Scholars focus on race and slavery; English legal history; law and psychology
— By Maria Iacobo
Three USC Law professors were named to endowed faculty positions in a Nov. 26 ceremony held at Town and Gown. Ariela J. Gross, Daniel M. Klerman and Thomas D. Lyon were honored before friends, family and colleagues as the inaugural holders of two new professorships and one new chair.
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| Prof. Ariela Gross, center, and family |
“All three are dedicated teachers and institutional citizens,” said USC Law Dean Robert K. Rasmussen. “They are role models for what we would all like to be in this community.”
By “looking at law through a different lens,” Rasmussen noted, the professors’ interdisciplinary work marries history, economics and psychology with the law — providing new insights and benefits to the community.
Gross, named the John B. and Alice R. Sharp Professor of Law and History, focuses her research and writing on race and slavery throughout U.S. history. She is the author of Double Character: Slavery and Mastery in the Antebellum Southern Courtroom and co-author of several history textbooks. Her new book, What Blood Won’t Tell: Racial Identity on Trial in America, will be published next year.
Gross said that though she started out as a maverick, studying history and law in the early 1990s, legal academia and other disciplines now incorporate history in their curriculum.
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| Prof. Dan Klerman, center, and family |
“USC turned out to be the most welcoming and nurturing place possible for a legal historian,” she told the audience. In addition to supporting her research, Gross said the school’s generous family leave policy allowed her to take time to have her second child before earning tenure.
Klerman, named the Charles L. and Ramona I. Hilliard Professor of Law and History, focuses his scholarship on English legal history and law and economics. His work has been widely praised; in 2004 he was awarded the Sutherland Prize for best article on English legal history from the American Society for Legal History, and in 2001 he received the David Yale Prize from the Selden Society for distinguished contribution to the history of the laws and legal institutions of England and Wales.
Acknowledging the many individuals who inspired his scholarly pursuits, Klerman thanked his parents, brothers, college professors and USC faculty.
“USC has been my intellectual home for nearly a decade,” he said. “My colleagues have tried to teach me the importance of seeing the complexity of issues, rather than searching for a single definitive cause or explanation. I have not always been a good student, but I hope to have many more years as your colleague in which to learn.”
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| Prof. Tom Lyon, center, and family |
Lyon, whose research interests include child witness, child maltreatment and domestic violence, was named the Judge Edward J. and Ruey L. Guirado Chair in Law and Psychology. His work is supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect and the California Endowment, among others.
Widely published, the goal of Lyon’s current research is to encourage maltreated children to reveal truthful information with increasing the risks of suggestibility or influence. This interdisciplinary research integrates developmental psychology in order to make recommendations for practice.
| Supporting USC Law
Endowed chairs and professorships are made possible by generous benefactors who believe in USC Law’s ability to offer an outstanding interdisciplinary legal education. Gross’ professorship is named for John B. and Alice R. Sharp, who were avid supporters of USC. In addition to their contributions to USC Law, the couple were life members of USC Associates and generous contributors to Town and Gown scholarships. Mr. Sharp was an investment banker, Mrs. Sharp a prominent businesswoman. Residents of Chicago, the Sharps were also avid supporters of numerous philanthropic organizations. Klerman’s professorship is named for Charles L. and Ramona I. Hilliard. The long-time Los Angeles residents led successful careers in real estate and ranching. They developed a long and rewarding relationship with USC; in addition to endowing professorships at USC Law and the USC Marshall School of Business, they have supported the teaching library and cancer research center. Lyon’s faculty position is named after Edward J. Guirado ’32, a distinguished graduate of USC Law, and his wife, Ruey L. Guirado. Judge Guirado was an active member of Legion Lex and repeatedly expressed his belief in and enthusiasm for legal education at USC. The couple created an endowed faculty position at USC Law and many student scholarships. Judge Guirado spent 20 years in private practice specializing in banking, finance and probate matters. He became a judge for the Municipal Court in Los Angeles County and later appointed to the county’s Superior Court. |
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