This Hispanic Heritage Month, UCI Libraries is spotlighting some of its relevant resources and collections. Find films, books, and research guides as well as archival items for your celebrations, academic studies, and/or learning. Unless they specify a UCI login, these materials are generally available year-round to the public at no cost.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Law Rachel Moran shares her proudest accomplishment at the Law School, offers her advice to students and faculty, and looks back at UCI Law’s evolution from her perspective as a founding faculty member.


UCI Law and the School of Humanities have established a collaboration to offer humanities students access to an accelerated Bachelors/Juris Doctor degree program at UCI, and scholarship funds. Designed to help UCI Humanities students jump-start their legal careers, the historic collaboration makes UCI the first campus within the University of California system to establish a formal partnership between its humanities and law schools.


UCI Distinguished and Chancellor’s Professor of Law Carrie Menkel-Meadow was honored with the California Lawyers Association (CLA) – Litigation Section’s 2023 ADR Hall of Fame Award. The CLA presented the award during the CLA Annual Meeting on Sept. 22 in San Diego. 


UCI Clinical Law Professor Katie Tinto has been appointed by the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court Patricia Guerrero to the Judicial Council of California’s Advisory Committee on Criminal Jury Instructions for a three-year term that began on Sept. 15. Prof. Tinto will regularly review case law and statutes affecting jury instructions and make recommendations for updating, amending, and adding topics to the council’s criminal jury instructions.

The UCI Alumni Association will present Jeffrey Wachs (’12) with the Distinguished Alumni Award at this year's Lauds & Laurels ceremony on October 26 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. Now in its 52nd year, the Lauds & Laurels awards recognize outstanding UCI alumni for their service to the community, professional excellence and campus involvement.


Six UCI Law alumni will be recognized at the Orange County Coalition for Diversity in Law (OCCDL)’s 2023 DEI Awards gala on October 12.

  • Spotlight on Excellence Award: Christina Zabat-Fran (’12)
  • Top 10 DEI Champion: Hollie Washington (’16)
  • Top 10 Young Lawyers: Tiffany Aguiar (’20), Kristin Gomez (’14), Andrea Levenson (’18), and Honieh Udenka (’17)

 
Recent UCI Law graduate Sarah Beydoun (’23) and third-year student Lucrece Borrego co-authored the article, “State-Specific Barriers to Methadone for Opioid Use Disorder,” with Kellen Russoniello, senior policy counsel at the Drug Policy Alliance, and Cailin Harrington, a former summer intern at the Drug Policy Alliance. Beydoun and Borrego worked on the article as interns at the Drug Policy Alliance as part of UCI Law’s Michael G. Ermer Pro Bono Program.


The article, "Asking the Muslim Woman Question: Understanding the Social and Legal Construction of Muslim Women," 38 Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice 81 (2023), explores the experiences, challenges and societal perceptions faced by veiled Muslim women, particularly within the legal profession.

Jorge discusses the high-stakes human rights litigation experience he gained through UCI Law's Civil Rights Litigation Clinic, and how he applies that experience in his current job at Legal Services of Northern California, where he helps the housing rights of some of Sacramento's most vulnerable.

UCI Law’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, in collaboration with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) and the American Immigration Council, released a comprehensive report detailing the involvement of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in policing the racial justice protests of Summer 2020. Read The Intercept's coverage of the report's findings.


UCI Law faculty are top scholars, educators and active leaders in a vast array of fields. Read the latest about UCI Law's faculty, including recent scholarship, conferences and influential leadership across the world.

Our latest episodes feature these incredible guests:

🎙️ Amy Laurendeau, Managing Partner of O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s Newport Beach office. Amy discusses the SoCal legal markets and her journey as a product liability trial lawyer. Tune in to the podcast.

🎙️ Arnold Pinkston, Corporate Vice President and General Counsel at Edwards Lifesciences. Arnie shares insights on being a business leader, lawyer, and philanthropist. Tune in to the podcast.

