Professor Jody Armour, the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at USC Gould School of Law, is a powerful advocate for justice and equality through the transformative power of legal language. Teaching criminal law, tort law, and an advanced seminar on stereotypes, prejudice, and the rule of law, Armour’s work focuses on the intersection of law and social justice. His journey into legal scholarship is deeply personal and profoundly inspiring.
Armour’s passion for law was sparked by a traumatic event during his childhood. “I was introduced to the wonders of the law as an 8-year-old when my family experienced a Breonna Taylor-style raid,” he recalls. His father, arrested on marijuana charges, was sentenced to 22 to 55 years in prison — a sentence he was determined to overturn. “Through the language of the law, he found deliverance,” Armour explains. His father taught himself criminal law and procedure while in prison, ultimately prevailing in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in a case that established critical due process protections. This experience, Armour notes, showed him “both the darkness of the law at times but also its potential for optimism and justice.”
Armour believes that legal language, often seen as a tool of oppression, can also be a medium for liberation. “Some might say you can’t dismantle the master’s house with the master’s tools,” he says, referencing poet Audre Lorde. “But my dad reminded me that you can make the frozen circumstance dance by playing to them their own melody.” This realization underscores Armour’s enduring belief in the transformative potential of words. Quoting Toni Morrison, he adds, “We die — that may be the meaning of life. But we do language — that may be the measure of our lives.”
Currently, Armour is working on the California Racial Justice Act, a landmark piece of legislation aimed at addressing both conscious and unconscious racial bias in the criminal justice system. “California is the only jurisdiction with a law this far-reaching,” he explains. “It’s a huge development that requires remedies if any actor in the criminal justice process — from law enforcement to jurors — exhibits racial bias.” Armour’s role as an expert witness helps educate judges on how unconscious biases influence decisions, a process he describes as “bringing social cognition research into the courtroom to hold the system accountable.”
In the classroom, Armour challenges his students to think critically about the moral complexities of criminal law. “We study blame and punishment — the essence of moral condemnation,” he says. “Criminals aren’t just found; they’re made through the legal process. Deciding culpability often tells us more about the people making the judgment than the accused themselves.” Armour hopes his students leave with an appreciation for the power of language, the importance of questioning assumptions, and a commitment to meaningful action.
Despite the challenges, Armour remains optimistic. He points to the George Floyd protests as a catalyst for unprecedented change. “The protests brought tens of thousands into the streets, leading to legislation like the Racial Justice Act,” he notes. “All this happened during a time when the federal administration wasn’t friendly to criminal justice reform, showing the power of community and collective action.”
Watch the full interview with Professor Armour to hear more about his inspiring journey and his work in advancing justice through law.
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