Judge Jed S. Rakoff is one of the most respected and influential federal judges in the United States. He serves as a Senior United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York, where he has presided over major cases involving business, finance, civil rights, national security, and the criminal justice system.
Before becoming a judge, Rakoff worked as a federal prosecutor in New York, where he investigated and prosecuted complex financial crimes. He later spent many years in private practice before being nominated to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1996.
Throughout his career, Judge Rakoff has become known for his independence, willingness to ask difficult questions, and thoughtful views on the American legal system. He has written and spoken extensively about issues including wrongful convictions, mass incarceration, the death penalty, corporate accountability, and the role judges play in protecting justice and the rule of law.
He is also the author of Why the Innocent Plead Guilty and the Guilty Go Free, which explores some of the most challenging questions facing the American justice system.
Through his remarkable career as a prosecutor, attorney, judge, professor, and author, Judge Jed Rakoff offers students a fascinating look inside the legal system—and an opportunity to learn how critical thinking, courage, fairness, and a commitment to justice can shape a lifetime of public service.
