Alumni in Residence with Crystal Nix-Hines J.D. ’90 of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

Friday, April 3, 2026, from 12:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m. ET

The Alumni in Residence program connects current HLS students with accomplished HLS alumni for one-on-one career mentoring and advice. You’re invited to meet with Crystal Nix-Hines J.D. ’90 during their virtual office hours. Sign up for a 20-minute Zoom appointment.  

Crystal Nix-Hines is a Partner in the Los Angeles Office where she focuses on class action litigation, internal investigations, data privacy and security, complex business disputes, intellectual property and environmental litigation. Her clients include domestic and multinational corporations, global investment firms, business executives and entrepreneurs, major non-profit organizations and individuals. Crystal returned to the firm in 2017 after her tenure in Paris, France as U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO. A C-Suite and Board-level strategic thinker, Crystal Co-Chairs the firm’s Crisis Law & Strategy Group, advising clients on crisis management and resolution including leading internal investigations involving sensitive reputational issues such as alleged sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment, Title IX violations, corporate governance disputes and other matters. She also is the Founder and Chair of the firm’s Education Practice Group, which represents universities in a variety of matters and through her leadership, has successfully represented 11 universities in 21 class action lawsuits arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. She initially joined the firm in 2008.

A law clerk to Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and Sandra Day O’Connor, and to Judge William Norris of the Ninth Circuit, Crystal excels in formulating legal strategy and persuasive written advocacy that often leads to early resolution at the pleading and summary judgment stages. She has played an instrumental role in significant trial and appellate cases, including two successful cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

During her ambassadorial tenure, Crystal established a proactive, entrepreneurial and constructive mandate for the U.S. Mission that highlighted American leadership and improved organizational governance and effectiveness. She successfully led United States’ efforts in Paris to secure reelection to UNESCO’s Executive Board – the key decision-making body – as well as launched a series of innovative initiatives, including two global public-private partnerships.

Crystal earned a B.A. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she graduated with honors and served as Supervising Editor of the Harvard Law Review. Crystal currently serves on the advisory board of Cross River Bank and on the board and Executive Committee of the California Community Foundation which thus far has raised over $100 million to support those impacted by the Eaton and Palisades wildfires in Los Angeles.

She previously served on the board of Fulcrum Bioenergy and was a Trustee of Princeton University for nine years.