Written by: WSCL Marketing Team
As Director of Career Development and Public Interest Programs and an adjunct professor at Western State College of Law, the oldest school in Orange County, James Gilliam plays a pivotal role in enhancing LGBTQ+ visibility and community building. He empowers students to find their voice, give back to their communities, and show up as their authentic selves. An openly gay attorney, educator, and advocate, James brings a powerful combination of lived experience, legal expertise, and unwavering compassion to his work, making him an invaluable part of the Western State community. This Pride Month, Western State is proud to spotlight James Gilliam and the incredible impact he’s had on students, public service initiatives, and LGBTQ+ visibility in legal education.
Discovering Activism and Community
James’s journey into the legal field began with a moment of profound connection. “My whole reason for going to law school was because I found a passion for activism back in the 90s in Tennessee, when I first came out as a gay man,” he recalls. At a 1993 Pride celebration in Nashville, James found something life-changing: community. “That was the first time I really felt comfortable and seen.”
But that sense of belonging also exposed systemic barriers when James got involved in planning future Pride events. He quickly realized how difficult it was for LGBTQ+ groups to be granted basic visibility. “Even getting a parade permit or permission to sell t-shirts was very challenging. The city made us buy our own private security,” he explains. “I realized then that we needed more lawyers. I decided to go to law school to learn the tools I need to be an advocate for this community.”
A graduate of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, James’s legal career is marked by both individual and systemic advocacy. His impactful work ranges from representing LGBTQ+ youth facing bullying to advancing marriage equality during his tenure at the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).
A Legal Career Rooted in Activism
Before joining Western State, James served as Deputy Executive Director at the ACLU of Southern California. This was an opportunity he earned after years of pro bono work and board service. “It was my dream to be a lawyer at a place like ACLU,” he says. “Through that role, I got to shape large scale policies that benefit the community, like the right to marriage. I also appreciated being able to represent LGBTQ youth who were being bullied, sometimes by their school teachers and administrators.”
The work hit close to home. “I was bullied pretty significantly in middle school in Tennessee as an effeminate boy,” James shares. “To be able to help protect students who were facing the same things I was 30 years ago was truly a career high.”
This commitment to service continues at Western State, where James leads efforts to connect law students with community-based opportunities that broaden their perspectives and deepen their sense of purpose. Recently, his lifelong dedication to public interest work was recognized by the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). They named him to the 2024 Pro Bono Honor Roll.
Continuing a Journey of Advocacy at Western State
When asked what makes him Western State Proud, James doesn’t hesitate. “The rich diversity in our community. We have a large number of female students, and lots of different ethnic and racial diversity. And we have a number of students who openly identify as LGBTQ+ or as allies,” he says. “What really stands out to me is how student groups and the school work together to create an environment where everyone feels welcome.”
That sense of community is reflected in both formal and informal ways. From institutional support for student organizations like OUTLaw to events like Public Service Week, Western State creates space for belonging and impact. Moreover, that culture of inclusion extends beyond student life. As one of the most affordable law schools in California, Western State is also deeply committed to making law school more accessible and affordable, helping students from all walks of life thrive here.
“Last year, the president of our Student Bar Association was someone who openly identified as LGBTQ+,” James notes. He’s referring to 3L student Karlee Wilkinson, who served as both SBA president and a vocal advocate for the community. “It’s not common for a school to represent and give visibility to someone from the LGBTQ+ community on a campus-wide level like that. It really shows the celebration of diversity that we have here at Western State.”
Supporting Students and Celebrating Identity
From student groups to spotlight features, Western State creates space where LGBTQ+ students feel seen and supported. James points to OUTLaw, the active LGBTQ+ student group backed by the school, and the presence of openly LGBTQ+ faculty and staff as sources of pride. James Gilliam also highlights the Pride Month spotlight series that Western State is running. The series celebrates LGBTQ+ voices across campus—including Professor Stacey Sobel, a longtime advocate for equality and inclusion. “A lot of students first find community in OUTLaw, where they feel safe being themselves more openly,” James explains. “Through those friendships, they often grow more confident in expressing their identity openly.”
He also participates in an annual admissions panel about what it’s like to openly be part of the LGBTQ+ community as a law student at Western State, which provides visibility to incoming students and shows them what’s possible. “It’s one of the ways our school is really intentional about reaching out to LGBTQ+ people who may want to come to our school,” he says.
Leading Through Service
James is deeply committed to making public interest work accessible and meaningful for students. To that end, he collaborates with the Student Bar Association to plan Western State’s Public Service Week each spring. They partner up with student organizations to coordinate volunteer efforts throughout the community.
“Law school is tough. It’s easy to get buried in books for three years,” he says. “Community service gives you a break from that cycle. It reminds students that there are real people behind cases and real impacts on the decisions made. It helps them reconnect with why they came to law school in the first place.”
Through projects like food bank distributions and nonprofit partnerships, students not only contribute to underserved communities but also discover new areas of interest in the law. “It helps them become more well-rounded, compassionate lawyers,” James says. “And often, it sparks a passion in an area of law they never thought of.”
Fighting for the Right to Be Seen
While celebrating his many accomplishments, James remains acutely aware of the ongoing challenges still facing the LGBTQ+ community—especially trans and nonbinary individuals. “Right now, what the community is facing is the fight to be seen,” he says. “We’re seeing rollbacks of protections, and frankly, trans people are specifically being targeted. There’s a denial of gender diversity that makes it incredibly difficult for people who identify as nonbinary or gender nonconforming.”
He encourages law students to take action. “There are LGBTQ+ centers in most cities that need volunteers,” he says. But advocacy, he adds, isn’t limited to volunteer work. “Speaking out in opposition to the rollbacks, getting involved on social media, organizing, and protesting. That kind of visibility matters too. I still believe in the power of community activism, where all of this started for me.”
James also oversees the Legal Name and Gender Marker Clinic in partnership with the L.A. LGBT Center and Loyola Law School, where he is also an adjunct professor, offering critical support to trans and gender non-binary clients. These clinics operate almost entirely on volunteer hours, and Western State students have opportunities to participate and make a direct impact.
Living Authentically, Leading Boldly
For James, visibility is more than a legal right—it’s a lifelong truth. “Before you can have legal protections, people need to know you exist,” he says. “Being comfortable about being out so that you can show representation is really important, certainly for advancing the rights of our community.”
He encourages prospective LGBTQ+ students to come to Western State with open hearts and a willingness to get involved. “This is a great school to find community and purpose. Reach out to people like Professor Sobel, to OUTLaw, to me. That’s really the way to find community, to find purpose.”
Outside the classroom, James finds joy in creativity. In particular, he spends his free time photographing fashion dolls and creating miniature dioramas, a playful, artistic outlet far from his day job. He’s also a proud dog dad to a pitbull mix, often spotted at the park or captured in one of his imaginative photoshoots.
In every aspect of his work and life, James exemplifies what it means to serve with purpose, advocate with empathy, and build community through authenticity. Western State is proud to spotlight James Gilliam this Pride Month—and every month.
