- About
About USC Gould
USC Gould is a top-ranked law school with a 120-year history and reputation for academic excellence. We are located on the beautiful 228-acre USC University Park Campus, just south of downtown Los Angeles.
- Academics
Academics
Learn about our interdisciplinary curriculum, experiential learning opportunities and specialized areas.
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- Admissions
Admissions
USC Gould helps prepare you for a stellar legal career. You can pursue a JD degree, one of our numerous graduate and international offerings, or an online degree or certificate.
- Students
Students
Participate in an unparalleled learning experience with diversity of people and thought. Get involved in the law school community and participate in activities that enhance your studies.
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- Careers
Careers
We work closely with students, graduates and employers to support successful career goals and outcomes. Our overall placement rate is consistently strong, with 94 percent of our JD class employed within 10 months after graduation.
- Faculty
Faculty
Our faculty is distinguished for its scholarship, as well as for its commitment to teaching. Our 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio creates an intimate and collegial learning environment.
- Alumni and Giving
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Pauline Aranas
USC Gould School of Law
- FACULTY DIRECTORY
- LECTURERS IN LAW DIRECTORY
- EXPERTS DIRECTORY
- FACULTY IN THE NEWS
- SCHOLARSHIP AND PUBLICATIONS
- DISTINCTIONS AND AWARDS
- + CENTERS AND INITIATIVES
- CENTER FOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION
- CENTER FOR LAW AND PHILOSOPHY (CLP)
- CENTER FOR LAW AND SOCIAL SCIENCE (CLASS)
- CENTER FOR LAW, HISTORY AND CULTURE (CLHC)
- CENTER FOR TRANSNATIONAL LAW AND BUSINESS (CTLB)
- INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM INSTITUTE (IRI)
- PACIFIC CENTER FOR HEALTH POLICY AND ETHICS
- SAKS INSTITUTE FOR MENTAL HEALTH LAW, POLICY, AND ETHICS
- + WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES

John Stauffer Charitable Trust Chief Information Officer Emerita and Law Librarian Emerita
Email: paranas@law.usc.edu699 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90089-0074 USA
Last Updated: August 8, 2022
Pauline Aranas, the John Stauffer Charitable Trust Chief Information Officer Emerita and Law Librarian Emerita, retired from USC Gould School of Law in 2020.
A 1981 graduate of USC Gould School of Law, Aranas is a past Chair of the Association of American Law School's Section on Law Libraries and Legal Information, a past president of the Southern California Association of Law Libraries and a member of the American Association of Law Libraries.
Aranas holds a BA from the UCLA; a JD from USC Gould School of Law; and an MLIS from the UC Berkeley. She joined USC’s law library as a reference librarian in 1984 and served in a number of roles before being named associate director of the law library and adjunct associate professor of law in 1992. From 1994 to 2002, she served as director of Vanderbilt University Law School’s Alyne Queener Massey Law Library — later assistant dean for library and information technology — and associate professor of law. From 2002 to 2004, she was associate law librarian at the UCLA School of Law. From 2004 to 2006, she served as associate dean, chief operating officer for USC Gould. From 2007 to 2009, she served as associate dean, deputy director of the law library and adjunct professor of law. From 2009-2012, she was appointed associate dean, acting dean of library and information technology and adjunct professor of law. In 2013, she was appointed associate dean, John Stauffer Charitable Trust Chief Information Officer and director of the law library and served until her retirement in 2020.
FACULTY IN THE NEWS
Bloomberg Tax
January 18, 2023
Re: Michael Simkovic
Michael Simkovic recently discussed how many crypto firms are working to reorganize after the economic market downturns. “Cryptocurrency firms basically have to answer the question, ‘What is the value that they provide that existing financial institutions cannot provide just as well,’” Simkovic said.
RECENT SCHOLARSHIP
Robin Craig
December, 2022
"Climate Adaptation in the United States," 9 Frontiers in Marine Science, Special Topic: Ocean Governance and Climate Adaptation: Comparing Responses, Charting Future Courses (2022).
Scott Altman
December, 2022
"Why Parents' Interests Matter," 133 Ethics 271 (Forthcoming 2023).
Jonathan Barnett
December, 2022
"The China Innovation Challenge," Center for Strategic & International Studies, Washington, D.C., December 9, 2022.