Andrew Block is a Faculty Fellow at UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy and a professor of law at UVA’s School of Law. He directs the State and Local Government Policy Clinic, which provides nonpartisan legal and policy research support for the legislative and executive branches of Virginia’s state government and assists various local governments across the commonwealth.  

From 2014–19, Block served as director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, where he led major reforms and departmental improvements. He directed the Child Advocacy Clinic at the Law School from 2010–14, previously founded and served as the legal director of the Legal Aid Justice Center’s JustChildren program, and was a staff attorney for the Seattle–King County Public Defender Association.  

A graduate of Yale University and Northwestern University School of Law, Block received various awards for his work at JustChildren, including the American Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Division Child Advocacy Award, the Virginia State Bar’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year, and the Virginia Bar Association’s Robert F. Shepherd, Jr. Award.