For nearly three decades, Professor Tom Lyon has dedicated his career to empowering the most vulnerable members of society: children. As the Judge Edward J. and Ruey L. Guirado Chair in Law and Psychology at USC Gould School of Law, Lyon has melded his dual expertise in developmental psychology and legal evidence to revolutionize how the justice system engages with child witnesses, particularly in cases of abuse.
Lyon’s journey into this specialized field was unconventional. Reflecting on his early years, he admits, “I didn’t really like law school very much.” But an unexpected discovery in a used bookstore — Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams — sparked a newfound fascination with psychology. This interest, coupled with a growing curiosity about children’s development, inspired him to blend law and psychology in ways that were both innovative and deeply personal.
“My career goal has been to maximize children’s ability to give complete and accurate reports when narrating their experiences,” Lyon explains. Recognizing that cases involving child witnesses often intersect with the darkest aspects of human behavior, such as abuse and neglect, Lyon committed himself to finding ways to improve the reliability of children’s testimony. His work has included dependency trials in Los Angeles, home to the world’s largest dependency court, and a return to academia to research best practices in interviewing child witnesses.
Despite the inherent challenges of working with trauma survivors, Lyon finds hope in the resilience of children. “We do a lot of interviews with children who’ve experienced horrifying situations, but they’re still kids,” he shares. “They still have curiosity and joy. That resilience is inspiring and reminds us of the importance of helping them find safety and recovery.”
Lyon’s advice to students and aspiring lawyers is rooted in his own transformative experience: “The law doesn’t have to be inherently interesting. Find a social problem or a cause you care about deeply, and then use the law as a tool to address it. Mastering the intricacies of legal doctrine becomes empowering when you see its potential to create meaningful change.”
As Lyon continues to teach and innovate, he remains proud of USC Gould’s contributions to the field, including a recent project featuring a mobile unit designed for on-site emergency interviews. This initiative exemplifies the practical, compassionate solutions Lyon advocates for in his work.
Watch the full interview with Professor Lyon to hear more about his unconventional journey to finding a specialized field in criminal justice.
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