Dr. Alan Jenkins

Biography

Alan Jenkins is a Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School, where he teaches courses on Race Law, Communication, and Supreme Court Jurisprudence. He is the co-founder of the Opportunity Agenda, a social justice communication lab. Prior to joining the Law School faculty, Jenkins served as Assistant Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of Justice, representing the United States government in constitutional litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court. He also held significant positions, including Director of Human Rights at the Ford Foundation, where he managed grantmaking programs in the U.S. and eleven overseas regions, and Associate Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, defending the rights of low-income communities facing exploitation and discrimination. Jenkins has clerking experience with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun and U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Carter. As a commentator, he frequently discusses topics like Supreme Court decision-making, racial equity, and the role of popular culture in social change across various media platforms. He has served on boards for New York Public Radio and the Center for Community Change, among others. Jenkins holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.A. in Media Studies from the New School for Public Engagement, and a B.A. in Psychology and Social Relations from Harvard College.

Research Interests

Courses