Jackie Gardina

Jackie Gardina

Host of SideBar

Jackie Gardina is the Dean of the Colleges of Law with campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura. 

Dean Gardina has written extensively about bankruptcy, civil procedure, tribal law, and constitutional issues related to the LGBTQ community. She was involved in the don’t ask don’t tell repeal efforts as well as the effort to secure marriage equality in Vermont. You can find her writings in scholarly journals, the Huffington Post, and the Washington Post. She recently completed an Ed.D. in Higher Education Management at University of Pennsylvania.

Before attending law school, Gardina received an MSW and worked as an outpatient clinical social worker. Six years later, she graduated magna cum laude from Boston College Law School. Upon graduation, she clerked for Chief Judge William Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and then for the Honorable Levin Campbell of the First Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition, she was an associate at the Boston firm of Choate, Hall, and Stewart, where she practiced in the commercial litigation department.

Host of
Recent Episodes
March 21, 2023

Judicial Misconduct – How Should We Respond? with Charles Geyh

Professor Charles Geyh, an expert in judicial conduct, discusses the ethical obligations of judges and the options available (or not) when judges break the rules – including the U.S. Supreme Court justices....

March 7, 2023

Who’s Writing All These Crazy State Laws? with Joel Rogers

Professor Joel Rogers describes the rise of American Legislative Council (ALEC), the organization responsible drafting model bills introduced across the country with devastating impacts upon public education, voting rights, and environmental protections,...

February 21, 2023

Who Do State Legislatures Actually Represent? with Buffy Wicks

In this SideBar episode, California Assemblymember, Buffy Wicks discusses the power of state legislatures to protect fundamental constitutional rights and the importance of diverse representation.

February 4, 2023

Book Bans and Democracy – Can they coexist?

In this episode of SideBar, Suzanne Nossel, the Chief Executive Officer of PenAmerica, discusses the dangers of book bans and educational gag orders to our core democratic values. She places these laws...

January 21, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Who do you trust?

Can we harness AI to enhance equality?

January 7, 2023

Lady Justice with Dahlia Lithwick (part 2)

Legitimacy of the Supreme Court and the Important Role Lawyers Play in Our Society

January 7, 2023

Lady Justice with Dahlia Lithwick (part 1)

Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America

December 16, 2022

Vigilante Federalism – Part 2

The New Weapon in the Culture Wars

December 3, 2022

‘Vigilante Federalism’ with David Noll

Is “Vigilante Federalism” the new weapon in battles over abortion, religion, sexuality, gender, and race?

November 16, 2022

Reclaiming Democracy

David Pepper returns with a wake-up call to reclaim our democracy.

November 8, 2022

It’s the Statehouses Stupid!

State legislatures, often ignored, play a significant role in deciding our rights, including the right to vote.

November 5, 2022

It’s the Statehouses Stupid!

State legislatures, often ignored, play a significant role in deciding our rights, including the right to vote.

November 5, 2022

New Show Launches!

Constitutional Rights Should Never Be Taken For Granted