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Inter Alia | Alumni Newsletter | January 2025

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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor speaks to UC Berkeley Law students, faculty, and staff on a wide range of topics. Photo by Philip Pacheco

Year in Review: The Stories That Made 2024 Memorable and Meaningful for UC Berkeley Law

From a Supreme Court justice’s visit and an innovative leadership initiative to impactful pro bono work and influential AI guidance, the school’s commitment to excellence, community, and public mission was on full display. Read more>>

What's New?

New Faculty Hires Alina Ball and Jason Ferguson Bring Fresh Perspectives to Clinical, JSP Programs

Ball, an Oakland native, will lead the new Social Enterprise Clinic, while Ferguson — who earned his Ph.D. in sociology from UC Berkeley — will teach and advise students in the law school’s Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program starting this fall. Read more>>

Representing His Country on the Global Stage, Ali Alabdali LL.M. ’23 Draws on His Year in Berkeley

Legal consultant at the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, Alabdali represents his country in the main forum that considers legal questions in the UN’s General Assembly. Read more>>

‘Voices Carry’ Podcast: Can Emergency Powers Be Leveraged to Create Change Beyond a Crisis?

Professors Katerina Linos and Elena Chachko outline the arguments in their new article, “Emergency Powers for Good." Read more>>

Professor Urges Supreme Court to Correct Ruling That ‘Turns First Amendment Precedent on Its Head’

Professor Kenneth A. Bamberger wrote an amicus brief on behalf of a coalition of publishers, book sellers, and libraries in the upcoming Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton case. Read more>>

‘A Unique Strength’: Stellar Group of Law and Economics Scholars Enhances a Long Tradition

“I think we have, by a not insubstantial margin, the deepest and best bench of empirical legal researchers in the country,” Professor Andrew C. Baker says. Read more>>

Pipeline Fuel: UC Berkeley Law Leads National Effort to Expand Law School Applicant Pool

The school recently hosted a launch event for the Preparing for Law School project, which aims to encourage more applicants from underrepresented backgrounds. Read more>>

New UC Berkeley Law Report Offers Framework for Innovation in Water Permitting

The Center for Law, Energy & the Environment just completed a report published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that synthesizes a decade of its research on regulation and innovation in the wastewater sector and provides actionable recommendations for putting research insights into practice. Read more>>

San Francisco Alumni Happy Hour

Thursday, January 23, 6:00-8:00 pm PT, High Horse, San Francisco. Bay Area alumni are invited to the Financial District for our first gathering of the new year. A generous alum will be paying for the first round of drinks. Register here>>

Silicon Valley Alumni Game Night

Thursday, January 30, 6:00-8:00 pm PT, Gamelandia, Palo Alto. South Bay alumni, join us for a night of games and friendly competition in Palo Alto. Register here>>

Save the Date - Admitted Student Weekend Alumni Brunch at Berkeley Law

Saturday, March 15, 9:30 am PT. Registration information will follow in February.

Save the Dates - Admitted Student and Alumni Receptions and Small Market Dinners

Registration opens in mid-February (all event times are 6:00-8:00 pm). Please contact alumni@law.berkeley.edu with any questions.

March 25: Washington, D.C. 

March 26: New York City 

March 27: Los Angeles 

April 1: San Francisco

April 2: Chicago

April 3: Boston

IABA Annual Reunion 2025

Friday, June 13 to Sunday, June 15. The IABA (International Association of Berkeley Law Alumni in Europe) Annual Reunion will take place in Vienna, Austria, in June. Registration and more information will be announced soon. Please contact alumni@law.berkeley.edu with any questions.

Alumni Reunion Weekend 2025

Dates for Reunion 2025 in the fall will be announced in February. Please contact reunion@law.berkeley.edu with any questions.

Volunteer Opportunities

Berkeley Law Alumni Admissions Outreach Volunteers Needed

We are seeking J.D. alumni, particularly those who graduated between 2014 and 2024, to help us with student recruitment so that we continue to enroll the most qualified and diverse class of 1L students. Graduates who are interested in volunteering, please contact Erin Dineen at edineen@law.berkeley.edu.

Alumni Volunteer Mentors Needed For OCI (Private Sector) Prep

We are looking for volunteers to mentor rising 2L students this spring and summer as they prepare for interviews with large law firms and plaintiff-side law firms. The program is launching early this year. We need 200 alumni volunteers. The time commitment is one 30-minute conversation in April and a second 30-minute conversation in June or July. Interested? Please contact Erin Dineen at edineen@law.berkeley.edu.

Berkeley Law alumni save on all of our paid Executive Education programs.

ESG University

Registration for the March 2025 cohort is now open! Featuring two tracks – one for practitioners and one for board members and C-suite executives, this online course will equip you with the tools to lead your organization into the future of sustainable capitalism. Join us to navigate the essentials of ESG and transform these principles into a competitive advantage for your organization. Learn more>>

General Counsel University

Registration for the April 2025 cohort is now open! Climb the in-house legal ladder with this online course and community that provides legal professionals with the critical skills needed to become a general counsel (GC) or be hired and retained by GCs. “[The course] was truly impactful, offering an exceptional blend of practical wisdom and strategic insights from world-class instructors and industry leaders,” says Pav Athwal, Head of Legal and Compliance at LILT. Register here>>