Lara Bazelon

Lara Bazelon is a Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she directs the Racial Justice Clinic and holds the Philip and Muriel Barnett Chair in Trial Advocacy. She specializes in criminal law, wrongful convictions, restorative justice, and clinical legal education. Her work bridges academia and advocacy, focusing on systemic racism, prosecutorial accountability, and reforming sentencing practices.

Education: J.D. from New York University and B.A. from Columbia University. Prior roles include Visiting Associate Clinical Professor at Loyola Law School and Deputy Federal Public Defender in Los Angeles.

Research emphasizes wrongful conviction remedies, racial equity in justice systems, and ethical legal practice. Her writings appear in leading law reviews and mainstream media outlets like The New York Times and The Atlantic.

• Awards: Davis Vanguard Justice Award (2021), Schuster Institute Senior Fellowship (2016-2019), Black Women Lawyers’ Award (2014)
• Books: Rectify: The Power of Restorative Justice After Wrongful Conviction (2018), Ambitious Like a Mother (2022)

Advocacy includes exoneration work with district attorneys and resentencing reforms. Leads interdisciplinary teams at the Racial Justice Clinic addressing systemic inequities in criminal justice systems.