CCJ Directory

An attorney and accomplished author on legal and public policy issues, Levin began the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s criminal justice program in 2005 and currently serves as Chief of Policy & Innovation for its Right on Crime initiative.

This work has contributed to nationally praised policy changes that have been followed by dramatic declines in crime and incarceration in Texas .Building on this success, in 2010, Levin developed the concept for the Right on Crime initiative, which has become the national clearinghouse for conservative criminal justice reforms.

In 2014, Levin was named one of the “Politico 50” in the magazine’s annual “list of thinkers, doers, and dreamers who really matter in this age of gridlock and dysfunction.” Levin, who also serves on the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Board of Directors, has testified on criminal justice policy on four occasions before Congress and before numerous state legislatures. He also has met personally with leaders such as U.S. Presidents. U.S., Speakers of the House, and the Justice Committee of the United Kingdom Parliament to share his ideas on criminal justice reform.

In 2007, he was honored in a resolution unanimously passed by the Texas House of Representatives that stated, “Mr. Levin’s intellect is unparalleled and his research is impeccable.” Since 2005, Levin has published dozens of policy papers on topics such as sentencing, probation, parole, reentry, and overcriminalization which are available on the TPPF website. Levin’s articles on law and public policy have been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

In 1999, Levin graduated with honors from the University of Texas with a B.A. in Plan II Honors and Government and in 2002 received his J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. Levin served as a law clerk to Judge Will Garwood on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Staff Attorney at the Texas Supreme Court.