Nationality Indian American Religion Sikhism | Name Arjun Sethi | |
Education B.S. Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown UniversityJ.D. New York University School of Law Occupation Civil Rights WriterAdjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law CenterDirector of Law and Policy at The Sikh Coalition Website Arjun Singh Sethi on Twitter Alma mater New York University, Georgetown University | ||
Arjun Singh Sethi (born in 1981) is a Sikh American civil and political rights writer, human rights lawyer, and Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center and Vanderbilt University Law School.
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Background and career
Sethi was born in 1981 and grew up in Virginia. His parents are originally from India. His family was one of the founding Sikh families in Virginia.
Sethi received his B.S. from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University (magna cum laude, winner of the Jesse A. Mann Medal for Excellence in the field of Culture and Politics) in 2003 and his J.D. from the New York University School of Law in 2008. While at NYU, he was an Articles Editor for the New York University Journal of International Law and Politics. He also received the Howard Greenberger Award for Excellence in the field of Comparative Law. Sethi previously worked as an attorney with the international law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington D.C., and as the legislative counsel/policy advisor with the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), also in Washington, D.C. He has represented victims of domestic violence, asylum seekers, national security detainees, and criminal defendants on death row.
Writing
Sethi is, according to CNN, "a frequent commentator on civil rights and social justice-related issues." The New York Times reports that he specializes in "counterterrorism and law enforcement," and he has been invited by the government to preview and assess numerous intelligence and law enforcement programs prior to launch. He is considered a subject-matter expert on racial and religious profiling. His essays on these subjects have appeared in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Politico Magazine, and in CNN. The Center for American Progress has recognized his work on these issues, noting that in "debates on national security, he has called out actions that stigmatize innocent groups, fan the flames of Islamophobia, and harm Muslim, Arab, and Sikh Americans."
Sethi's work has been cited in The Yale Law Journal, The New York Times, The Independent, The Times of India, The Intercept, The International Business Times, India Abroad, Tikkun Daily, Truthdig, Daily Kos, TeleSUR, and many other print and digital publications.
Finally, his articles have appeared in Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera America, The Christian Science Monitor, CNN, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Politico Magazine, USA Today, The Washington Post, and on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees website.
Censorship
On December 3, 2015, Al Jazeera America published Sethi's article, "Saudi Arabia Uses Terrorism As An Excuse For Human Rights Abuses." On December 18, 2015, The Intercept reported that the corporate headquarters of Al Jazeera had blocked access to the article, noting that the network had "told local press that it did not intend to offend Saudi Arabia or any other state ally, and would remove the piece." The Intercept republished Sethi's article in full. The censorship was covered by The Independent, The Times of India, Gawker, Jadaliyya, and other media outlets.