Motomura Testifies in U.S. House Hearing on Violence Against Asian Americans

Professor Hiroshi Motomura testified in a hearing on “Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans” that the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties held on March 18. The hearing was held amid a rise in violence against people of Asian descent and two days after six Asian women were among those killed in mass shootings in Georgia. Motomura, the faculty co-director of UCLA Law’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy, was one of 14 witnesses, including scholars, activists, and several members of the U.S. House and Senate.

Also that day, Dean Jennifer Mnookin sent a message to the law school. She condemned the “horrific wave of bias, discrimination, and violence directed toward Asians,” encouraged continued support of Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander community members, and offered resources to report crimes or receive counseling.

Dolovich Wins UCLA
Distinguished Teaching Award

Professor Sharon Dolovich has been selected to receive the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award for 2020-21, with an additional citation for Distinction in Teaching at the Graduate Level. With only six professors across the UCLA campus so honored, the Distinguished Teaching Award is the university’s highest recognition of excellence in the classroom. She is the 32nd member of the law school community ever to earn the honor.

‘Doing the Right Thing’: Clooney and Mnookin Share Insights on Leadership

Celebrated human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and UCLA Law Dean Jennifer Mnookin participated in a conversation titled “Doing the Right Thing” on March 11, sharing their perspectives on leadership, success, and making a positive difference in the world. Scores of UCLA students attended the invitation-only webinar. It was part of the “UCLA Leaders of Tomorrow” series of events that are presented by the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Series creator Eric Esrailian, who spearheaded the effort to create the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA Law in 2017, hosted the discussion.

Students Prevail in Top
Moot Court Competition

Delaney Gold-Diamond ’21 (pictured, left) and Avery Hitchcock ’21 won the prestigious Thurgood Marshall Memorial Moot Court Competition, which concluded in mid-March. Gold-Diamond was also named outstanding oralist in the preliminary rounds and top oralist in the final. They worked under the mentorship of UCLA Law lecturer and alumnus David Babbe ’81, who oversees the law school’s participation in moot court competitions.

Alumni on the Move

Carmen Luege ’84 is appointed to serve as a judge on the Orange County Superior Court. Tom Cormons ’06 joins the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Matthew Harris ’07 is named the next school superintendent of Petaluma, California. Jeffrey Freedman ’93 becomes chief administrative officer at Creative Artists Agency, where he also serves as general counsel. Alan Butler ’12 is named executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. Daniel Mayeda ’82, an attorney at Ballard Spahr and associate director of UCLA Law’s Documentary Film Legal Clinic, is appointed to the Los Angeles County Citizens Redistricting Commission and elected co-chair. Daniel Belzer ’12 and Matt Bonovich ’07 are named partners at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton. George Yin ’99 is promoted to shareholder at Kaufman Legal Group. Christine Son ’02 is appointed general counsel of Dine Brands Global. Lisa Laffer ’03 is promoted to principal and a position on the executive team of Regent Properties. Paul Tripodi ’92 joins Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld as partner. Alex Nisenbaum ’08 moves to Blank Rome as partner. Frank Petrilli ’09 joins Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass as partner. Arti Bhimani ’04 moves to Liebert Cassidy Whitmore as senior counsel. Andrei Iancu ’96, former under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, becomes a non-resident senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Cara Dessert ’12 is appointed to the Healthy California for All Commission. Keith Schostag ’17 joins the regulatory compliance team of the National Association of Federally Insured Credit Unions. Jordan Blair Woods ’09, a professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law, is named one of the top 40 LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40 by the National LGBT Bar Association. And Matthew Fawcett ’92 of NetApp and Phuong Phillips ’03 of Zynga are honored at Legal Momentum’s 16th Annual Women of Achievement Awards.

Ownership’s Hidden Rules:
Q&A With ‘Mine!’ Co-Author Salzman

In the new book Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives, UCLA Law Professor James Salzman and Columbia Law School Professor Michael Heller reveal the hidden rules that govern who owns what – from the reclining space behind airline seats to HBO passwords. “At its core, human society exists to help us deal with competing claims to scarce resources,” the authors write. Read more in this Q&A with Salzman.

Winkler Named Phi Beta Kappa
Visiting Scholar

Professor Adam Winkler has been named a 2021-22 visiting scholar by Phi Beta Kappa. He is one of 13 people from a wide array of fields of academic expertise who were selected this year. Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is one of the most prestigious academic honor societies. Each year, visiting scholars go to more than 100 colleges and universities, spending two days “taking full part in the academic life of the institution.”

Achiume Honored as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader

Professor E. Tendayi Achiume has been named a 2021 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. The honor from the World Economic Forum – which presents the renowned annual summit in Davos, Switzerland – celebrates “the world’s most inspiring and responsible leaders under the age of 40.” It recognizes people who “come from different communities and industries worldwide” and are committed to making a difference.

‘Wheel’ Winner: Birnholz Shares
the Story Behind Her TV Success

UCLA Law Criminal Trial Advocacy lecturer Diane Birnholz ’90 appeared on Wheel of Fortune and went home with far more than a souvenir pen. How was it to tape the show under strict COVID-19 protocols? Is it difficult to spin the wheel? (Clue: much harder than you’d imagine!) The law school alumna tells all about her big game show v_ct_ry.

Join UCLA Law Women LEAD on LinkedIn

UCLA Law Women LEAD is on LinkedIn! Join to become an active participant in the law school’s network that connects more than 2,000 students, young alumnae, and mid-career and senior professionals who identify as female in the legal profession. LEAD members share resources and form lifelong connections with fellow students and alumnae in 45 countries around the world. Click here to join our LinkedIn group.

Angela Riley publishes an op-ed in The Washington Post on “native trademarks” and why brand names like Jeep Cherokee should be changed. Joanna Schwartz writes in The Atlantic about developments in qualified immunity and the law surrounding police misconduct, and she is quoted in The New York Times and The Washington Post on her research in the field. Kimberlé Crenshaw writes in The New Republic about the legacy of white supremacy in America, and she is featured in an in-depth USA Today report on the #SayHerName movement. Kirk Stark is quoted in Politico on the tax implications of the COVID-19 relief package. Jerry Kang talks to The Christian Science Monitor about the history and stereotypes that lead to anti-Asian hate, and Karin Wang speaks with the Los Angeles Daily News about violence against Asians. James Salzman’s book Mine! is reviewed in The New Yorker, and he co-authors an op-ed in The Washington Post about laws that shelter the super wealthy. Sean Hecht is quoted in the Los Angeles Times on Michael Regan’s confirmation as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Adam Winkler speaks with The Washington Post on state bills that oppose gun control, and he is quoted by the Associated Press on hunting and conservative policy. Sharon Dolovich shares her expertise on undercounts of COVID-19 cases in prisons in a compelling feature in the Riverfront Times. And Julia Stein talks to NPR about the threats that rising seas pose to coastal communities. Plus, Andrew Verstein in Marketwatch, Aaron Littman in The San Diego Union-Tribune, Eugene Volokh on the Bloomberg Law podcast, William Boyd in E&E News, and more.