January 21, 2025

David Lopez, trailblazing civil rights leader, to rejoin ASU Law as full-time faculty member

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is proud to announce the return of David Lopez, a distinguished leader in civil rights and employment law, who will join the faculty as a full-time professor in August, ahead of the Fall 2025 semester.

“David Lopez’s return to ASU Law marks an extraordinary milestone for our community,” said Dean Stacy Leeds. “His unique expertise and unwavering commitment to democratic ideals will strengthen our mission and inspire the next generation of legal leaders.”

Lopez’s career has been defined by his dedication to advancing justice and championing equality. He served as the general counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from 2010 to 2016, becoming the longest-serving individual in this role. During his tenure, he helped shape policies and legal strategies that expanded protections against workplace discrimination, including landmark cases addressing LGBTQ+ rights, vulnerable immigrant workers, religious accommodation, disability accommodations and systemic race and sex discrimination. Nominated twice by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate, Lopez’s leadership at the EEOC set a national standard for equal opportunity and anti-discrimination. He had previously served as a supervisory trial attorney in the agency’s Phoenix district office where he appeared frequently before the U.S. District Court Arizona.

Currently, Lopez serves as a University Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School, where he previously held the position of co-dean. He also worked as a partner at Outten & Golden in Washington, D.C., focusing on employment law and civil rights litigation. He sits on several boards including the National Women’s Law Center and Towards Justice. 

“After so many years on the East Coast, I am thrilled to return home to my alma mater to work with students, university colleagues and the community on the civil rights and labor issues to which I have devoted my career,” Lopez said.

A proud alumnus of Arizona State University, Lopez earned his undergraduate degree in political science magna cum laude, where he was one of the founders of the University’s Hispanic Convocation, before attending Harvard Law School. His ties to ASU and Arizona remain deep, including his impactful semester as a visiting distinguished professor at ASU Law in 2023, where his mentorship and expertise resonated with students and faculty alike.

As a visiting professor, Lopez taught a course called “Law and the Legal System through the Lens of Latino Communities,” which explored how legal structures shape the experiences of various Latino communities in the U.S. and addressed topics such as colonialism and Puerto Rico, Latin American feminism, immigration and border issues, labor organizing and movement lawyering. He has previously taught as a visiting professor at Yale, Harvard and New York Universities

Lopez’s homecoming highlights ASU Law’s dedication to fostering excellence, innovation and inclusion. His presence will not only elevate the academic experience for students but also reinforce ASU Law’s standing as a hub for meaningful progress and innovation in the legal profession.

Written by Kourtney Kelley