معرفی
Deepika Sharma serves as Clinical Associate Professor of Law and founding Director of the Housing Law and Policy Clinic at the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law. Appointed in 2023 to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass's United to House LA Citizens Oversight Committee, she leverages 15 years of housing justice experience spanning litigation, community lawyering, and policy leadership to address the region's housing crisis.
Education:
- J.D., University of California, Berkeley (2007)
- B.A. in Mass Communications, University of California, Berkeley (2000, Highest Honors)
Her research critically examines tenant protections during systemic crises, discriminatory housing practices, and policy interventions for vulnerable populations. Sharma pioneers community-engaged approaches where legal theory directly informs real-world advocacy, emphasizing fair housing enforcement and pandemic-era tenant safeguards through legislative drafting and high-impact litigation.
As clinic director, she mentors students in housing justice advocacy through hands-on client representation and policy development. Her team partners with community organizations to litigate tenant rights cases and shape municipal housing initiatives, notably contributing to Los Angeles's Measure ULA oversight framework.
Sharma founded and leads the Housing Law and Policy Clinic as her primary academic unit, integrating courtroom experience with policy innovation. Prior roles include directing housing security initiatives for the Los Angeles Mayor's office and establishing Public Counsel's affirmative housing litigation unit, where she secured landmark $2.5 million settlements addressing discriminatory tenant harassment.
