Gloria Allred, famed attorney and women's rights advocate, joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" to share her memories of representing Nicole Brown Simpson's family.

Allred recalled the moment Simpson was acquitted -- she was in court, sitting next to Nicole's father and her sister, Denise -- and despite the verdict, she says she was confident he had killed Nicole and Ron Goldman.

She was quick to point out that the jury in his wrongful death civil trial agreed when, in 1997, they found him liable for the deaths.

Allred does admit there were invaluable lessons that came out of Simpson's criminal trial ... including encouraging women's rights groups to hold men accountable, if they commit violent acts against women.

And, although Simpson's defense team successfully painted O.J. as the victim of racist cops during several months of testimony ... Allred says the case was really about gender violence.

But, Brian Dunn -- currently managing director of The Cochran Firm in L.A. -- worked closely with Johnnie Cochran back then, and says the trial's central tenet was race relations ... adding, the case brought attention to some huge elephants in the room.

Dunn says the trial is still talked about so much because of that racial element -- with questions of racial injustice making it impossible for the public to simply let it go.

Indeed, almost immediately after news broke about Simpson's death, social media reactions made it clear people are still divided on his guilt or innocence ... despite the mountains of evidence -- DNA and otherwise -- presented during his criminal trial.

BD also talked about Cochran's legacy ... while speaking from Johnnie's office no less. JC passed away in 2005, but we're told the firm kept the office totally the same in the years following his death.