Kumar Rao is a social justice lawyer with years of experience partnering with grassroots organizations and elected officials in the fight to strengthen our democracy, and for racial and economic justice at the local, state, and federal levels. Previously, he served in senior policy, political, and strategy roles at the Working Families Party and the Center for Popular Democracy. Kumar is also a Scholar with the Institute for Social Policy & Understanding, for whom he led a major study into the disparate legal and media treatment that suspects of ideological violence receive based on their perceived racial and religious identity. A former litigator and public defender, he has also represented thousands of clients in state and federal court, in both criminal and civil matters, and has counseled defender offices in the United States and globally on the delivery of legal services and effective client representation practices. Kumar holds a J.D. cum laude from New York University School of Law and a B.B.A with honors from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.