andré douglas pond cummings, JD
- Dean of Commonwealth Law School
- Professor of Law
- Arts & Culture
- Criminal Justice
- Race
- Social Justice
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.
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)
News
In the Media
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock
2026 Ben J. Altheimer Symposium
- The National Jurist
Widener Law Commonwealth signs dual admissions agreement with YSU
Noteworthy
Dean andré douglas pond cummings Featured in Attollo Prep Professional Development Series
Dean and Professor of Law andré douglas pond cummings of Widener University Commonwealth Law School joined high school scholars, educators, and community members at Attollo Prep on June 26 for a live conversation exploring leadership, justice, mentorship, and the many ways a legal education can shape lives and communities.
Held at Attollo Prep's headquarters in Lancaster, the event served as both an in-person discussion and a live podcast recording as part of the organization's Professional Development Series. The audience included Attollo Prep students, staff, and community members, who had the opportunity to engage with cummings throughout the conversation.
The discussion traced cummings' journey from growing up in California and attending Howard University School of Law to practicing corporate law at Kirkland & Ellis LLP before transitioning into legal education. Along the way, he reflected on the mentors who influenced his career, the experiences that shaped his commitment to justice, and the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation of leaders.
The conversation also highlighted cummings' nationally recognized scholarship, including his work examining the intersection of law, race, culture, and hip hop, as well as his commitment to fostering a culture of belonging in legal education. Throughout the session, he encouraged students to embrace mentorship, remain curious, and recognize the power they have to influence systems and create meaningful change.
Attollo Prep serves more than 400 high school students throughout Lancaster County each year through college access and youth development programming. Its Professional Development Series connects scholars with accomplished professionals whose personal and professional journeys offer insight into higher education, career pathways, and leadership.The live recording was released as a podcast on Attollo Prep's YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts channels.Watch the episode on YouTube here!
Widener Law Commonwealth Dean andré douglas pond cummings speaking at 'America at 250' event
Widener University Commonwealth Law School Dean and Professor of Law andré douglas pond cummings took part on June 10 in an online continuing legal education (CLE) program — "America at 250: The Power of Words – Rethinking the Declaration of Independence and the Fourteenth Amendment 2026."
The live webcast brought together legal scholars, historians, educators, and community leaders for a conversation that felt especially relevant, as the country inches toward the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The focus? The voices that history too often left out — and what America's founding ideals might have looked like if those perspectives had been part of the process from the start.
From the Declaration of Independence to the Fourteenth Amendment, participants dug into how these cornerstone documents are read today, and asked a harder question: how might they have been written differently?
It was a thoughtful, searching look at constitutional history, inclusion, and what equality in American law actually means, not just on paper, but in practice.
Dean cummings was joined by scholars and leaders from Penn State University, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and regional community organizations.