Ada Goodly

Ada is the director of the Louis A, Berry Institute for Civil Rights and Justice at Southern University Law Center and owner of The Goodly Group, LLC where she provides consultation on cultural competency projects, conducts investigatory research for restorative justice cases, and drafts policy with a racial equity lens. Ada serves on the Advisory Board of Dillard University’s Center for Racial Justice and the Board of Directors for the National Education and Empowerment Coalition Inc., and the National Civil Rights Council Board of Directors. Ada also sits on the advisory board for Historical Injustice and Present Policing (HIPP), a the trauma informed training partnership with Northeastern University School of Law’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ada has been instrumental in expanding HIPP trainings for law enforcement officers in Southeast, Louisiana and adapting the trainings for Prosecutor’s offices. Ada uses her expertise in developing front-end reforms to reduce disparities at all points of contact with the criminal legal system and to help develop community supported and advocacy-initiated alternatives to incarceration. Ada served 14 years in the United States Army, where she spent time acting as a trainer, before committing to advocacy work as an organizer an movement lawyer. She has supported movements with legal coordination and strategy development in the wake of Victor White III, Alton Sterling Jr., and DeJuan Guillory tragedies. Ada has one son who inspires her to continue bringing awareness and fighting for social justice for all people and children of color.