eNews Banner
November 2014
Reunion 2014: What a Weekend!

 

Berkeley Law welcomed back more than 700 members of its remarkable community for a spectacular Alumni Weekend Sept. 20-21. Members of 10 different graduating classes -- celebrating reunions from their 5th to 50th year -- returned to see the many exciting things happening at the law school and to reminisce with classmates, friends, and nearly 20 of their beloved professors. 

 

For many, Reunion 2014 was their first time back since graduating. For others, it was their first chance to tour the South Addition building. The weekend featured thought-provoking presentations and panel discussions, an exhilarating all-class reception, and festive individual class dinners. We hope you were here to experience all the excitement, and invite you to take a look at some Reunion photos on our Facebook page here or the full album here.

Dean Choudhry's USA Tour 

 

New Berkeley Law Dean Sujit Choudhry will share his vision for the law school with alumni and friends at upcoming events in four U.S. cities. On Nov. 6 in Chicago, Marshall Segal '65 will host a gathering with the dean at his home from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. On Nov. 13, Patrick Simpson '71 will host a welcome reception in Portland at Perkins Coie from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. The following morning, Nov. 14, the dean will be in Seattle for a breakfast meeting at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel from 8:30 to 10 am. And on Nov. 20 in Washington, D.C., Tom Williamson '74, Chuck Miller '58, and Joanne Grossman '75 will host the dean at Covington & Burling from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. You can register online to attend the receptions in Chicago, Portland, Seattle, or Washington, D.C.

Sanford Kadish to be Honored
at Nov. 8 Memorial Celebration

 

Former Berkeley Law Dean and longtime Professor Sanford Kadish, one of the world's foremost criminal law scholars, will be honored at a memorial celebration Nov. 8. The memorial will take place from 4 to 6 pm at the Krutch Theater on UC Berkeley's Clark Kerr Campus, 2601 Warring Street (directions and public parking locations can be found can be found here). Kadish died Sept. 5 in Berkeley at age 92. Several colleagues and family members will offer a tribute to celebrate his life and acknowledge his immense contributions to the law school and to legal education. Please RSVP to attend. More information about Kadish's life is available here.

Student Group Helps Guide
First Generation Professionals

 

 

Among the myriad student organizations he encountered at Berkeley Law, Antonio Herrera '12 noticed a missing slice in the diversity pie. "There were so many ethnic- and racial-identified groups, but no socioeconomic-identified groups," he recalled. "It seemed like a glaring void." Eager to fill it, Herrera and classmate Rory McHale formed First Generation Professionals (FGP) in 2011 for students who were the first in their families to attend graduate school.

 

The only group of its kind among major U.S. law schools, FGP started small-with seven students attending the first meeting. Three years later, its welcome session drew more than 40 students. "We focus on making law school feel like a comfortable space for these students and build programming to help them navigate this new terrain," said Assistant Professor Bertrall Ross, a first generation professional himself and one of the group's faculty advisors. 

 

Read more...

New Real Estate Certificate
Available to Berkeley Students

 

Berkeley Law's growing collaborations with other campus departments have yielded a new benefit for students: the Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Real Estate. The certificate recognizes training in real estate that encompasses law, investment, and the role of development in the built environment. It marks the culmination of a joint effort by Berkeley Law, the Haas School of Business, and the College of Environmental Design to provide wide-ranging skills for real estate-oriented careers. 

 

Read more...

Career Programs for Alumni 

 

Berkeley Law's Career Development Office (CDO) and Alumni Center will team up to provide two valuable programs in San Francisco during the coming weeks. On Nov. 13, a program at Reed Smith from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm will examine alternative careers for lawyers and provide practical information on how to find or develop such jobs. Learn more about the event and register here. On Nov. 20, a panel of top attorneys will discuss strategies for gaining clients and generating business from 6 to 8 pm at Cox Castle & Nicholson. Learn more about the event and register here

 

The first two CDO/Alumni Center events took place in October. On Oct. 8, there was a program entitled "Calm, Confident, and Engaging: Public Speaking and Job Interviewing Skills for Lawyers." Presented by actor, acting coach, and performance coach Tina D'Elia, the interactive workshop for students alumni focused on building confidence and comfort with public speaking by using various techniques, exercises, improvisation, and feedback. Another such workshop is being planned for the first quarter of 2015. On Oct. 30, there was a "beehive speed networking event" at Farella Braun + Martel.

