Ari Melber Biography

Fast Facts

• Graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science and earned his law degree from Cornell Law School
• Started out as a legislative aide to Senator Maria Cantwell in 2002 and was a staff member on John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004
• Quote: "I think politics is always about dialogue․․․if you're serious about engaging a wide range of views․․․then you want to be respectful and approachable as possible without giving up your core beliefs․"
• Is an anchor on the MSNBC series "Presumed Guilty," which reports on the inequalities of the criminal justice system
• Practiced law in New York from 2009 to 2013, where he specialized in the First Amendment, reporter's privilege, and copyright litigation
• Best known a journalist, law and politics writer for MSNBC․com, and co-host of the MSNBC series "The Cycle․"
• Is the founder of "Ask the President," which collects citizens' questions to be asked at White House press conferences
• Wrote a special report for techPresident on the first year of President Obama's Organizing for America, which has been cited by numerous publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post
• Was an editor for the Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy while he was a student at Cornell Law School
• Traveled with the Obama campaign during the 2008 election on assignment from The Washington Independent