Joshua M. Abrams / The person behind the work
Hi, I’m Josh!
I aged out of foster care at 18 with no safety net and spent years fighting my way out of poverty. I earned my GED at sixteen, eventually put myself through community college for computer science, and built a career in technology, including working as a Systems Analyst for Microsoft.
Along the way, life forced me to learn things I never expected to learn. I taught myself law because I couldn't afford the kind of legal help people are normally told they need. I learned how to research cases, build a record, write motions and appeals, and navigate courts on my own. Eventually, my own legal fights reached all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, much of it pursued on fee waivers. Those experiences changed what I wanted to do with my life. I founded a civil-rights nonprofit and started building legal tools and resources because I know what it feels like to face a system you don't understand, without money, connections, or someone standing beside you. I want fewer people to have to fight those battles completely alone.
Technology is still a huge part of who I am. I build software, experiment with new ideas, and run a research company pursuing work in engineering and materials science. I tend to follow interesting problems wherever they lead. Outside of that, I've played guitar for more than twenty-five years, I write, I spend as much time outdoors as I can, and my faith has become an important part of how I understand what I've lived through and what I do with it.
Work & career history
Enterprise systems & consulting.
For my complete work history, enterprise systems experience, and technical roles, visit my LinkedIn profile.
View work history on LinkedInA life behind the résumé
Experience, purpose & faith.
I aged out of foster care at eighteen and experienced homelessness. Earning my GED, continuing my education, and finding my way into technology took time. Those experiences still shape how I work and who I want that work to help.
I’ve spent more than fifteen years learning to navigate the courts through self-representation. That experience led me to build JustLegal through my nonprofit, Just Liberty. My faith in God sustains me and gives me a sense of responsibility to use what I’ve learned in service to others.
Read my storyWhat I’m building
A few ways my ideas become work people can explore.
JustLegal · Just Liberty
Public platform / nonprofitI founded Just Liberty and built its main platform, JustLegal, to help people prepare documents, organize evidence, and find court resources. It connects my engineering work with my own experience in the courts.
Abrams Event Address
Research / public reference codeAn independent research project exploring how to describe events in space and time. I’m developing the framework, documentation, and reference implementation in public.
Abrams Research
Company founded in 2026I established Abrams Research Systems LLC in 2026 as a home for commercial engineering and research. The company is in its early stages, with work spanning systems and materials.
RawCarbon
Early-stage ventureThe materials venture and store connected to Abrams Research. This is an early part of the company’s work that I’m continuing to develop.
On my desk
Updated September 2026
I’m continuing to build JustLegal, developing the Abrams Event Address, and getting Abrams Research Systems LLC and RawCarbon established. Alongside that work, I’m writing and looking for thoughtful collaborators and conversations.
Current priorities
JustLegal & Just Liberty
Making the nonprofit’s tools more useful to people preparing documents, organizing evidence, and navigating court information.
Abrams Research & RawCarbon
Establishing the company I founded in 2026 and developing its engineering, research, and materials work.
The Abrams Event Address
Developing and documenting a framework for describing events in space and time, with public reference code to examine.
Writing & conversation
Working on The Path of Least Resistance and sharing the experiences and questions behind my projects.
For introductions & press
Copy a biography or download a portrait.
Speaker & introduction biographies
Short introduction
Joshua M. Abrams is a systems engineer, founder of the civil-rights nonprofit Just Liberty Incorporated, and independent researcher based in Colorado. From aging out of foster care to teaching himself law and working as a Systems Analyst for Microsoft, his lived experience directly informs the civic software and research he builds.
Standard biography
Joshua M. Abrams is a systems engineer, founder, and independent researcher based in Colorado. His work connects enterprise computing, civic software, and questions about how we describe the physical world. After aging out of foster care at 18 with no safety net, Joshua earned his GED at sixteen, put himself through community college for computer science, and built a career in technology, including working as a Systems Analyst for Microsoft.
Extended biography
Joshua M. Abrams is a systems engineer, founder, and independent researcher based in Colorado. His work connects enterprise computing, civic software, and questions about how we describe the physical world. After aging out of foster care at 18 with no safety net, Joshua earned his GED at sixteen, put himself through community college for computer science, and built a career in technology, including working as a Systems Analyst for Microsoft. More than fifteen years of self-representation in court—reaching all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court on fee waivers—shaped his commitment to public access. He founded the civil-rights nonprofit Just Liberty Incorporated and built its platforms, JustLegal.me and VoteReady.me, to help people navigate courts and democracy. In 2026, he established Abrams Research Systems LLC for engineering and materials research. Faith, music, and writing remain central to his life.
Portrait downloads
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