Upcoming Certificate Programs
for International Lawyers

 

Do you work with foreign-trained lawyers who yearn for high-level understanding of the U.S. legal system, how U.S. courts and regulatory agencies analyze the law, and emerging trends in U.S. business law? Do you seek in an in-depth program for lawyers new to U.S. intellectual property law that gives them an in-depth survey of patent, trademark, and copyright law? Berkeley Law will host two week-long certificate programs for international lawyers in January.

 

Presented by the school's International Executive Legal Education (IELE) program, these sessions will provide a certificate in American Law (Jan. 5-9) and in Intellectual Property Law (Jan. 12-16). The IELE program provides certificate courses aimed at the foreign-trained commercial lawyer who does not have time to pursue an LL.M. degree. 

 

Attendees of IELE programs include in-house counsel, law firm attorneys, and government officials from around the world. You can register and learn more details here

Student News 
Trial Team Wins Championship at Prestigious National Event

 

A Berkeley Law trial team won the prestigious National Institute of Trial Advocacy's Tournament of Champions-an invitational tournament open only to the nation's top 16 trial advocacy law schools. Students Janice Lu '15, Jason Wu '16, Jordan Kahler '15, and Roxana Guidero '16 took home the championship under the direction of alumni coaches Spencer Pahlke '07 and Justin Chou '11, both from the law firm of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger. The team defeated top-seeded Yale in the semifinals en route to the title, and Guidero was named Best Advocate in the final round.

 

Read more...

Faculty News 
Professor Victoria Plaut Talks Up Diversity on Global Stage

 

A new article by Professor Victoria Plaut was a hot topic at the recent World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China. Plaut led two sessions there that amplified her research-just published in Scientific American-on diversity and inclusion in work and academic settings. She highlighted key data and best practices for incorporating diversity and inclusion at all levels of a company at the forum, which assembles leaders in science, technology, business, government, media, academia, and civil society.

 

Read more...

Alumni News 
Charles Breyer '66 Honored by SF Trial Lawyers Association

 

The San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association honored Charles Breyer '66 with its District Judge of the Year Award at a dinner reception Oct. 10. Breyer has been a federal district court judge in California since 1998. He was a private-practice lawyer from 1974 to 1997, save for a brief stint as San Francisco's Chief Assistant District Attorney in 1979. He also worked as a special Watergate prosecutor from 1973 to 1974, and as a San Francisco assistant district attorney from 1967 to 1973. Last year, Breyer was appointed to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which establishes sentencing policies and practices for federal courts. He was the first judge appointed from the nine-state Western region. 

Clinic News 
In-House Clinics Enjoy New Space

 

Berkeley Law's clinical education program now sees a bright future ahead because of Bernard Witkin's vision. "He was several decades ahead of his time in his advocacy of more practical law training conducted in a clinical setting," Kenneth Kuchman said of Witkin '28. Kuchman now runs the philanthropy established in the alum's name: the Bernard E. and Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation. Thanks to a major gift from the foundation, the law school has created a modern, professional office suite designed to maximize clinic efficiency and collaboration. Previously, Berkeley Law's in-house clinics operated in separate, overcrowded spaces. 

 

Read more...


Building Boalt's Future 
Your financial support secures a second century of excellence. Please make a gift today.
Make a Gift image

 

Alumni Online

 

Join us online on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. LinkedIn is a great resource for referrals, job listings and career development advice from Robert White, Boalt's director of alumni career services.


Calendar Cruising

 

Dean Choudhry's USA Tour:

 

November 6: Chicago

 

November 13: Portland


November 14: Seattle 


November 20: Washington, D.C. 

 


Career Corner

 

Support for your career development doesn't end with graduation. The Career Development Office provides resources for alums, including access to the b-Line jobs database and individualized confidential career counseling: resume review, job search strategies, career exploration (including careers outside of law practice), and more. See the Alumni Resources page on the CDO website.

 


Follow us on Twitter 

Join us on Facebook 

Network on LinkedIn

 

notesClass Notes  
Keep your fellow alums up-to-date with your important life changes by submitting a class note to [email protected]. We'll publish your news on the web and/or in the alumni magazine, Transcript