Prof. Diana Xiaona Ding

Diana Xiaona Ding is a California-licensed attorney and Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of West Los Angeles. Her professional experience spans complex civil litigation, business and employment matters, and international and cross-border legal issues.

Professor Ding previously practiced at an Am Law 100 law firm, representing institutional and Fortune 500 clients in complex, high-exposure civil litigation. She has also practiced at boutique law firms representing privately held businesses, employers, property owners, and individual clients in business, employment, and other civil disputes. She currently maintains an independent legal practice in California, with a focus on employment and business law.

Professor Ding also serves as Secretary General of the International Employment Risk Prevention and Control Association, a professional association focused on employment law compliance, workplace risk management, and international labor and employment issues.

Before transitioning to the U.S. legal profession, Professor Ding spent a decade working within China’s Ministry of Education system, focusing on international education, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and international affairs. Her earlier government experience also included an internship with China’s former Ministry of Personnel, where she supported international cooperation and APEC capacity-building initiatives.

Professor Ding has a longstanding record of exceptional academic distinction. Her international academic experience includes a university-sponsored visiting scholar appointment at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a government-sponsored visiting scholar appointment at California State University, Northridge, through the China Scholarship Council.

At UWLA, Professor Ding has taught Civil Procedure and Legal Research and Writing and co-directs the Legal Externship Program, one of the cornerstones of UWLA’s academic offerings.

In 2026, as part of UWLA’s 60th Anniversary, Professor Ding received three University honors from the School of Law and School of Business: the Alumni of the Decade — 2020s Award from the School of Business; the Educational Empowerment Award from the School of Law; and the Educational Empowerment Award from the School of Business.

M.S., Leadership, Management, and Technology,  Summa Cum Laude; Valedictorian.

M.A., Applied Linguistics, Master’s thesis ranked first in class.

B.A., English Language, First in Class; recipient of a university-wide Merit Scholarship for three consecutive years.

dding@uwla.edu.