Life as Dean (2008-24)

It’s shockingly the last week of instruction for the fall semester. Still, there is an activity or two around King Hall. Early in the week, the international law firm of Jones Day held an informational session for law students during the lunch hour.

This week, law students kicked off Thanksgiving week with an open mic in the King Hall courtyard. It was a pleasant musical interlude with many students and Professor Bill Dodge in the audience. I must say that it was a highlight of my day.

Our students are talented!  And not just in the law.

On Nov. 20 I received this pleasant message from UC Davis Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan:

Dear Faculty,

As I contemplated writing this message to you, the air heavy with discontent, pain, sorrow, anger, and fear, I was keenly aware there is no perfect way to put everyone at ease.

On Nov. 18, King Hall hosted the annual Taco Tailgate at the UC Davis Health Stadium. Students, staff, faculty and alumni gathered for the pregame celebration before the Causeway Classic showdown between UC Davis and Sacramento State.

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, we near the end of a most challenging semester for the global community. Events in the Middle East have horrified us all, and directly affected members of the King Hall community. UC President Michael Drake and chancellors for all the UC campuses issued a statement condemning acts of bigotry, intolerance and intimidation.

Yesterday Professor Stephen Kern Robinson from the UC Davis Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering joined King Hall's quarterly staff meeting.

This week, the Career Services Office sponsored an informational event on the Sacramento County Bar Association (SCBA) Diversity Fellowship program.

Earlier this week, I had a wonderful UC Davis undergraduate, Danielle "Dani" Antonio, shadow me as part of Chancellor Gary May's UC Davis Leadership Job Shadow Program. Dani is a third-year majoring in political science and psychology and is considering law school. We would be honored to have her!

Today, I attended a discussion on IP and consumer privacy organized by UC Davis School of Law's Center for Innovation, Law, and Society. 

UC Davis Associate Professor of Computer Science Zubair Shafiq joined us and discussed "Tech-Policy Audits for Consumer Protection,” highlighting the role of large-scale controlled Internet measurements in helping with tech-policy auditing for consumer protection.

This year’s Veterans Day, observed today on campus, arrives amid increased divisiveness in our nation and devastating warfare in our world. As we all hope for peaceful solutions, we also join in honoring the veterans in our King Hall community who bravely served their country as asked.

On Thursday, Nov. 2, Yolo Unity Bar held its inaugural Yolo Unity Awards Gala. Attendees convened to commemorate excellence and uplift the voices that champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community. 

It was a wonderful evening! View more photos here.

I joined Chancellor Gary May and other campus leaders today for this video reaffirming UC Davis’ Principles of Community. Respect and kindness are fundamental to King Hall and UC Davis, no matter the external challenges.

Read a transcript from the video here.

On Monday, Nov. 6, Penn Carey Law Professor Jasmine E. Harris joined us for UC Davis Law's Racial Justice Speaker Series with a talk titled "Reckoning with Race and Disability: Guardianship and Racial Extraction."

On Saturday, Nov. 4, UC Davis School of Law hosted an open house, providing prospective applicants with a valuable opportunity to explore King Hall's admission and financial aid processes.

As part of the program, Law Students Association President Brenda Quintanilla Lopez '24 shared her enthusiasm for King Hall. She highlighted how the school has proven to be an outstanding choice for her legal studies journey.

King Hall's Latinx Law Students Association and Immigration Law Association put together a fantastic program for a Dia de los Muertos Celebration in the courtyard!

Participants had the chance to contribute to the community altar and enjoy some delicious food while celebrating the lives of loved ones.