Richard Peterson
USC Gould School of Law

Richard Peterson is the director of the USC Gould School of Law Center for Dispute Resolution and adjunct professor of law.

Previously at USC Gould, he served as a lecturer in law and also served briefly as senior director for experiential education.

Before coming to USC last fall, Peterson was on the faculty of the Pepperdine University School of Law, where he served for 15 years, including as a member of the faculty of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. While at Pepperdine, Peterson also served as director of the Special Education Advocacy Clinic and as director of externships. Peterson holds a BSL and a JD from Western State University, as well as an MDR and an LLM from Pepperdine.

Peterson has served as chair of the Disability Law Section and the Law and Mental Disability Section of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) as well as a member of the Board of Directors of a number of non-profit organizations including the Regional Center of Orange County, Down Syndrome Association of Orange County and as a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the Epilepsy Alliance of Orange County. His scholarly publications include articles on the topic of therapeutic jurisprudence.

Before beginning his teaching career in 2002, Peterson worked as a consultant to school districts and schools across the nation, teaching dispute resolution and anger management curriculum to K-12 teachers, administrator, and probation officers as part of gang violence prevention programs. He began practicing law in 1979 and has served as a private mediator and arbitrator for more than 35 years. Peterson has an AV rating with Martindale Hubbell. 

FACULTY IN THE NEWS

The New York Times
January 28, 2023
Re: Jody David Armour

Professor Jody Armour was interviewed by the New York Times about the recent policy brutality incident that led to the death of Tyre Nichols. “It’s not just a Black and white issue, but a Black and blue one. And when you put on that blue uniform, it often becomes the primary identity that drowns out any other identities that might compete with it," Armour said.

RECENT SCHOLARSHIP

Jonathan Barnett
December, 2022

"The China Innovation Challenge." Center for Strategic & International Studies interview, Washington, D.C.

Robin Craig
December, 2022

"The Clean Water Act and the Ocean: An Unfulfilled Promise." Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Law 14 (2022): 3.

Robin Craig
December, 2022

"Rights of Nature Is Becoming a U.S. Reality." Natural Resources & Environment. Prepublished December 2, 2022.