Joe Cohn is Heterodox Academy's first Director of Policy. Joe is an attorney who has specialized in defending civil liberties throughout his career. He is a 2004 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Fels Institute of Government Administration, where he earned his law degree and master’s degree in Government Administration. A former staff attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and law clerk in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Joe began his career as a staff attorney at the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, where he provided free legal services to people with HIV/AIDS.
Prior to joining HxA, Joe served as the Foundation for Individual Rights' Legislative and Policy Director for 12 years. At FIRE, Joe oversaw a team of attorneys and staff tasked with monitoring and engaging state and federal policy makers on legislation and regulatory matters related to civil liberties on college campuses and free speech in society at large. He has written many analyses and testified in legislative bodies across the country on a wide range of higher education policy issues. He has delivered remarks and participated in panel discussions at countless colleges and universities.
Joe now leads HxA's policy department, which pursues institutional and, where appropriate, statutory reforms to advance the principles of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement to improve higher education and academic research.