- 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.
Student Quick Links:
- 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.
Student Quick Links:
- 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
- Admissions

Judge Nicole Bershon
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

Lecturer In Law
Email: nbershon@law.usc.edu699 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90089-0074 USA
Last Updated: January 5, 2022
Judge Bershon was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court in 2013 by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. She currently sits at the Torrance Courthouse where she handles a felony trial calendar. Previously, she served as the Site Judge for the Inglewood Courthouse, overseeing daily operations. Prior to becoming a judge, she served as a court commissioner for two years.
Currently, Judge Bershon serves as the vice chair of the California Judges Association’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusivity. She has also held the position of co-vice chair of the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Diversity Committee. In addition, she has served on the Court's Executive, Community Outreach, Court Security, Jury, and Temporary Judge committees. Judge Bershon is a past president of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.
After graduating from law school, Judge Bershon entered private practice with Stutman, Treister & Glatt, and, later, with Irell & Manella, where she handled bankruptcy, civil and criminal litigation, and corporate matters. She then spent six years with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, handling both criminal and civil matters. Before she joined the bench, Judge Bershon spent almost 10 years with the Office of the Inspector General for the Los Angeles Police Commission, first as an Assistant Inspector General, and later as the Inspector General for the LAPD.
Judge Bershon is a graduate of Princeton University, where she was co-captain of the women’s rugby team. She received her law degree from the UCLA School of Law, where she served as co-editor-in-chief of the UCLA Women’s Law Journal. She has taught Criminal Law and Constitutional Law at USC’s Gould School of Law and is the immediate past president of the UCLA Law Alumni Association.
FACULTY IN THE NEWS
LLM Guide
June 5, 2023
Re: USC Gould School of Law
Law schools have been adapting to the increase in technological advancements, especially with the increased need for attorneys with the creation of AI. “Attorneys work on the front end, conducting threat assessments to ensure that their clients’ systems and data are protected, and on the back end, to navigate any legal issues that may arise as a result of the attacks," Gruzas said.
RECENT SCHOLARSHIP
Robin Craig
May, 2023
"Did Sackett Bring Clarity to 'Waters of the United States'?," 54:6 Trends (forthcoming July/August 2023) (accepted May 31, 2023).
Robin Craig
May, 2023
"Tribal Water Rights and Tribal Health: the Klamath Tribes and the Navajo Nation During the Covid-19 Pandemic," 16 Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law & Policy 35 (published 2023), was summarized and promoted on the Race, Racism, and the Law website run by Professor Vernellia Randall, University of Dayton School of Law.
Robin Craig
May, 2023
"Governing Shifting Species and Changing Ecosystems: What role Might Ecological Grief Play?," keynote address at the Species on the Move 2023 International Conference, Bonito Springs, Florida, on May 19, 2023.