Ari Cohn is an attorney who joined FIRE to defend civil liberties after leaving private practice in Chicago, where he represented large multinational companies in high-stakes litigation. Ari regularly comments on First Amendment issues in the press, appearing in television and radio broadcasts as well as in various publications. He is the director of FIRE’s Individual Rights Defense Program, which engages in direct advocacy on behalf of students who have suffered violations of their rights, and he speaks regularly to diverse audiences about the importance of free speech, with a particular emphasis on bridging ideological divides. Ari has authored and co-authored briefs to state and federal courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of the United States. A native of Skokie, Illinois, 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.