Rolanda Pierre-Dixon ’80

Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney

Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney Rolanda Pierre-Dixon ’80 often speaks to large groups of people who have no interest whatsoever in her topic—domestic violence. Nevertheless, she launches into it, unfazed by the "this has nothing to do with me" looks on the faces before her. She knows.

Soon, as she talks about the signs of abusive relationships, the faces change. "It’s as if a light has come on," she says. "They sit up, they listen, they become enthralled, involved." Inevitably, "afterwards, a few people keep hanging around, and they will approach me and tell me their stories."

Pierre-Dixon joined the D.A.’s office in 1981, becoming interested in domestic violence when a friend sought her help in getting out of an abusive relationship. She had a vision. In 1990, she created the Domestic Violence Unit, which now prosecutes about 4,000 cases a year.

What is striking about Pierre-Dixon is her passion for her work and her ability to infect others with the same passion. "She has an amazing ability to get people to rally around her," says Dan Nishigaya ’95, a supervising deputy district attorney who now manages the unit and has worked with her for eight years. "She’s an inspiring leader who leads by example," adds Nishigaya, who teaches a Criminal Justice Internship seminar at the School of Law.

Uniquely herself, in her own words Pierre-Dixon says, "I don’t look like a lawyer, a guy in a suit." She dresses with a flair that reflects her other passion: all kinds of music from jazz to country to hip-hop ("except the throw your mama in the trunk kind," she notes, adding, "I may not like it but I might bump to the beat!")

The upside of this is that she is "very approachable," says Michelle LaForce, a deputy district attorney in the unit. "She is very strong, strong-minded, with strong opinions," but "she is not intimidating." Adds Nishigaya, "She is a very caring and nice person, never off-putting."

The downside of not reflecting the stereotype is that Pierre-Dixon has been mistaken for hotel staff at an event where she was the keynote speaker.

Pierre-Dixon knew she wanted to be a lawyer since ninth grade, when a teacher told her what lawyers do. It was a perfect match for the girl whose mother, a single woman raising four girls in San Francisco’s Lakeview district, was teaching her children the importance of giving back. "My mom was always saying that if you do anything, you give back. When I learned that lawyers could speak for those who can’t speak for themselves, I knew it was what I wanted to do."

Pierre-Dixon earned a degree in political science from San Jose State University before attending SCU’s law school. "World-renowned for its ethics," she says, "SCU, too, was about giving back." She honed her leadership skills as president of the Black Law Students Association.

Pierre-Dixon has received so many awards that they don’t all fit on her wall. But there is one that is prominently placed. From the Black Student Association at SCU, it calls her "a true warrior in the fight against domestic violence."

"I’ve been fighting the battle my whole life," she says. "First I’m African-American. Then I’m a woman. This sets you up for battle." Pierre-Dixon, who lives with her husband and teenage daughter in San Jose, recognizes that having overcome the numerous challenges in her life has made her a great role model. Many people have told her that her story has inspired them to pursue their goals. "There is something in me," she says, "something in my story, that inspires them."