FSF Announces the Appointment of Joseph V. Kennedy as Director of Policy Studies and Senior Fellow

Free State Foundation President Randolph May announced on December 4, 2025, that Joseph V. Kennedy, an accomplished economist and lawyer with deep public policy expertise and experience, is joining FSF on a full-time basis as Director of Policy Studies and Senior Fellow, effective January 1. 

Previously, Mr. Kennedy served as Senior Principal Economist at the MITRE Corporation. Prior to that, he served as a Senior Fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Mr. Kennedy’s former positions include serving as a Senior Officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts; Chief Economist for the U.S. Department of Commerce; Senior Economist for the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee; and General Counsel for the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University.
 
Dr. Kennedy received his Ph.D. in Economics from George Washington University, his M.S. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota, and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota. He received his B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Mr. Kennedy has written two books and more than 70 articles. He has provided legal and economic advice to members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, and top business executives. Much of this advice has been directed at public policies involving technology, competitiveness, and the social contract.
 
In announcing Dr. Kennedy’s appointment, Mr. May stated: “I am very excited that Joe Kennedy is joining the Free State Foundation as Director of Policy Studies and Senior Fellow. With his outstanding academic background in both economics and law, and his real-world professional experience in both disciplines, Joe will play a major role in leading FSF’s law and policy work in the communications, Internet, intellectual property, and other related fields. FSF already is widely acknowledged for its thought leadership in these areas, and in his senior position, Joe will further enhance our leadership position.”
 
Upon accepting FSF’s offer, Mr. Kennedy stated: “I am thrilled to be joining an institution that is so highly regarded for the quality and impact of its free market-oriented work. My goal is to use my decades of expertise and experience in law and economics to help make FSF even stronger and even more respected than it already is and to help expand its work into related fields. I look forward to the challenge ahead.”