The USC Gould School of Law’s Alumni Association and Black Law Students Association (BLSA) in August co-hosted Turning the Tide: Utilizing the Momentum of Today to Further the Progress of Tomorrow, a virtual alumni panel discussion addressing the impact of the recent racial justice protests on the legal profession.
Panelists included Tiffiny Townend Blacknell (JD 2002), Los Angeles County deputy public defender; William Brotherson (JD 2010), Santa Clara County deputy public defender; moderator Justin Sanders (JD 2000), managing partner of Sanders Roberts; and Olivier Theard (JD 2001), partner at Sheppard Mullin.
For students, the panel represented an important new beginning, with Tomi Johnson, president of BLSA, commenting, "We hope this event serves as a launch pad for both meaningful work on the issue of racial injustice and a deeper relationship between alumni and students."