Jocelyn Rosnick

Jocelyn Rosnick is no newcomer to advocacy — she petitioned her city council at nine years old. Rosnick joined the ACLU of Ohio in 2012, where she has used her policy, legal, communications, and organizing skills to move across teams. As Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer, Rosnick oversees the development and execution of the ACLU of Ohio’s affiliate's policy, advocacy, and organizing efforts, developing and implementing strategies to influence public policy and shape government actions, while also representing the ACLU of Ohio to various stakeholders, partner organizations, and directly impacted communities.

Rosnick has collaborated on several criminal legal system reform projects, including those on criminalization of poverty issues like collateral sanctions or bail reform, as well as others on death penalty repeal, debtors’ prison, solitary confinement, and prison privatization. Rosnick frequently oversees research-based reports, public opinion polling, video story telling projects, and is a recurring commenter in the media. In 2013, she co-authored the report, “The Outskirts of Hope,” which details unconstitutional debtors’ prison practices across Ohio. She also co-authored the essay, The Ohio Model for Combatting Debtors’ Prisons, which has been published in the Michigan Journal of Race and Law at the University of Michigan Law School.

In addition to her work with the ACLU of Ohio, Rosnick is an adjunct faculty member at the Mandel School for Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University where she teaches “The Legislative & Political Process.” In 2025, Rosnick received the John A. Yankey Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award for the Masters of Non-profit Organizations program. Rosnick also serves as the Policy Committee Chair for the Towards Employment Board of Directors. A true activist, Rosnick is passionate about protecting protesters' rights. Rosnick previously coordinated the Ohio Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild which trains individuals to be legal observers and continues to consult on monitoring peaceful freedom of assembly with the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Rosnick received her B.A. from West Virginia University and Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.