Melissa Brandman

Melissa Brandman brings her extensive legal practice experience to Southwestern’s Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills faculty. As a seasoned civil litigator, Professor Brandman understands first-hand the importance of developing effective analytical and writing skills during law school. This allows her to provide students with a learning experience focused on connecting legal analysis and writing skills to real-world applications.

Prior to joining Southwestern, Professor Brandman gained valuable and varied practice experience in all areas of employment law, including discrimination and harassment, workplace investigations, accommodating disabilities, leaves of absence, wage and hour class action disputes, and employment policies and procedures at leading law firms in Southern California. 

At UCLA School of Law, Professor Brandman was a member of the Moot Court Honors Program and was named a Distinguished Advocate and Finalist for the annual Roscoe Pound Tournament. Professor Brandman also served as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the UCLA Journal of Gender and Law (formerly the UCLA Women’s Law Journal). Professor Brandman was a judicial extern for the Honorable Ronald S.W. Lew of the United States District Court of the Central District of California.   

Professor Brandman volunteers as a mock trial coach for the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), volunteering over 600 hours teaching high school students the fundamentals of criminal law and procedure and trial advocacy.  In recognition of her volunteer work and mentorship, Professor Brandman was awarded the OCSA Outstanding School Volunteer Award and was named the Orange County Constitutional Rights Foundation Attorney Coach of the Year.