Supreme Court Seminar (Dawson)

This Supreme Court Seminar Research Guide was created to provide students enrolled in the Supreme Court Seminar with assistance in conducting Supreme Court research and efficiently utilizing the library.  The "Introduction to the Supreme Court" tab contains a brief history of the Court, with links to books found in the NCCU catalog.  Under "Chief Justices" is a list of Supreme Court Justices in chronological order and links to books both about the justices and about significant events occurring in their terms.  "Supreme Court Print Resources" details where to locate various print sources (opinions, briefs, etc.) in the Law Library, and "Supreme Court Electronic Resources" highlights databases, news feeds, and blogs on the Supreme Court.

The library has created a video tutorial which provides an overview of sites dedicated to tracking the Supreme Court. Click here to view the video in a new window.  

Education

J.D., Howard University
B.S., Bennett College

Biography

April Gordon Dawson, a California native, received her undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Bennett College in 1988 and her law degree cum laude from Howard University School of Law in 1994. While at Howard, she was an editorial board member of the Howard Law Journal and a member of the National Moot Court Team.

After law school, Professor Dawson joined the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice through its Attorney General’s Honors Program. While at the Department of Justice, she argued cases before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Seventh and Ninth Circuits.

In 1996, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Following her clerkship, she worked as a litigation associate at a Washington, D.C. firm. While at the firm, she was also an adjunct legal writing professor at the George Washington University School of Law.

She relocated to North Carolina in 1999 to start a private law practice dedicated to the representation of employees in cases involving sexual harassment, discrimination, and other employment-related disputes. She joined NCCU School of Law as a full-time faculty member in 2006, where she currently teaches in the area of Constitutional Law, Supreme Court Practice, and Torts. She has been voted Teacher of the Year by both the day and evening students.

Professor Dawson also co-hosts the Legal Eagle Review radio show, which airs every Sunday evening on WNCU 90.7 FM.

Contact Information

Office: 134
Email: adawson@nccu.edu
Phone: 919-530-6502
Fax: 919-530-6339