UC Davis Law Announces New Academic Centers and Faculty Leadership

UC Davis Law will continue to build upon its strong foundation of academic excellence beginning in July.

Professor Kevin Johnson, former dean, will become the director of the Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies. Over the past few years, Professors Johnson and Raquel Aldana have served as Aoki Center co-directors. In addition, under the umbrella of the Aoki Center, Professor Irene Joe will lead a new Criminal Justice Project and Professor Katherine Florey will lead the Tribal Justice Project.

The law school has reenvisioned its center focused on international law. Professor Chimène Keitner will become the director of the re-named Center for International Law and Policy. Associate Dean for Global Legal Education Beth Greenwood and Professor Afra Afsharipour served as co-directors of the former California International Law Center. Associate Dean Greenwood will now focus on developing new and innovative educational initiatives and continue to lead international programs.

Dean Jessica Berg announced the addition of a Center for Business Law and Society. Professor Afra Afsharipour will serve as the inaugural center director and work with the school’s incredible business and tax law faculty to shape programming. The center is expected to launch in spring 2026.

The California Environmental Law and Policy Center will welcome Tracy Winsor '96, former Senior Assistant California Attorney General in the Natural Resources Law Section, to co-direct the center with Professor Albert Lin. The center will broaden its scope to include sustainability, agriculture and food law. Professor Richard Frank is retiring after leading the environmental law center for many years and making an indelible mark on the school’s environmental law program. Professor Karrigan Börk, who has recently served as co-director of the center, will shift his administrative time to the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. Both Professors Frank and Börk will remain involved with the environmental law center as senior fellows.

Professor Peter Lee will continue to lead the groundbreaking work of the Center for Innovation, Law, and Society.

In addition, King Hall houses the UC Davis Labor and Community Center of the Greater Capital Region, co-directed by Professor Leticia Saucedo, and the University of California Immigrant Legal Services Center, led by Aidín Castillo Mazantini '11.