Bringing an Arizona perspective to national issues of justice
The Seeking Justice in Arizona Fall Lecture Series, now in its 22nd year, brings in experts from our local communities to discuss critical national issues in an Arizona context. Each lecture is followed by a question and answer period and time to interact with the speaker informally. These events are free and open to the public.
Fall 2026 Speakers and Talks
Mikah Dyer, Organizer, education advocate, and former school board candidate
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
About Dyer
Mikah Dyer is a 20-year-old organizer, education advocate, and former candidate for the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board. A lifelong student of public education, Mikah has worked on local and state campaigns, led youth civic engagement initiatives, and advocated for student voice in decision-making spaces. He currently studies secondary education and political science at Arizona State University and is committed to advancing democratic school governance, youth empowerment, and equitable education policy.
Darrell Hill, Policy Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
About Hill
Darrell Hill is the Policy Director for the ACLU of Arizona. Darrell's work includes legislative advocacy in the areas of police practices, voting rights, LGBTQ rights, criminal justice reform, and education equity. As Policy Director, Darrell Hill has worked to successfully pass legislation prohibiting the suspension and expulsion of young students for minor disciplinary infractions and legislation to address healthcare inequity during the pandemic and for women in prison. Before Darrell became Policy Director, he was an ACLU of Arizona staff attorney where he successfully litigated cases concerning Voting Rights, Arizona’s Free Exercise of Religion Act, public records law, and the First Amendment. Darrell graduated from Wisconsin Law School and has a B.A in English and Sociology from Northwestern University.
The Honorable Roopali H. Desai, US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
About Desai
The Honorable Roopali H. Desai was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2022. Before joining the court, Judge Desai was in private practice as a partner in the Phoenix law firm Coppersmith Brockelman, where she specialized in complex civil litigation and public law. She was a leading election lawyer in Arizona and handled numerous trials and appellate matters in state and federal court prior to becoming a federal circuit judge.
Judge Desai received a Master of Public Health degree and worked as a maternal and child health advocate prior to law school. After graduating from law school, she clerked for Chief Judge Emeritus Mary M. Schroeder on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She received her J.D., her M.P.H., and her B.A., all from the University of Arizona.
Judge Desai is a professor of practice at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and serves on the College’s Board of Visitors. She is also an elected member of the American Law Institute and is an appointed Adviser on the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law, Election Litigation project. She currently serves on the Ninth’s Circuit’s Public Information and Community Outreach Committee, Education Committee, and Standing Committee on Federal Public Defenders. Most recently, Judge Desai was invited to participate in the Rodel Judicial Fellowship Class of 2026.
In her spare time, Judge Desai enjoys traveling, hiking, and cooking. She and her husband live in Phoenix with their three daughters.