Jessica Frisina

Jessica Frisina is an Assistant Professor of Law and Director of the Criminal Defense and Advocacy Clinic. Drawing on her years of experience in indigent and youth defense, her research and writing center on police-citizen encounters, theories of punishment, and the ethics of criminal practice.

Prior to joining the Rutgers faculty, Professor Frisina spent a decade in criminal defense. For the majority of her career, she served as an Assistant Deputy Public Defender in the Newark office of the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender (NJOPD). In that role, she handled a full felony caseload, acquired significant jury trial and litigation experience, pursued systemic change through statewide working groups, supervised legal interns, and served as a coordinator within the agency's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Prior to joining NJOPD, Professor Frisina completed an Equal Justice Works Fellowship at the Michigan Children’s Law Center (MCLC) in Detroit. There, she served as a youth defender and launched an Education Advocacy Unit to disrupt the school-prison nexus ensnaring MCLC's clients. Professor Frisina is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where she participated in the Criminal Justice Institute and the Prison Legal Assistance Project and was awarded the Gary Bellow Public Service Award. Professor Frisina is also a graduate of Harvard College, where she studied the history and literature of civil rights and American social movements.