Sabeel Rahman, professor of law, has been named a 2024 Freedom Scholar by Marguerite Casey Foundation in recognition of his groundbreaking work in democratic governance and social equity.

The Freedom Scholar Award, established in 2020, grants $250,000 to scholars whose research supports social justice movements and marginalized communities. This year’s honor, announced September 18, recognizes four distinguished scholars around the country for their transformative contributions.

K. Sabeel Rahman, Professor of Law

“I am thrilled and humbled to receive this award and to join this incredible cohort of thinkers, activists, and changemakers,” said Rahman. “We are in a moment where it is more exciting and urgent than even to imagine a more equitable and democratic future—and to do so in close concert with organizers, community leaders, policymakers, and scholars alike. The Freedom Scholars program is giving all of us an incredible gift: of time and space to pursue the questions and conversations that might otherwise fall to the wayside or happen at the margins.”

Rahman’s work has helped policymakers and organizers rethink public goods as key to social and economic freedom, essential for both community well-being and democratic development. His scholarship focuses on building inclusive and democratic institutions capable of addressing today’s structural inequalities and crises.

“At a time where rising autocratic politics, climate change, accelerating technological change, and chronic racialized, gendered, and economic inequities persist, we need to reimagine our structures of law and governance,” said Rahman. “With the support of the Freedom Scholars program, I hope to continue working on these questions.”

“Sabeel’s work embodies Cornell Law’s commitment to fostering impactful scholarship that drives real-world change,” said Jens D. Ohlin, Allan R. Tessler Dean and Professor of Law, “and this award is a testament to his profound influence in shaping a more just and inclusive society.”

At Cornell Law School, Rahman teaches administrative law and constitutional law and conducts scholarship on public governance, economic inequality, and democratic innovation. Previously, he served in the Biden Administration as a senior political appointee, running the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which coordinates regulatory policy and strategy for the White House. Prior to that Rahman served as president of Demos, one of the country’s leading racial-justice think tanks and advocacy organizations. He is the author of the award-winning book Democracy Against Domination (Oxford 2017) and co-author of Civic Power: Rebuilding American Democracy in an Era of Crisis (Cambridge 2019). He also co-founded the Law and Political Economy Project.

The Freedom Scholars awards are a cornerstone of Marguerite Casey Foundation’s mission to shift the balance of power toward communities historically excluded from shaping societal structures.