Rob Poggenklass

Hi, I’m Rob. I've been working with people directly impacted by the criminal legal system since 2008, when I interned at a capital defender office in northern Virginia. That's when I discovered people's constitutional rights are won and lost everyday in criminal courtrooms across the United States.

I'm currently the executive director of Justice Forward Virginia, a criminal justice reform organization founded by public defenders. We advocate for smart, contemporary, evidence-based reforms to Virginia's criminal legal system; partner with others who share our goals; and educate and engage new advocates to fight alongside us. You can donate to JFV by clicking on the “Support my charity” button above.

My legal career started at the public defender office in Newport News, Va., where I represented adults charged with misdemeanors and felonies, from marijuana possession to aggravated DUI manslaughter. Since then, I have provided both direct representation of indigent folks and policy advocacy at the ACLU of Virginia, Iowa Legal Aid, and the Legal Aid Justice Center.

I grew up in Guttenberg, Iowa. I have a bachelor's in philosophy from Cornell College and a J.D. from William & Mary. My wife, two kids, and dog live in Earlysville, Va., near the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport.

You can find me on Twitter/X @rpogge. The wonderful Dan Kellams wrote a nice profile of me for our shared alma mater's publication, the Cornell Report, here.