Rutgers Law Welcomes Youth Justice Advocate and Legal Educator to the Faculty
Rutgers Law School is pleased to welcome Assistant Professor of Law Shomari Ward to its faculty, where he teaches Legal Analysis, Writing and Research Skills (LAWRS) and Civil Procedure in Newark. Professor Ward brings extensive experience in legal education, public interest litigation, systemic reform, and community-centered advocacy.
Prior to joining Rutgers Law, Professor Ward served as an adjunct professor of Clinical Law at Brooklyn Law School, where he administered the Youth Defense & Re-Entry Clinic. He also taught Lawyering Seminars I and II as an adjunct professor at CUNY School of Law.
Before entering the legal profession, Professor Ward spent several years working at community-based organizations focused on youth development. After earning his law degree, Professor Ward joined The Legal Aid Society of New York City’s Juvenile Rights Practice (JRP), where he managed a litigation docket that included child protective and juvenile delinquency proceedings. He later worked in JRP’s Special Litigation and Law Reform Unit, representing children in systemic, class-action litigation and legislative reform efforts aimed at addressing broad challenges within the justice system.
Professor Ward subsequently served as Litigation Director at Youth Represent (YR), where he led a team that identified, investigated, and filed individual and class-action cases designed to create systemic change for young people from indigent and historically oppressed communities. At YR, he also coordinated efforts to draft and file amicus briefs in youth justice cases before high appellate courts.
“Professor Ward’s teaching and advocacy strengthen Rutgers Law School’s commitment to academic excellence and public service,” said Rutgers Law Dean Johanna Bond. “As we advance our Strategic Plan, we are focused on recruiting faculty who can enhance our existing scholarly domains of expertise and expand our strengths into new and emerging areas. Professor Ward’s experience in youth justice, systemic reform, and legal education exemplifies that vision while supporting and enriching the Rutgers Law scholarly community.”
In addition to his litigation and advocacy work, Professor Ward has facilitated trainings on race, class, and community for more than a decade. His trainings have supported practitioners throughout the country who work directly and indirectly with indigent youth and families of color.
His leadership in the youth justice field extends beyond the classroom and courtroom. He was appointed to the New York State Permanent Commission on Justice for Families, where he currently serves as co-chair of the Commission’s Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Justice Working Group.
One of the goals of the Rutgers Law Strategic Plan is to promote an ambitious culture of scholarly inquiry leading to high-quality and meaningful scholarship. Strategies include recruiting faculty who can enhance our existing scholarly domains of expertise or who can expand areas of expertise into new and emerging domains. Click here to learn more about our Strategic Plan.