Roy L. Brooks Fund for Social Justice

Support the Roy L. Brooks Fund for Social Justice!

The Roy L. Brooks Fund for Social Justice is dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of Professor Roy L. Brooks at USD School of Law after his retirement.

Professor Roy L. Brooks, Warren Distinguished Professor of Law, is a scholar, teacher, and advocate whose career has focused on civil rights, race relations, and constitutional law. A graduate of Yale Law School, he clerked for a federal judge and practiced corporate law on Wall Street before joining USD in 1979, where he became the first tenured Black professor. For decades, Professor Brooks has challenged the minds and inspired hearts through his fearless teaching and groundbreaking scholarship in civil rights, jurisprudence, and human rights.

This fund will carry forward his legacy at USD School of Law by supporting visiting scholars, speakers, or faculty who share his bold vision: that the rights of all people are not negotiable, but self-evident truths. Join us in ensuring that his work not only endures, but continues to spark change for generations to come.

The Life and Career of Professor Roy L. Brooks

Throughout his career, Roy L. Brooks has advanced racial justice and reparations—filing a complaint with Charles Ogletree and Johnnie Cochran on behalf of Tulsa Race Massacre victims, representing “Comfort Women” in South Korea, convening the landmark conference that laid the foundation for Critical Race Theory, and testifying before the California Task Force on Reparations.

An acclaimed author, Professor Brooks has published more than 100 articles and 20 books, including works with Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Cambridge University Presses. His scholarship and advocacy have earned him three national book awards, USD Law’s Thorsnes Prizes for both teaching and scholarship, the Thurgood Marshall Award, the Virgil Hawkins Award, and recognition as a member of a Presidential Commission.

Professor Brooks’ influence extends globally—he has lectured at universities across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, spoken at institutions such as the National Press Club and the New York Historical Society, and appeared on major national news networks. His more than forty years at USD have left a profound mark on the law school, inspiring generations of students and legal leaders.

Gifts made to support this fund honor Professor Brooks’ lifelong commitment to justice and ensure that his legacy continues to shape the future of law.