03.08.22 — Northeastern University School of Law has appointed Kiana Pierre-Louis as the school’s first assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Currently a senior law lecturer, pre-law advisor and a course coordinator at Bentley University in its Law and Taxation Department, Pierre-Louis also chairs the town of Sharon’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Reporting directly to Dean James Hackney, she will join Northeastern on May 2, 2022, and will be in charge of creating and implementing the school’s strategic vision and plan for DEI while also leading and facilitating new initiatives and activities that promote DEI for students, faculty and staff.

“We are delighted to welcome Kiana Pierre-Louis to Northeastern,” said Hackney. “Her passion for diversity, equity and inclusion are a perfect fit with our school’s commitment to social justice and our desire to weave DEI more deeply into the fabric of our curriculum and community.”

Among her many activities, Pierre-Louis is the founder of Justice Belongs Institute, a consulting and educational company that focuses on diversity facilitations/training; educational seminars and courses; and consulting for large and small companies, public schools, religious organizations and non-profit organizations. Her work at Bentley and in her hometown of Sharon centers on social justice advocacy. She co-created a diversity, equity and inclusion major at Bentley University and has won numerous awards that recognize her work in advising and mentoring students, her leadership and dedication to advancing DEI initiatives, and her outstanding teaching capabilities.

Pierre-Louis sits on the board of directors for KodeConnect, Inc. a nonprofit organization that helps marginalized youth access STEM classes for little to no cost and is an advisory board member of Youth LEAD at Emerson College. She also is the interim president and a board member of Sharon Racial Equity Alliance (SREA), an antiracist nonprofit combatting the racial inequities of BIPOC individuals in Sharon. She has been recognized for her social justice advocacy as a 2021 Massachusetts Black and Latino Caucus Black Excellence on the Hill nominee and honored as Citizen of the Year in 2021 by the town of Sharon.

Pierre-Louis holds a BS in business communications from Bentley University, where she minored in English, and a JD from Suffolk University Law School. After graduating from law school, she worked for two small law firms practicing civil litigation, corporate law and criminal defense. In 2004, she became partner/owner of Perkins & Baskin, where she practiced real estate law, corporate law and civil litigation, and in 2006, she co-founded Perkins & Baskin Realty.

“I am excited to be joining Northeastern University School of law as assistant dean of DEI. I look forward to furthering the school’s commitment to social justice and working collaboratively with the community to implement the vision of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging,” said Pierre-Louis.

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