About the Host
About the Host
Our host describes himself as “a composer and conductor of ideas.” That is an excellent description for this law professor, legal foundation executive, author, speaker, and all-around creative master. Whether he is teaching at the Georgia State University College of Law or at the Stetson School of Business and College of Professional Advancement at Mercer University, or when he is guiding the work of The Arc of Justice Foundation, our host brings a special blend of insight and inspiration to all of his “professional stirrings.”
Derrick started the Hidden Legal Figures podcast to “highlight the heroic and vital contribution that lawyers and judges made to the Civil Rights Movement.” He researches, writes, and narrates the episode with a lawyer’s mind and a curator’s insight.
Away from the podcast, Derrick has enjoyed a distinguished career in the public, private, and academic sectors. He has provided counsel to the legislative and executive branches of government at the federal, state, and county level, having most recently served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. He is a former Assistant Legislative Counsel to the Georgia General Assembly and former Legislative and General Counsel to the Medical Association of Georgia. During the Obama administration, he was a member of the White House Data Driven Justice Initiative and the My Brother's Keeper Taskforce in 2015 and 2016. In private practice, he has helped protect the inheritance rights of more than 500 families throughout Georgia. Mr. Pope is a former adjunct professor of law at the Georgia State University College of Law where he taught Probate Practice and Procedure.
He has several published works to his credit. He is the author of By the Content of Our Character: A Declaration of Independence for Colored Folks, Negroes, Black People, and African Americans and Thy Will Be Done: An African American Guide to Estate Planning and the Howard Law Journal article A Constitutional Window to Interpretive Reason: Or in Other Words...The Ninth Amendment. His favorite project came in 2012 when he teamed with this daughter and released the spoken word CD - The Race Track.
An Atlanta native, Derrick is a graduate of Morris Brown College and the Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana, earning top honors in the Loyola Law Clinic. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia where serves on three standing committees (Vice-Chair, Communications/Cornerstones of Freedom Program; Editorial Board of the Georgia Bar Journal, and the Advisory Committee on Legislation, and Past Co-Chair of the Committee on Inclusion in the Profession), the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, the United States Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
I think of myself as more than just a lawyer. I am a “public citizen” always thinking about social conditions and the events that affect our everyday lives. It was, I guess, only a matter of time before these private thoughts would turn into public conversations. However, I do not speak because I think I have something to say; I speak because there is something I wish I could hear.
— Derrick Alexander Pope, J.D. -
Speaking Engagements.
Derrick Alexander Pope has a lifelong passion for getting information into people’s hands and offering thought-provoking insight on how that information can be used to make lasting transformation. Now, with more than twenty-five years of experience in the public, private, and academic sectors, he has earned the reputation of a master trainer and inspirational speaker.
Topics include:
Current Events and Social Issues…Government and Politics…Inspirational…Law and Legal Analysis…Leadership…Lessons on Achieving Personal Success
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Testimonials
Derrick Alexander Pope, Esq. commands the attention of his audience by his authenticity, his passion, his persuasiveness and by the relevancy of his thoughts. His powerful oratorical delivery keeps one on the edge of their seats. Attorney Pope has the innate ability to fuse together humor, quotes, and facts extemporaneously.
George B. Hopkins
Past President, Morris Brown College Alumni Association
A dynamic and moving speaker. He speaks in a way that is totally captivating. He creates an experience that is satisfying for the soul and I would recommend him as an orator of the highest caliber!
Toastmaster Kim Smith
President, Voices of Aaron, Toastmasters International
Derrick Alexander Pope is a stellar speaker. His intellect and charisma combine to bring his message to life for audiences ranging from students to accomplished scholars. He is part professor and part activist. He challenges his audiences to think deeply about issues and as a result they are inspired to seek more knowledge. The impact of his words is felt long after the speech is over and after the book is read.
F. Carl Walton, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at Southern University and A&M College- Baton Rouge
Books and CD’s
A collection of essays examining African American political thought and consciousness in a “post-racial” age.
This spoken word CD – part history and part commentary - tells the African American narrative set to neo-soul and jazz. The listener is treated to a thrilling ride showing how the American race saga goes around and around, like horses on a track – are we ever going to finish the “Equality Derby?
An easy-to-understand how to manual on passing wealth and assets to the next generation.