Janai Nelson — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Serves as the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF).
Argued cases concerning voting rights, capital murder, and discrimination in academia.
Led LDF's Political Participation Group, managing the voting rights and redistricting docket.
Served as lead counsel in notable cases including Hayden v. Pataki and Veasey v. Abbott.
Served as a full professor of Law and Associate Dean at St. John's University School of Law for nearly 10 years.
Earned her J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1996 and her B.A. from New York University.

Biography

Janai Nelson currently serves as the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF). In this leadership role, she oversees the organization's efforts in civil rights litigation, advocacy, and public education. Her career has focused on challenging discrimination and advocating for voting rights and other civil liberties.

Nelson began her civil rights career at LDF, first as an extern in 1995 and later as an Assistant Counsel in 1998.