Criminal Law Challenger | School of Law

Associate Professor Zohra Ahmed Encourages Students to Question Legal Institutions

Professor Zohra Ahmed is no stranger to criminal courts – she spent the first four years of her legal career as a public defender for the Legal Aid Society in New York City. Her experience representing indigent clients in misdemeanor and felony cases in the state Supreme Court and city Criminal Court made it apparent to her that the system was lacking accountability. In 2017, Ahmed decided to take matters into her own hands and co-founded Court Watch NYC, a community project run by volunteers reporting data on court proceedings. The mission of Court Watch NYC is to “shine a light on injustices in the judicial system and the harmful impact it has on communities, and specifically on people of color.”

Professor Ahmed’s shift to academia the next year was driven by her desire to continue examining the court system and spark a similar passion with the next generation of lawyers.

In 2018, Ahmed joined Cornell Law School as a clinical teaching fellow for the International Human Rights Clinic. While there, she represented capital defendants in Tanzania and the United States, including the defense of Lisa Montgomery, a woman executed in the waning days of the Trump Administration. Their work on Montgomery’s case raised awareness about the connection between sexual violence trauma and the mistreatment of women in the criminal legal system. Ahmed has also worked with human rights organizations in Bolivia, Pakistan, and the Syrian Golan.

Ahmed became a faculty member at the University of Georgia School of Law as assistant professor of law in 2021. Her courses included Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, and a seminar titled Crime and Punishment.

This spring, Ahmed joined BU Law as an associate professor of law, where she is continuing to research and teach about the United States carceral state and US militarism. She draws on law and political economy and law and social movements approaches in these two domains.

Ahmed is a native speaker of French and Urdu and is proficient in Mandarin. She earned her bachelor of arts cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, her master of philosophy from the University of Cambridge, and her JD cum laude from Fordham University. Ahmed’s scholarship is forthcoming or has been published in publications including the Yale Journal of International Law, Fordham Law Review, and the UCLA Law Review.

Professor Ahmed takes a unique approach to helping students identify a source of motivation. “I’m always excited to get students to destabilize cherished myths that they might have and to then invite them to see the exciting possibilities for using your law degree in the service of social justice. I enjoy helping students figure out their role in the ecosystem,” she says.

“Many students go to firms. But that doesn’t mean they don’t play a role in that endeavor. I really love helping students figure out what angers them, and often that is a great path to thinking about how they want to play a part in correcting the things that that upset them.”

What motivates Professor Ahmed? Exposing the law’s role in producing social inequalities and identifying creative strategies for redistributing power. Ahmed supports grassroots activism that challenges criminalization as an adviser to the Community Justice Exchange, which is the home of the National Bail Fund Network. While teaching in Georgia, Ahmed cowrote a response to the state’s prosecution of the Stop Cop City protest, which was published in The Nation. She also regularly consults with criminal defense teams.

Ultimately, she is happiest in the classroom. Ahmed shares, “Becoming a professor is a dream come true.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues

   • Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
   • Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality
   • Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

   The article discusses the issues of accountability in the judicial system, the mistreatment of women in the criminal legal system, and the role of law in producing social inequalities. These issues align with the goals of SDG 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. The article also highlights the connection between sexual violence trauma and the mistreatment of women, which relates to SDG 5’s target of eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. Additionally, the focus on social inequalities and redistributing power aligns with SDG 10’s goal of reducing inequalities within and among countries.

2. Specific Targets Based on the Article’s Content

   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
   • Target 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage, and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.

   The article emphasizes the need for accountability in the judicial system and equal access to justice, which aligns with Target 16.3 of SDG 16. The discussion on the mistreatment of women in the criminal legal system relates to Target 5.2 of SDG 5, which aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. The focus on social inequalities and redistributing power connects to Target 10.4 of SDG 10, which calls for the adoption of policies to achieve greater equality.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

   • Indicator 16.3.1: Proportion of victims of violence in the previous 12 months who reported their victimization to competent authorities or other officially recognized mechanisms.
   • Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months.
   • Indicator 10.4.1: Income growth of the bottom 40% of the population at a rate higher than the national average.

   The article does not explicitly mention indicators, but it implies the need for indicators related to reporting of violence (Indicator 16.3.1) and prevalence of violence against women (Indicator 5.2.1) to measure progress towards the identified targets. Additionally, the focus on reducing social inequalities suggests the need for indicators related to income growth of the bottom 40% of the population (Indicator 10.4.1).

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: bu.edu

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.