In the Media

Professor Susan Bisom-Rapp was quoted in an article published in the Cal-OSHA Reporter on February 20th. The article, "Cal-OSHA's Controversial 'Walkaround' Rule," discussed a federal OSHA rule that defines individuals who can accompany safety inspectors during workplace inspections, including third parties designated by employees but not known to the employers. It is anticipated that the Trump administration will rescind that rule, which was promulgated during the Biden administration. Meanwhile, California-OSHA is considering a state version of the rule. Professor Bisom-Rapp opined about what would happen if the federal rule were rescinded, but the state went ahead and adopted the rule in any case.

In Print

Professor Shawn Fields’s article, "The Anonymous Officer," has been accepted for publication with Boston College Law Review.

Professor Kristen van de Biezenbos’s article, "Private Equity, Public Utility," has been accepted for publication with Northwestern University Law Review. This article was co-authored with Melissa Powers.

3L Ryan K. Jensen won first place in the 2025 Law School Student Writing Award, presented by the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL). Ryan’s winning article, “Reforming Property Taxation to Solve California’s Housing Deficit,” was published in the California Western Law Review.

On the Road

Professor James Cooper spoke at Supervising Law Students in the Age of AI, a CalEx CLE panel bringing together legal professionals to discuss how students use generative AI in law school and share best practices.

Professor Spencer Williams presented at the Center for Law & AI Risk's first annual writers' retreat at the Mayan Ranch in Bandera, Texas.

In Service

Professor Shawn Fields’s article, "The Anonymous Officer," was cited and quoted by U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin in an order holding that ICE agents who wear masks without justification while making arrests violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. The case is captioned Urquilla-Ramos v. Trump, 2:26-cv-00066 (S.D. W. Va. Feb. 19, 2026) (Dkt. No. 28).

Future Events

March 5: The Unzoned County, Kellen Zale, Associate Professor, Baker Botts LLP Professor in Law, University of Houston Law Center

March 17: Faculty Scholar Works-in-Progress Series, Cathay Y.N. Smith, Professor of Law, Co-Director of the Program in Intellectual Property Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law

March 19: From Pipeline to Power: Tracking Persistence and Progress in Corporate Governance and Practice, Afra Afsharipour, John D. Ayer Professor of Law, Director of the Center for Business Law and Society, UC Davis School of Law, Castetter Speaker Series

March 25: A Night with the Innocence and Justice Clinic, California Western Innocence and Justice Clinic

March 27: The Rule of Law: A Global Examination of Government and Institutional Power, California Western International Law Journal and California Western Law Review

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