James Gilliam, ACLU Deputy Executive Director, to Speak to Democrats of the Desert on January 28th

Please join us in welcoming James Gilliam the deputy executive director at the ACLU of Southern California.

Since April 2010, he has overseen the day-to-day operations of the organization. Before joining ACLU SoCal, James was a litigation associate and pro bono coordinator at Paul Hastings. He led the team that worked pro bono with ACLU SoCal on the B-18 class action lawsuit challenging detention conditions for undocumented individuals held in Los Angeles.

James is also an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School, where he teaches Law & Sexuality and other public interest lawyering courses.

James graduated first in his class summa cum laude from Middle Tennessee State University and cum laude from Loyola Law School, Order of the Coif. During law school he served as chair of the Public Interest Law Foundation, as the first chief symposia editor of the Law Review and extern clerk for the Hon. Harry Pregerson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He also spent a semester working at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and working with Public Counsel on its General Relief Advocacy Project.

A longtime activist for the LGBT community, prior to attending law school, James served as executive director of the organization in Nashville, Tennessee that produced the annual gay pride parade and celebration.

In 2007, James became the most junior attorney ever to receive Loyola Law School’s Pro Bono Alumni of the Year Award for his pro bono work. He served for six years as co-chair of the Sexual Orientation Bias Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and is a member of the Project Board for the Los Angeles Public Interest Law Journal. In 2010, the National LGBT Bar Association —on whose board of directors James previously served — named him one of the Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40. James was among the inaugural class of individuals who were recognized by KCET in 2011 as Local Heroes for LGBT Pride Month. In 2012, the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles honored him with the organization’s Co-President’s Award. In 2013, he received Loyola Law School’s OutLaw LGBT Alumni of the Year Award.

Please join us to hear James Gilliam on January 28th at 2p.m. at the Date Palm Country Club 36200 Date Palm Drive Main Clubhouse for a post inaugural update!