Jessica Henry

Jessica Henry is an author, legal commentator, blogger and social justice advocate. After obtaining her J.D. from N.Y.U. School of Law, Henry served as a public defender in New York City for nearly a decade. Henry is the author of the forthcoming book, “Smoke But No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened” (U.C. Press 2020). She has written numerous articles for both academic and mainstream publications. Her research interests include wrongful convictions, severe sentences (including the death penalty and life without parole), and hate crimes. She frequently appears as a commentator on national and local television and radio, and has been widely cited in the mainstream media. In 2015, Henry received the Montclair State University Distinguished Teacher Award for her excellence in teaching. Henry teaches a wide range of classes including Wrongful Convictions, Criminal Law and Procedure, Death Penalty Perspectives, and Hate Crimes.