James Freedland

James Freedland has been as a communications strategist for the past decade on city, state and national campaigns. James served as Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives for the Office of New York State Attorney General. In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations of the communications department, he managed all aspects of media outreach, strategic initiatives, speechwriting and rapid response. James was also Communications Director and chief spokesman for Eric Schneiderman's campaign for Attorney General, and Director of Communications in Schneiderman's New York Senate office prior to that. Named one of City & State’s 40 Under 40, James recently spearheaded communications for the successful campaigns of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson and New Haven Mayor Toni Harp in 2013, Congressman Charles Rangel in 2014, and has been a regular on-air guest on television and radio programs. Previously, James managed media relations at the American Civil Liberties Union's national office, where he designed and implemented communications campaigns for the ACLU's Voting Rights Project litigation, advocacy and education initiatives during the 2008 elections, among other projects. In addition, he worked in a variety of campaigns, government offices and nonprofit organizations, including the national consumer group Center for Justice & Democracy, and at a management institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. A Michigan native, James received a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York and a Masters degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he was a Seymour and Ruth Harris Scholar.