Kristin Romaine Blochowski obtained her bachelor’s degree in political science and economics before graduating from law school.  She began her career as an FBI Special Agent in Louisville, Kentucky where she specialized in white collar crime investigations and served as a legal advisor, fitness self-defense instructor, and EEO counselor. 

But it was while practicing criminal defense law in northwest Ohio that she steadily began to lose her trust in the criminal justice system.  A growing desire for political activism meant she would have to step away from her position as an FBI agent, but Blochowski believed that the younger generation held the key to positive systemic change.   So, she obtained a master’s in education.

“Seeking justice through education” became the motto for a high school law enforcement program she designed.  To stay current in her teaching, she worked as a special deputy with the Lucas County Sheriff’s office on their Auxiliary and served as a police officer in Whitehouse, Ohio.  She also taught police and private security classes in law and self-defense tactics.

Eventually she moved on to the university level where she inherited the chairmanship of a criminal justice program that she felt needed a greater focus on educating future professionals on the inequalities and injustices that impact the system.  She wanted to center the concepts of equality and inclusion, the impact of race in the system, the role of politics on laws and policy, de-escalation and interpersonal communication skills, and other topics that would allow them to see the flaws in the system and to be the change it needed.  As a result, the department changed its name to the criminal and social justice program.

In addition to designing and teaching a host of classes with a focus on the social justice needed in criminal justice, Blochowski co-founded and directed the LIFE project where senior capstone students, not only learn about the causes of wrongful convictions, but begin the process of investigating a real case to work toward exoneration.

Finally, she has investigated and served as a decision maker on Title IX cases and provides training on these topics.  Blochowski is currently working privately as an attorney, investigator and speaker on the topics that she has  examined during her professional life.