Judith Browne Dianis, a trailblazing and award-winning movement lawyer and civil rights strategist, joined USC Gould School of Law Dean Franita Tolson in conversation for the 2026 Allen Neiman and Alan Sieroty Lecture on April 15. Dianis, who previously held key leadership roles at the national civil rights organization, the Advancement Project, as well as the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, spoke on the topic of “Justice in Action: Lessons from the Courtroom & Community.”
“I believe that the work that I do is my purpose,” Dianis said. “And when you have the blessing of working in and on your purpose, that is beyond — this is what you hope to achieve.”
As a voting rights expert and pioneer of the movement to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline, she served as executive director of the Advancement Project as it worked to prevent discrimination and racial injustice in education, voting, policing, criminal justice and immigration. She also served as managing attorney of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and was among the first classes of Skadden Fellows after earning her JD from Columbia Law School.
The lecture series was established by a gift from Allen Neiman and Alan Sieroty, USC Gould Class of 1956 classmates and law partners. The pair shared a commitment to civil rights and the series provides an opportunity for students to interact with experts in civil liberties and civil rights.
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