Headshot of Jonathan Abel

Jonathan Abel

Associate Professor of Law

Bio

Abel’s scholarly research focuses on informational asymmetries in the criminal justice system and the structural injustices these asymmetries produce. His research on police misconduct records and their availability to criminal defendants has been widely cited in scholarly journals, newspapers, and court cases. Abel has also written about the unexpected role police officers play in plea bargaining, the discriminatory use of peremptory challenges, and the retroactive sealing of public records, among other topics. His articles have appeared in the Yale Law JournalColumbia Law Review, and Stanford Law Review.

Prior to becoming a law professor, Abel worked as a criminal defense lawyer doing capital habeas corpus litigation and direct appeals. He has served as an attorney at the Habeas Corpus Resource Center, the Northern California Federal Defender’s Office, and the Arizona Federal Defender’s Office. Before law school, he worked as a newspaper reporter at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida.

Education

  • Stanford Law School
    J.D.
    2012

  • Harvard University
    A.B., Magna Cum Laude
    2005