University of St. Thomas

Professor Nekima Levy-Pounds is the director of the Community Justice Project (CJP), an award-winning civil rights legal clinic. The CJP is a part of the Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services. Levy-Pounds teaches and supervises law students as they use the law as a tool to advance the cause of social justice in poor communities of color through problem-solving, legal research and writing, community engagement and legislative advocacy. Levy-Pounds’ goal in founding the CJP was to take a more holistic approach to addressing complex issues affecting the poor and working poor.

In addition to her work in the CJP, Levy-Pounds is an active contributor to the field of civil rights and criminal justice by serving as a consultant to local civil rights organizations and community groups, a commentator in local media, and a lecturer and speaker in national and international forums.  Her scholarly interests include African-Americans and the law, the impact of the war on drugs on African-Amrican children and families, the treatment of women in prisons, and intersecting issues of race, class, and the criminal justice system.  Levy-Pounds also focuses on juvenile justice issues, police and community relations, and the school to prison pipeline facing children of color.

Because of her work in the Community Justice Project, Levy-Pounds was selected by Minnesota Senator Al Franken to advise the senator in his decision to nominate Elena Kagan for the United States Supreme Court.

Representative Scholarship

“From the Frying Pan Into the Fire: How Poor Women of Color and Children are Affected by the Sentencing Guidelines & Mandatory Minimums.” Santa Clara Law Review, Volume 47 No. 2, Spring 2007

“Advice for those Encounters with Bad Actor Lawyers,” The ABA Young Lawyer, November, 2006

“Children of Incarcerated Parents and the Struggle for Stability.” The Modern American Volume 2- Issue 2, Summer 2006

“Beaten by the System and Down for the Count: Why Poor Women of Color and Children Don’t Stand a Chance Against Current Drug Sentencing Policy.” University of St. Thomas Law Journal, Spring 2006

Courses Taught

Clinic: Community Justice Practice Group
Advanced Clinic: Community Justice Practice Group

Mailing Address

MSL 100
1000 LaSalle Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403-2015