Jonathan Rapping
| Jonathan Rapping | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Jonathan A. Rapping Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Residence | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
University of Chicago (A.B.) Princeton University (M.P.A.) George Washington University School of Law (J.D.) |
| Occupation | President of Gideon's Promise |
| Known for | Founding Gideon's Promise |
| Spouse(s) | Ilham Askia |
| Parent(s) |
Elayne Rapping Leonard Rapping |
| Website | Gideon's Promise |
Jonathan A. Rapping is an American criminal defense attorney, founder and president of Gideon's Promise, and professor of law at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School and Harvard Law School. Rapping received the MacArthur "Genius" Award in 2014.
Rapping regularly writes about issues related to criminal defense and the criminal justice system. He is a contributor for The Nation, Talk Poverty, The National Association For Public Defense, and The Huffington Post. He also maintains a blog called Fulfilling the Promise: Insights to Forging a Path to Meaningful Justice Reform.
Rapping grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At a young age, Rapping went to demonstrations and protests with his mother, Elayne Rapping, a community organizer, activist and professor in Pittsburgh. Rapping's mother was particularly involved in the anti-war and women’s movements. The experience of working with his activist mother taught Rapping about social justice, and trying to change things in the world that aren't fair or right. Friends of Rapping's family were even arrested and he admired the lawyers who worked to keep them out of jail. After witnessing social justice activism as a young person, Rapping aspired to be a criminal defense attorney at a young age.
Rapping attended Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill, and graduated in 1984. After high school, Rapping attended the University of Chicago where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics cum laude. People close to Rapping convinced him that he would incur tremendous debt if he went to law school, so he worked as a research assistant with the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C. for two years, following in the footsteps of his father, Leonard Rapping, a well-known economist. Rapping earned a scholarship to attend the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University where he earned a Master of Public Administration in 1992. Rapping's sister, Alison Rapping has spent her career in the non-profit sector, and is widely considered a leader in that realm. Both siblings attribute their commitment to social justice to the influence of their parents.
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