Matthew Coles, Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct Professor Matthew Coles is the Deputy National Legal Director of the ACLU, and Director of the ACLU's Equality Center. From 1995 until 2010, he was the Director of the ACLU's LGBT Project.

Professor Coles graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1973 and from Hastings College of the Law in 1977. Even before graduating law school, he was deeply involved in the LGBT movement. Professor Coles practiced law for 10 years in San Francisco, specializing in civil rights, including LGBT rights, race discrimination and sex discrimination. In 1987, he joined the ACLU of Northern California as a staff lawyer.

In his teaching, Professor Coles makes frequent reference to obscure facts of American history, to theatre and to instrumental jazz.