Thiadora A. Pina
ABOUT DORI
Thiadora “Dori” Pina, is an accomplished author and civil litigation attorney. She brings her strong communication, customer service, and project management skills to Santa Clara Law as a Clinical Professor and Senior Director of Inclusive Excellence.
Dori's distinctive expertise lies in her innovative approach to the legal profession, skillfully combining instructional design principles rooted in adult learning theory and tenets of positive psychology. Her unwavering commitment to excellence shines through in the material she creates and presents.
Among her areas of expertise are professional identity formation and inclusive excellence, where she draws from her extensive experience as both a successful lawyer, award winning author, and revered professor.
As a champion of inclusivity and diversity, Dori proudly serves as a law professor at Santa Clara University as well as the faculty advisor for SC Law's influential Black Law Student Association and the trailblazing First-Generation Law Student Association, nurturing and guiding aspiring legal professionals towards their goals.
Dori's impact extends beyond the classroom as she actively contributes her insights and wisdom to non-profit organizations, leading faculty and staff trainings, and leading workshops throughout the country.
With an impressive repertoire of accomplishments and an unyielding passion for fostering growth and success, Dori exemplifies the essence of excellence in legal education and professional development.
ABA Award Recipient
The ABA’s Gambrell Award judges and Committee found that Thiadora’s curriculum “stands out for its deep commitment to helping students think strategically about their professional identity and the critical skills they need to successfully practice law.”
“The Standing Committee on Professionalism applauds [the] innovative and effective program well worthy of emulation throughout the nation . . ..”
“I remember looking around and saying to myself, ‘I want to get ahead.’ I can’t say that I understood what that meant. I wanted to be financially secure and see the world. I didn’t understand how to do that except to go to college.”
- Dori