Tolson was previously a faculty member at the Florida State University College of Law from 2009 to 2017.
[1] She was a law clerk for Ann Claire Williams of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 2007 to 2008.
[1] Tolson was a visiting assistant professor at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law from 2008 to 2009.
[2] Since April 2021, Tolson holds a courtesy appointment as a professor of political science and international relations.
[4] She is the first Black dean in the 123-year history of USC Gould School of Law and the first woman to hold the position in over four decades.