Q&A with Rachel Castillo, 2L

Rachel Castillo is a current 2L at UCI Law. She was born and raised in the Mission District of San Francisco. She went to Emerson College in Boston for undergrad before moving to Los Angeles to be famous (see also, waiting tables). She later moved to New York and attended CUNY, receiving a master's degree in applied theater. Then, she worked as a teaching artist, facilitating the creation of original theater with different communities of non-actors, before she became the director of an afterschool and summer program. At UCI Law, She has participated in ten different pro bono projects and is on the board of a number of student organizations and groups, including Movement Lawyering, NLG, and PILF, and is an SBA student rep on the faculty selection committee. She's committed to pursuing public interest work after graduation and is especially interested in criminal law and the abolition of and alternatives to prison and policing.
Q: What motivated you to pursue a law degree, and why did you choose UCI Law?
I decided to go to law school for a number of reasons. It was in the midst of the pandemic, and I was living in Brooklyn and working as an educator in non-profit settings. I loved the work but at the same time, I found myself constantly exhausted, struggling to make ends meet, and frustrated with the systemic challenges faced by my various communities. I wanted to acquire more tools to participate in building the better world I know is possible. I gravitated towards law because of its versatility and potential to impact change on different levels, from the personal to the systemic. I chose UCI after attending the admitted student weekend. I was drawn to the clinic and pro bono opportunities, but mostly, the students convinced me it was the place for me. They were friendly and kind, and they described the learning environment as welcoming and collaborative. Plus, I wanted to come back home to California and the SoCal sunshine was calling my name.

Q: What has been your proudest accomplishment so far at UCI Law? (or what do you hope to accomplish?)
Getting through 1L! It was definitely one of the hardest things I've done, even at my big age. I'm proud of the moments where I was able to support other students in making the experience more tolerable. I'm also proud of making connections with practicing attorneys and professors who are doing the kind of work I am inspired by. Looking ahead, I'm excited about a pro bono project I'm helping to get started, supporting community members who have experienced police misconduct.

Q: Can you tell us about a memorable pro bono experience you've had at UCI Law?
All of it was memorable, and it really helped to support my law school journey and my learning. In the first semester of 1L, I focused on client-facing work, which allowed me to connect with the OC community and remind myself why I chose law in the first place. The second semester was more focused on research, and I got the chance to see what movement lawyering could look like in practice. This year, I am student-leading a few projects and staying on with my summer internship supervisor at the public defender's office.

Q: What advice would you give to prospective students who are thinking about going to law school?
I know it's easier said than done but try and find a balance between getting all the information you need, and tuning out the noise. The whole process of applying to law schools is expensive, elitist, challenging, and competitive, and that doesn't change once you're accepted. Even though so many of these experiences are quantified in a number (LSAT score, grades, class ranking), YOU are not a number, and your worth isn't defined by one. I think it's important to think deeply about how you define success and hold on to that when things are difficult. Rejection is hard and is part of the process, but again, it doesn't mean you aren't amazing. I measure success by the quality of the relationships and community I build, and the integrity with which I approach my work. That doesn't mean I don't get stressed about grades or comparing myself to others, but I actively remind myself of why I'm here and who I want to be. Staying grounded is a process, not a destination, and it's up to you to decide what that means for you.
Prof. Dan Burk was quoted in CBS Austin on artificial intelligence regulation. READ

Prof. Veena Dubal was interviewed on PBS NewsHour on the UAW strike and why we are seeing an American labor 'upsurge.' READ

Prof. Dalié Jiménez was quoted in the New York Times commenting on last year's Fifth Circuit ruling that vacated a CFPB rule on payday lending that cast doubt over a vast swath of its regulations. READ

Prof. David Kaye was quoted in The Washington Post about spyware found on the phone of a prominent Russian journalist. READ

Prof. Elizabeth Loftus joined the podcast Human Centered for its episode on "The Memory Science Disrupter." LISTEN
Prof. Ezra Ross' paper "Legal Writing And Faculty Pro Bono" was featured on Paul Caron's TaxProf Blog. READ

Prof. Heather Tanana was quoted in the Durango Herald commenting on the introduction of a resolution in the U.S. Senate reaffirming federal responsibility for clean water access for Tribal communities. READ

UCI Law's newly named Michael G. Ermer Pro Bono Program was highlighted in Orange County Lawyer. READ

UCI Law's new full-time faculty for the 2023 - 2024 academic year were featured in the Orange County Business Journal's "On the Move" section. READ
Diana Palacios '12, Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, was recognized by Daily Journal as a Top 40 Under 40 Lawyer.

