About Ari Cohn

A native of Skokie, Illinois, Ari Cohn earned his J.D. cum laude from Cornell Law School, and his B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied political science and sociology. Growing up in Skokie, he studied the famous ‘National Socialist Party of America’ case at an early age, which cultivated a profound respect for the First Amendment, and a lifelong passion for free speech issues. He brings a diverse perspective on student disciplinary issues as well; as an undergraduate, he served on the University of Illinois’ student conduct hearing committee, and later returned to work as a legal intern in its Office of University Counsel. Ari is a member of the Illinois State Bar, and previously served as a legal fellow for FIRE in 2011, after which he joined the Chicago office of Mayer Brown LLP, where he represented large multinational corporations in high-stakes commercial litigation. When not working to advance the cause of civil liberties, Ari enjoys playing the guitar and the violin, attending concerts, following his beloved Chicago and University of Illinois sports teams, and being dragged all around town by his spirited Siberian Husky.