.