Welcome back!
King Hall community,
2021 is a new year. All of us look forward to a new and wonderful spring semester.
As I wrote to our community last week, recent events have been deeply disturbing to us all. As you process the state of affairs, please take care of yourself. I am confident that, as a community, we will get through this.
On more routine matters, as previously announced, we begin the semester in full remote instruction and plan for remote instruction for the entire spring semester. We are optimistic about a return to in-person instruction, perhaps with necessary health accommodations, in Fall 2021. All of us, of course, miss daily social interactions as well as the in-person classroom experience.
Exams, Registration, Etc.
The fall examinations process and spring registration went well. In an amazing feat, the law faculty completed grading before the holidays, which I believe is a first time in King Hall history. As an aside, many professors raved about the excellence of the student course work. Thanks to the law faculty as well as to Senior Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Emily Scivoletto, Registrar Courtney Hennigan, and Assistant Dean for Information Technology Steve Schwarz, and their teams, for their hard work.
King Hall remains open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Face masks are required. COVID testing and the Daily Symptom Survey are required to access the building.
MLK Day of Service
Information has been distributed about the second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on January 18, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The Black Law Students Association, Law Students Association, and School of Law again are sponsoring a volunteer (and socially distanced) activity to honor Dr. King by helping people in need. Please join us for a day of giving to our community.
Faculty
Last week, the King Hall faculty were prominently featured at the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools. Professors Ed Imwinkelried (emeritus) and Irene Joe were honored with awards. Program participants included Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Afra Afsharipour and Professors Stacy-Ann Elvy, Jasmine E. Harris, David Horton, Elizabeth Joh, Carlton Larson, Albert C. Lin, Shayak Sarkar, and Brian Soucek. I led discussions among law school deans on addressing increasing diversity in law schools and community building in a pandemic. Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations Karen Charney spoke on an institutional advancement program.
Upcoming Events
Students, as always, have organized many events. In addition, the Racial Justice Speaker Series continues with Professor Lisa Fairfax (George Washington) on January 12 talking about “Racial Reckoning with Economic Inequities: Board Diversity as a Symptom and Partial Cure.” The remaining speakers in the series are:
· January 25, Tracie Olson, Yolo County Public Defender
· March 3, Paul Butler, Professor, Georgetown Law
· March 9, Song Richardson, Dean, UC Irvine Law
· March 31, Gabriel “Jack” Chin, Professor, UC Davis School of Law
· April 7, Raquel Aldana, Professor, UC Davis School of Law
Alumni Achievements
King Hall alums continue to distinguish themselves in the legal profession. Governor Gavin Newsom recently appointed Jose Scher Castillo ’06 (San Diego), an Alumni Board member, and Keith Kern Fong ’90 (Alameda), to the superior court bench. Recently named a Racial Justice Fellow at the Orrick law firm, Roza Patterson ‘18 will be working at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley.
Student Support
The tragic death of law student Tommy Raskin reminds us all of the importance of self-care, empathy, and community support. Please be on the lookout for regular messaging about wellness programs and services. And please let us know if you have ideas on what more the law school can do to support each and every member of our community.
As well as student wellness, financial support for our students is a high priority. In addition to grants and aid, more than twenty students last year received privately-funded scholarships. The Law School also added Technology Access Grant and King Hall Emergency Relief grant programs for students.
Curriculum Additions
Exciting new courses have been added to the Spring 2021 curriculum: Federal Courts for Civil Rights Litigators, Immigration Crimes, International and Comparative Intellectual Property, International Investment Disputes, and Sustainability Law. In addition, the following classes are returning to the curriculum: Animal Law, Criminal Trials: Theory and Practice, Critical Race Theory, International Human Rights Law, and Trade Secrets. Thanks to our faculty and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Afra Afsharipour for making these course offerings available.
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Thank you all for your commitment, empathy for all, and good spirit. It continues to make all the difference as we navigate circumstances without modern precedent.
-- Dean Johnson