- 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.
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Academics
Learn about our interdisciplinary curriculum, experiential learning opportunities and specialized areas.
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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.
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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
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.
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Peter Johnson
USC Gould School of Law
- FACULTY DIRECTORY
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- FACULTY IN THE NEWS
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- + CENTERS AND INITIATIVES
- CENTER FOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION
- CENTER FOR LAW AND PHILOSOPHY (CLP)
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- 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

Lecturer in Law
699 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90089-0074 USA
Last Updated: December 10, 2020
Peter Johnson teaches Criminal Law. His areas of interest include trial advocacy, criminal justice, business litigation and public interest law.
Johnson currently operates his own law practice in Los Angeles, where he represents individuals and entities charged with complex criminal offenses in state and federal courts. He is also a member of the federal indigent defense panel in Los Angeles, where he represents indigent clients before the United States District Court in Los Angeles and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Previously, he was a trial attorney with the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Los Angeles and Baltimore, and a litigation attorney with a law firm in Washington, D.C.
Johnson earned his BS at the University of Maryland at College Park and his JD from the University of Maryland School of Law (Order of Barristers). In law school, he was a member of the National Trial Team and the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Team. After law school, he clerked for the Hon. Robert M. Bell, chief judge for the Court of Appeals of Maryland and the Hon. Alexander Williams, United States District Judge for the District of Maryland. He also received his MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, where he lived and taught graduate and undergraduate level courses in business and law.
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
Robin Craig
December, 2022
"Climate Adaptation in the United States." Frontiers in Marine Science 9 (2022) December. Special Topic: Ocean Governance and Climate Adaptation: Comparing Responses, Charting Future Courses.
Scott Altman
December, 2022
"Why Parents' Interests Matter." Ethics 133 (forthcoming 2023): 271.
Jonathan Barnett
December, 2022
"The China Innovation Challenge." Center for Strategic & International Studies interview, Washington, D.C.