About Our Guests (continued)

Young Alumnus Award | Lavinia Osilesi (JD ’19)

Lavinia S. Osilesi is a litigation associate in Reed Smith LLP’s Downtown Los Angeles offie. She has experience in all phases of litigation in state court, federal court, and arbitral tribunals. Osilesi regularly handles pro bono immigration cases and is currently leading the charge on a pro bono case where her client is suing the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Osilesi is the associate chair of the Reed Smith Los Angeles DEI Committee and recently coordinated, hosted, and spoke at an MCLE program focused on reducing bias and promoting bias-reducing strategies. Osilesi also co-created and co-facilitates the Legal Education Access Pipeline’s Pre-L curriculum, which is a preparatory course for diverse, prospective law students. Osilesi earned a BA from the University of California, San Diego, before graduating from Caruso Law.

Larry Kimmons Award | Capri Maddox (JD ’01)

Capri Maddox is the first xecutive director of the Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department, appointed by mayor Eric Garcetti in February 2020 to address systemic racism and bias in the areas of commerce, education, employment, and housing. Previously, Maddox served as senior advisor to city attorney Michael N. Feuer, creating the Foster Care Diversion Program, organizing the City Attorney Faith-Based Council, participating in criminal and civil cases, and more. Maddox earned a BS in criminal justice and an MS in public administration from California State University, Los Angeles, and a JD from the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.