About
The Sudreau Global Justice Institute (SGJI) is a rule of law organization that partners with governments to enhance local capacity and build more effective, efficient justice systems that promote and protect human flourishing. By invitation, we gather key stakeholders to listen and understand their goals and the challenges unique to their jurisdiction. Following a Trainer-of-Trainers model, we train key leaders throughout the justice chain. We also implement access-to-justice initiatives such as public defense pilot programs and large-scale plea bargaining interventions ("Prison Projects"), measure their effectiveness, and scale them to effectuate sustainable transformation.
At the same time, students are at the heart of everything we do. SGJI connects academic
study with hands-on global experience. Through specialized coursework, international
internships, and immersive field projects, students move beyond theory and engage
directly in justice reform, graduating with practical skills, global perspective,
and a deep commitment to the rule of law.
Pepperdine University Global Impact
The work of the Sudreau Global Justice Institute flows directly from the global vision of Pepperdine University. This vision is rooted in academic excellence, service, and transformative global engagement. Pepperdine's expanding international footprint, from its distinguished study abroad campuses to its growing partnerships around the world, reflects a deep commitment to shaping students who are both professionally prepared and globally minded.
The Institute stands as a living expression of that mission. We equip students to
engage the world with intellectual rigor and joyful purpose while advancing access
to justice and learning from the communities they serve.
Pepperdine Caruso School of Law
The Sudreau Global Justice Institute is housed within the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, which seeks to ignite in students a lifelong passion for law through a transformative experience that launches them into impactful careers that will change the world. The Institute is a unique expression of that transformative experience.
SGJI extends learning beyond the classroom by creating unique opportunities to put
legal knowledge and skills into practice in a global context. Whether clerking for
the Supreme Court of an African nation or helping represent accused persons in pretrial
detention, the Sudreau Global Justice Institute gives Caruso students and graduates
opportunities to meaningfully advance the work of justice with integrity, humility,
and enduring impact.
Laure Sudreau
Laure Sudreau was born and raised in Paris, where she earned her first law master's degree in 1993. She then moved to Los Angeles, working as a foreign law consultant for Dewey Ballantine. She attended Pepperdine University School of Law, earned her second JD, and qualified for the California Bar in 1997. As an attorney, Sudreau focused on entertainment law and production at Fox Kids and Disney ABC/Touchtone Television. In 2002, she relocated to Connecticut to work as a corporate counsel for Louis-Dreyfus, her family business, while raising her two small children.
In 2008, Sudreau deviated from her position as an attorney to focus more of her time on philanthropic endeavors. In partnership with her alma mater, Pepperdine University, she established the ‘Sudreau Global Justice Program’ to support initiatives in international human rights, advancement of the rule of law, and global development. Since 2015, Laure Sudreau has returned to her roots in the entertainment industry, dedicating time to the growth of her film financing and production company, Ouroboros Entertainment, and focusing on new film and writing projects.