University of Southern California
USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
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Olu OrangeAdjunct Assistant Professor of Political ScienceContact Information E-mail: o.orange@uscmocktrial.org Phone: (213) 821-3183 Office: VKC 327 LINKS Course Information From Mock Trial To Real Cases The Power of Attorney Open and Shut Case For Undergrads USC Mock Trial Team Dominates East Coast Competition |
Biographical Sketch |
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Orange is a native of Detroit, Michigan who found his way to Los Angeles by way of the District of Columbia. He attended civil rights mecca Howard University in Washington D.C. for both his undergraduate and law degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Communication and a Juris Doctorate, respectively. At Howard, Orange earned advocacy honors including the Huver I. Brown Medal for Excellence in Trial Advocacy, the Earl Davis Award for Excellence in Public Interest Advocacy and two consecutive Lewis F. Powell Medals for Excellence in Trial Advocacy from the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) and the American Bar Association (ABA). Orange began practicing criminal law in California as a Deputy Public Defender with the Orange County Public Defender's Office. Thereafter, Orange litigated civil cases including plaintiffs' medical malpractice, elder abuse and other personal injury matters at the McNulty Law Firm in Bel Air, California. Orange currently handles plaintiff-side civil rights matters with his firm, Orange Law Offices. Since 2006, Orange has been a teaching team member for Harvard Law School's (HLS) Winter Trial Advocacy Workshop (TAW), a full-credit HLS clinical course. For HLS TAW, Orange has been selected to demonstrate the faculty closing argument, opening statement and cross-examination. Orange also serves as a National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) faculty member for in-house, and public, trial advocacy and deposition skills programs held for attorneys at various private firms, public organizations and state and federal government law offices nationwide. Additionally, Orange provides probono representation to Los Angeles area political activists, works as a Panel Attorney with the Los Angeles County Indigent Criminal Defense Appointments Program, and serves as a member of the Executive Board of the National Lawyers Guild - L.A. Chapter. In 2009, Orange argued and won Millender v. County of Los Angeles, a blended 4th and 2nd Amendment case, before an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Later, in the U.S. Supreme Court on Millender, Orange served as briefing counsel and second chair, and was joined by both the NRA and ACLU as amici curiae against 26 states and the U.S. Solicitor General. In 2010, Orange tried and won the will contest case over the Estate of Sammy Davis, Jr. In 2011, Orange tried and won the first post-9/11 case wherein a police officer who also served as a U.S. Marine was found liable for the unlawful shooting death of a Muslim man -- Chaudhry v. City of Los Angeles. In 2001, Orange co-founded the USC Mock Trial Team and since then has served as its Head Coach. Orange teaches POSC 398, "Trial Advocacy: Theory and Practice." He has also taught POSC 452, "Law & Local Political Activism," a course he created. |
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Education |
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 J.D. Law, Howard University School of Law, 5/1998
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B.A. Legal Communication, Howard University, 5/1995
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Academic Appointment, Affiliation, and Employment History |
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National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), Faculty, 2007-
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Harvard Law School, Faculty Teaching Team, Winter TAW (clinical), 2006-
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Description of Research |
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Research Specialties |
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| First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment implications of prevalent gang suppression and policing methods. Actual litigation of those issues in federal courts. | |
Conferences and Other Presentations |
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Conference Presentations |
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"Tipping the Scales with Effective Trial Techniques: Direct and Cross Examination of Expert Witnesses", California Association for Parent-Child Advocacy, Lecture/Seminar, Los Angeles, CA, Invited,
Fall
2012
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"Using Creative Problem Solving Negotiations to Prepare for Trial (and Lighten your Load)", National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) Centennial Conference, Talk/Oral Presentation, Washington, D.C., Invited,
Fall
2011
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"Closing Arguments", National Disability Rights Network: Annual Conference, Talk/Oral Presentation, Los Angeles, CA, Invited,
Fall
2010
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Other Presentations |
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"The Time for Pure Advocacy: Closing Argument", Inaugural Closing Argument Presentation for NITA Studio 71, National Institute For Trial Advocacy, Boulder, CO,
Spring
2013
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Honors and Awards |
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2013 Super Lawyers - Civil Rights/First Amendment: Selected as a Southern California 'Super Lawyer' by Thomson Reuters in the Civil Rights and First Amendment category, 2013-2014
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CET USC-Mellon Awards for Excellence in Mentoring: Faculty Mentoring Undergraduate Students,
Spring
2007
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CET USC-Mellon Certificates of Recognition for Excellence in Mentoring: Faculty Mentoring Undergraduate Students,
Spring
2005
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