Christina Zabat-Fran '12 was nominated for the Orange County Business Journal's General Counsel Awards.

Mimi Ahn ’14 was elected President of the Orange County Korean American Bar Association.

Claire-Lise Kutley ’15 was recognized by Daily Journal as a Top 40 Under 40 Lawyer.

Yashina Burns '16 was nominated for the Orange County Business Journal's General Counsel Awards.

Shirley Diaz '18 was elected as a new member of the Hispanic National Bar Association's Board of Governors.

Franklin Krbechhek '18 started a new position as Associate at Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP.

Sean Lobb '18, Chair of the Young Lawyers Division (YLD), wrote an article for Orange County Lawyer about YLD of Orange County.

Treymane Wilson '18 started a new position as Associate at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP.

Annie Nicholson '21 was sworn into the California Women Lawyers.

Daniel Lammie '22 started a new position as Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge Xavier Rodriguez at the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas.


We loved celebrating our classes of 2013 and 2018 at reunion last month. Thank you for keeping that special UCI Law spirit alive!

October 11 » International Access to Justice Forum 2023
  • The International Access to Justice Forum 2023 will take place at UCI Law Oct. 11 – 13 featuring presentations on topics ranging from legal needs surveys to online dispute resolution innovations, legal professional regulatory reform to the links between climate change and civil justice. Register to join the event in-person or online. (Details)
October 19 » Exploring a Potential Federal Insurance Response to Catastrophic Cyber Risk:
  • Join UC Irvine’s Cybersecurity Policy & Research Institute and UCI Law, as well as senior officials from the White House Office of the National Cyber Director and Department of the Treasury for a deep dive into the possibilities of leveraging a potential United States Government financial backstop for the cyber-insurance ecosystem to improve cyber hygiene and our national and economic security. Free to attend. (Details)
October 27 » CLSC | Socio-Legal Studies Book Talk: Tina Shull - Detention Empire: Reagan's War on Immigrants and the Seeds of Resistance
  • Tina Shull, Director of Public History at UNC Charlotte, will present: Detention Empire: Reagan's War on Immigrants and the Seeds of Resistance (UNC Press, 2022). (Details)
October 27 » IEFV | Book Talk | Kelley Fong - Investigating Families: Motherhood in the Shadow of Child Protective Services
  • The OFDD First Book Club, Department of Sociology and the UCI Initiative to End Family Violence invite you to join us for a celebration of the publication of Assistant Professor of Sociology Kelley Fong’s first book, Investigating Families: Motherhood in the Shadow of Child Protective Services (Princeton University Press, 2023). (Details)
November 3 » CLSC | Socio-Legal Studies Workshop: Ji Seon Song - The Institutional Power of Probation
  • Ji Seon Song, Assistant Professor of Law at UCI Law, will present: “The Institutional Power of Probation.” (Details)
November 17 » CLSC | Socio-Legal Studies Workshop: Kaaryn Gustafson - Centering California in the History of Race and the Law
  • Kaaryn Gustafson, Professor of Law at UCI Law, will present: “Centering California in the History of Race and the Law.” (Details)
December 1 » CLSC | Socio-Legal Studies Book Talk: David Jancsics - Sociology of Corruption: Patterns of Illegal Association in Hungary
  • David Jancsics, Associate Professor at San Diego State University, School of Public Affairs, will present: Sociology of Corruption: Patterns of Illegal Association in Hungary (Cornell University Press). (Details)


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