Amanda Goad

Professor Amanda Goad is the Audrey Irmas Director of the LGBTQ, Gender & Reproductive Justice Project at the ACLU of Southern California. She joined Southwestern Law School in 2023 and teaches the Transgender Law course. Her work focuses on litigation, policy advocacy, and community engagement to advance LGBTQ rights, particularly for transgender individuals, incarcerated people, and students.

Education:

• B.A., magna cum laude, History and Classics, Rice University
• J.D., cum laude, Harvard Law School

Professional Background:

• Former staff attorney in the ACLU National's LGBT & HIV Project (transgender workers' rights, marriage equality)
• Director of Litigation at Inner City Law Center (Los Angeles)
• Senior Counsel in the New York City Law Department
• Legal Coordinator for pro bono name change services for transgender New Yorkers

Awards & Affiliations:

• 2015: Named one of the 40 Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40
• Former co-chair, Board of Directors of Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network
• Former fifth-grade teacher

Her advocacy spans legal strategy, policy reform, and grassroots engagement to combat discrimination and promote equity in areas like healthcare access, criminal justice, and education.