andré douglas pond cummings

andré douglas pond cummings, JD

  • Dean of Commonwealth Law School
  • Professor of Law
Media Expertise:
  • Arts & Culture
  • Criminal Justice
  • Race
  • Social Justice
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Affiliated Programs

Education

  • J.D. (1997)
    Howard University School of Law (Washington, D.C.)
  • B.S., Sociology (1994)
    Brigham Young University (Utah)

About Me

Raised in Los Angeles, California and a product of the Los Angeles Unified School District, I learned early in life that inequality and discrimination were a distinct feature in the lives of many communities of color. My career has focused on disrupting inequality and bringing equal opportunity to those that have been historically oppressed.

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Research Interests

  • Investor Protection and Equal Economic Opportunity
  • Social Justice and Criminal Legal System Reform
  • Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) as perpetuated by unequal legal systems

Media Expertise

  • Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Law
  • Corporate Law and Corporate Governance
  • Entertainment Law
  • Policing and Police Reform
  • Progressive Prosecution
  • Race and Social Justice
  • Sports Law
  • War on Drugs and Marijuana Law

Publications

  • cuumings, a., & Ramirez, S. (Forthcoming, 2025). Ending the Racialized War on Drugs: Repairing Victimized Communities. Cambridge University Press.
  • cummings, a., Clark, T., Conrad, C., & Johnson, A. (2023). Trauma Informed Policing: How Adverse Childhood Experiences Impact Police Officers. 73 CASE WESTERN RESERVE L. REV. 843.
  • cummings, a., & Graham, K. (2023). Claim Denied, Access Denied: The Black Wall Street Insurance Grift. 35 ST. THOMAS L. REV. 101.
  • cummings, a., & Ramirez, S. The Racist Roots of the War on Drugs. (2022). 44 UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK L. REV. 453.

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Mountain Society, West Virginia University
  • Abolish Private Prisons, Board of Directors

Awards

  • Alexander Award for Excellence in Pipeline Diversity, American Bar Association (2024)
  • Faculty Excellence Award for Research & Scholarship, Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen Law (2024)
  • Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen Law (2024)
  • Faculty Excellence Award for Social Justice, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen Law (2023)

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