The latest from UCLA Law.
UCLA Law Celebrates 70th Commencement
The Class of 2021 went out in style with a star-studded, live-streamed ceremony that was highlighted by Rep. Ted Lieu's keynote and featured guests including UCLA and NBA legend Bill Walton and UCLA Law alumni Judge Paul Watford and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Brown '17 to Clerk on U.S. Supreme Court
UCLA Law alumna Whitney Brown will add to her impressive résumé — with clerkships on the Second Circuit, Ninth Circuit, and California Supreme Court — when she joins the chambers of Justice Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court's 2021-22 term. She is the 20th UCLA Law graduate ever to clerk on the nation's highest court in Washington.
Clinton to Appear at Williams Institute Gala
The Williams Institute's 20th Anniversary Gala on June 9 will feature special guest Hillary Rodham Clinton, who will receive the inaugural International Impact Award. The event marks two decades of impact for LGBTQ people around the world. UCLA Law alumni are warmly invited join the celebration at no cost.
Motomura and Malloy Win Rutter Award
The Rutter Award for Excellence in Teaching — UCLA Law's highest faculty honor for classroom accomplishments and student mentorship — was presented to Professors Hiroshi Motomura and Timothy Malloy in a live-streamed ceremony.
See what Motomura and Malloy said in their acceptance lectures.
Cruz Reynoso: Remembering a Legend
The former UCLA Law professor and California Supreme Court justice died on May 7 at age 90. We pay tribute to his pioneering career in the law, teaching, and service.
'Immigration Is Personal to Me'
California Sen. Alex Padilla (pictured) and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas joined a who's who of advocates, community organizers, and academics for the three-day inaugural conference of UCLA Law's Center for Immigration Law and Policy.
Alumni on the Move
Val Ackerman ’85 is elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Jeffrey Prieto ’95 is nominated to be the general counsel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Anthony Barron ’90 is promoted to head the litigation department at Nixon Peabody. Celeste Drake ’02 is named the inaugural Made in America Director at the Office of Management and Budget in the White House. Priscilla Ocen ’07 is appointed to the California state Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code. Anne-Sarah Skrebers LL.M. ’11 is made senior IP counsel at the European Broadcasting Union. Jon Mechanic LL.M. ’15 joins Rimon Law in Montreal as an associate. Greg Zipes ’91 publishes a biography of former Supreme Court justice and Michigan governor Frank Murphy. And Judge Kevin Brazile ’83 wins UCLA Alumni Award for Public Service.
Oh Receives Lowell Milken Chair in Law
Jason Oh, faculty co-director of the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy, fresh off giving expert testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, earned the appointment in recognition of his contributions to the study of tax law.
Elsayed and Silva Honored with
Skye Donald Spirit of Community Award
Menna Elsayed '22 and Karina Silva '22 were recognized by their peers and professors for their uncommon service to the UCLA Law community — and for upholding a tradition of giving back that characterized the late legal reserach and writing lecturer Skye Donald.
The 2021 Law Firm Challenge Is Here
And the countdown is on! When you make a meaningful contribution to the annual Law Firm Challenge, you support students through scholarships and programs, and you provide resources to address the law school's most pressing needs. Any gift made between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, will count toward your firm's success and participation. If you have not yet contributed, please join our commitment to access and excellence by making a gift today. If you have already made a donation, thank you!
Questions? Contact us at lfc@law.ucla.edu.
Join Us for These Events!
Terrific events are always happening at UCLA Law, and you are invited. Highlights:
- June 2 — The 45th Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium kicks off
with the first of four days of programming over four weeks. - June 3 — Join our discussion "A Space for Everyone? Debating Online Platforms and Common Carriage Rules," about online platforms and public discourse.
- June 10 — UCLA Law's "From the Front Line" conversation series continues with "Challenges and Opportunities: Decarceration in Los Angeles County."
Visit the UCLA Law events page for more events and information.
Kimberlé Crenshaw appears on CNN to talk about critical race theory. Laura Gómez publishes an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times about Latinos and the census. Andrew Verstein is quoted by the Associated Press on a shareholder vote regarding the fate of Tribune Publishing. Sharon Dolovich speaks to the Los Angeles Times about COVID-19 vaccines in jails and discusses coronavirus-related risks in prisons in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Kal Raustiala is quoted in The New York Times on the NFT boom and its impact on art sales. Eugene Volokh appears on the Bloomberg News podcast to discuss the Supreme Court case involving a high school cheerleader's Snapchat post. Joanna Schwartz is quoted by The New Yorker, ABC News, and The New York Times on police qualified immunity. Adam Winkler talks to The Washington Post about the NRA's troubles and comments in The Economist and The New York Times on increases in permissive state gun laws. Jennifer Chacón is quoted in The Bay Area Reporter on the Biden administration’s immigration work. And Lynn LoPucki speaks to The New York Times about the high legal fees in the Boy Scouts bankruptcy case.
One More Fun Thing: LawCappella
UCLA Law's award-winning singing group had them laughing in the aisles at the May 22 in-person graduation recognition event on campus with "Sweet Socrates," LawCappella's new song, set to the tune of "Sweet Caroline." Turn up the volume and hit play!
Like, share, repeat.
Follow us and keep up with everything at UCLA Law.
