King Hall Blog

Last Friday night, UC Davis School of Law held a wonderful, uplifting event for the Class of 2019.  Each year, King Hall holds a Swearing-In Ceremony for the alums who passed the July 2019 California bar exam.  

The swearing-in ceremony always has a celebratory feel, with family, friends, and the soon-to-be attorneys.  I always enjoy congratulating the new attorneys, who are the next generation of leaders in the legal profession.

Last week, I had the honor of meeting with a group of faculty from our good friend, the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), at the University of California Office of the President (UCOP). Provost and Executive Vice President Michael Brown convened the meeting of the CUPL delegation, which had visited UCLA and UC Berkeley, and soon will visit UC Santa Barbara. 

Earlier this week, I, along with Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations Karen Charney, had a terrific annual alumni lunch in Sacramento.  At the elegant Mayahuel restaurant downtown, I had a wonderful time filling in the alums on the great goings-on at UC Davis School of Law – the incredibly diverse class of 2022, the success on the California bar, the incredible faculty achievements, and fund-raising success.  I always enjoy the energy and enthusiasm of the King Hall faithful.

Fair Business and Investor Advocacy Chair Professor Robert Hillman taught his last class of Business Association before transitioning to emeritus status.  Beloved by his students, Professor Hillman has been the foundation for the business law curriculum at UC Davis School of Law.  He s a leading authority on partnership law and the legal and ethics issues arising from lawyer mobility and law firm breakups.

It is the last week of classes for the fall semester 2019.  The Career Services office really has the holiday spirit.  Two trees and a Santa Claus!

Exams are on the horizon as we head toward the holiday season.  It’s been a great fall, but I bet that our faculty, students, and staff are looking forward to the break.  

I have had a chance to attend many of the great lectures put on by the Aoki Center. But for those I could not make, I can catch up on what I missed. Recordings of the Fall 2019 Aoki seminar series events are now available online.

 As part of the Filipino Law Students Association Culture Week, the Chief Justice of California, Tani Cantil-Sakauye ’84,  spoke at UC Davis School of Law in the Moot Courtroom.  This was the second visit to King Hall by the Chief Justice in a month; she visited Judge Larry Brown’s Judicial Process class in late October.

Wishing you all a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving. I hope it’s filled with lots of delicious food, good times with family and friends, and lots of rest and relaxation.

Thank you for all that you do for King Hall!

-- Kevin

On Nov. 14, Sofia Parino, Associate Director of Career Services, with the assistance of the entire Career Services office, put on the school’s second Public Interest and Government Job Fair. We had an amazing turnout, with more than 200 students and employers in attendance.  We were pleased to welcome leading attorneys from public interest organizations and government agencies from up and down the state, and from Colorado and Texas. We were excited to increase the number of employers by 50 percent from the previous year.

It was UC Davis School of Law night at the Schwartz/Levi Inn of Court in downtown Davis. The topic was water law, and King Hall Professors Karrigan Börk and Rick Frank, and McGeorge Law Professor and UC Davis Law alum Jennifer Harder '98, pictured at the table above (with the Inn of Court President, Judge Dan Maguire), offered their expertise.

The Inn learned a lot about water law. It was a great discussion of the legal issues surrounding water that have been in the news.

Greg Gonzalez '18 and Lauren Iwasaki '19

UC Davis law student Taylor Kensy ’20 with his wife, Diana, and their children, Caleb and Mila

Veterans Day reminds us of the many UC Davis School of Law students, past and present, who have served in the military. Students like Captain Taylor Kensy ’20, who was profiled over the summer by UC Davis Magazine.

UC Davis Law Professor Leticia Saucedo with Tom Saenz of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Last week, the UC Davis Law Review hosted a symposium marking the 25th anniversary of the passage of Proposition 187. The Law Review is celebrating the publication of its 50th volume this year.

This past weekend, UC Davis School of Law celebrated our 2019 reunions, bringing alums from the classes of 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014. It was a very special event because it marked our very first 50-year reunion, for UC Davis Law’s first graduating class, the class of ’69.

Earlier this week, new UC Davis School of Law Professor Stacy-Ann Elvy was honored at an induction ceremony at the Manetti Shrem Museum for the newest cohort of scholars into the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS) and the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives in the Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities (CAMPSSAH). Stacy-Ann attended with her husband, Phil Nguyen, and adorable baby Hannah. I was pleased to attend as well.