Victoria Jeanette Dodd (JD 1978) was a professor of constitutional law, federal courts, and educational law and policy at Suffolk University Law School from 1981 until her retirement.
Born in Los Angeles, Victoria earned her bachelor’s degree in English language and literature/letters from Harvard University in 1970 (cum laude), writing her senior honors thesis on Charles Dickens. She graduated from USC Gould School of Law in 1978 after earning membership in the Order of the Coif and qualifying as a semi-finalist for Moot Court. She passed both the California Bar and the Massachusetts Bar.
Victoria was a respected scholar who made significant contributions to various areas of law, most notably to education law. She was an active supporter of women in the legal profession, especially in legal education, and worked diligently to promote their interests and their status in the profession. Victoria also loved to travel, always exploring new and eclectic destinations, international and domestic. She was an ardent opera, art, music, and theater buff who enjoyed supporting cultural events.
Victoria passed away peacefully in her Boston home on March 26, 2020, following a long illness. Before her death, she shared how important her relationships were with Gould colleagues, including former Dean Bob Rasmussen and retired Dean of Career Services Betsy Armour.
“Victoria exemplified the best attributes of our alumni,” former Dean Rasmussen observed. “She was not only successful herself, forging a long and distinguished academic career at a time when women were drastically underrepresented in our law schools, but she cared deeply about others. In particular, she was passionate about the legal education that Gould students were receiving. In all my conversations with her, she always inquired about our students. She understood that our mission as a law school is to continue to educate the next generation of outstanding lawyers.”
“I first met Professor Dodd at Suffolk Law School in Boston,” recalls Dean Armour. “She was a well-regarded, long-serving faculty member, and I was director of employer relations in the career office. When getting to know her, Vicky shared her SoCal roots and her fierce loyalty to her alma mater, USC Gould. As luck would have it, I was able to work with her again once I assumed my role as dean of career services at Gould. During trips to Boston on behalf of Gould, we met and strategized about how to support our students interested in practicing in that market, and she never hesitated to agree to mentor these students. Vicky embodied the Gould Trojan spirit. She is sorely missed.”
It was because of these relationships and her gratitude for the education she received at Gould that Victoria included the school in her estate plan. She bequeathed funds from her retirement accounts (IRA and 403b) to support need-based scholarships. Those funds will support students entering the school in fall 2023.
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