
Among a landscape of full-time professors, teaching librarians, clinical professors, lecturers and academic professionals, Georgia State University College of Law counts another key faculty role among its ranks: the adjunct faculty who combine their practical experience in the legal field with a passion for teaching.
This unique role allows adjunct professors to bridge the gap between theory and practice, offering students valuable insights into how the law should be applied to real cases.
Adjunct faculty work part-time at the college and are selected for their expertise in specific fields, courses of study or areas of legal practice. Many may work at the college for only a few semesters before returning to their full-time jobs while others continue teaching alongside their professional roles for longer, enriching the learning environment in the classroom over many years.

Jason Poulos (B.S. ‘92, J.D. ‘97)
Jason Poulos (B.S. ‘92, J.D. ‘97) began teaching at the College of Law in 2010 and went on to establish a new Corporate Compliance course built on his years of experience as a compliance professional.
Like many adjunct faculty members, Poulos’ impact on the teaching landscape at Georgia State Law is undeniable and was recently recognized with the inaugural Roy M. Sobelson Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching, which singles out part-time faculty’s commitment to students and innovative coursework.
Poulos credits Interim Dean Courtney Anderson with going the extra mile to make this long-desired award a reality and to shine a spotlight on the value of adjunct faculty in the College of Law environment. “Dean Anderson is spectacular. She recognized the gap between the benefit of what adjuncts provide and the recognition they receive,” he said.
Teaching Justice Through Experience
Adjunct professors come from a broad range of legal fields and draw from diverse career paths to show students how legal concepts function in their areas of interest outside the classroom.

Carolina Antonini (J.D. ’96)
Carolina Antonini (J.D. ’96) is an adjunct professor at Georgia State Law whose journey into academia stems from her dedication to passing on the knowledge she has gained from her career in immigration law. “I discovered long ago that I enjoy teaching in general; it energizes me. Teaching is a great way to learn so it makes me a better lawyer.”
Born in Venezuela, Antonini’s perception of justice shaped her belief in the critical role lawyers play in defending freedoms and democracy. From this, she also developed a central theme in her teaching philosophy: the importance of representation. “I remember how frightened I was as a Latina law student, wondering if I would make it because I saw few, if any, examples of other Latinas in the law. Being an adjunct gives me a chance to show the possibility.”
Her real-world experiences as a practicing attorney deepen the lessons she brings into the classroom, and she connects legal theories with real-life client stories, making the material more relatable and impactful.
“Just four months ago, a former student called me to tell me that my example of derivative citizenship in class resulted in his ability to recognize and successfully fight for the release of his client,” she said.
By sharing her passion for the law and her belief in the importance of justice, Antonini hopes to leave her students with more than just legal knowledge. “I want them to learn to identify issues in immigration law regardless of their chosen field because that separates the capable from the extraordinary and can make a life-or-death difference in a case,” she said.
Antonini’s familiarity with the courtroom is another asset to engage her class in what she is teaching, especially for evening students who arrive at 6 p.m., many of whom are already at the end of a workday. “I spend a significant amount of time in court, where keeping an audience’s attention is a skill required for success,” she said.
Preparing Future Lawyers and Lawmakers
Derrick Alexander Pope, another seasoned attorney and adjunct professor at Georgia State Law, has extensive experience in handling all aspects of probate matters and estate administration.

Derrick Alexander Pope
His list of accomplishments is noteworthy. Pope is a former assistant legislative counsel to the Georgia General Assembly and former legislative and general counsel to the Medical Association of Georgia. During the Obama administration, he was a member of the White House Data Driven Justice Initiative and the My Brother's Keeper Taskforce. In private practice, Pope has helped protect the inheritance rights of more than 500 families throughout Georgia.
Out of this work history, Pope began teaching his first class, Probate Practice and Procedure. “I was motivated by the thought, ‘I wish I knew that before I started practicing,’” he said.
Pope’s background benefits his students through his ability to map tangible results to hypothetical scenarios. “Student questions and curiosities almost always take the form of ‘what happens if’ or ‘how does that work when.’ Having ‘real-world’ experience is the only way to answer those questions,” Pope said.
In his Legislative Drafting seminar, Pope connected his students with the complexities of professional ethics within the political and governmental arenas, enhancing their understanding of how law operates in practice. Because of this direct involvement, he sees his students already making strides in the legal field. “One of my students is presently working and drafting legislation at the municipal level, and another has gained the attention of the office of legislative counsel in Congress,” he said.
In return, these interactions impact Pope’s ongoing work. Although he no longer practices law, his students' concerns and interests keep him grounded in the contemporary issues that they will face in their careers. “The concerns and the interests that students have about the state of affairs that sparked their desire to pursue law as a career and the landscape into which those careers will begin greatly impacts how I approach the work I do at my rule-of-law non-profit, The Arc of Justice Foundation.”
Adjunct professors like Poulos, Antonini and Pope do face some challenges, particularly around logistics. Office hours are harder to maintain when there’s no dedicated office space for adjuncts. “After-class discussion is sometimes insufficient and, on occasion, does not lend itself to the candor afforded by private office space,” Pope said.
In spite of these limitations, adjunct professors like Pope recognize the importance of one-on-one interaction for their students. Their drive to connect academic knowledge with practical application is critical for preparing the next generation of practice-ready attorneys for success beyond the classroom.
“I like to think that, in whatever course I teach, I give my students a sense of what is needed from them and what is possible because of them,” Pope said.