February 2023
UCLA Law to make history in human rights
In March, human rights law will take center stage at UCLA during the Promise Institute's "Reimagining Rights in the Americas Conference." The conference and related constellation of events center around a historic first for UCLA: hosting the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the leading human rights body in the western hemisphere. Institute Executive Director Kate Mackintosh and Human Rights in the Americas Director Joseph Berra walk us through the historic summit in this Q&A.
‘Ask me anything’: Adam Winkler
talks gun rights on Reddit
UCLA Law professor Adam Winkler, a widely respected authority on the Second Amendment, became the first UCLA professor to host a Reddit “Ask me anything," offering context on historical and modern interpretations of U.S. gun laws. For 90 minutes, Winkler addressed tens of thousands of Reddit users in a conversation on gun rights and other constitutional matters. The exchange has been viewed more than 150,000 times.
Holding police accountable:
Q&A with Professor Joanna Schwartz
UCLA Law professor Joanna Schwartz is a leading authority on civil rights, with a focus on police misconduct. After the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing national reckoning, her work was thrust into the national spotlight. Her new book, Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable, is filled with vivid stories illustrating the many ways the American legal system shields officers from accountability and prevents victims from receiving justice.
Read what Professor Schwartz has to say about this pressing issue.
New book by Professor Kal Raustiala illuminates the legacy of Ralph Bunche
In The Absolutely Indispensable Man: Ralph Bunche, the United Nations, and the Fight to End Empire, UCLA Law professor Kal Raustiala explores the inspiring life of the UCLA alumnus and Nobel laureate. "Bunche was once so famous he handed out the Best Picture award at the 1951 Oscars. He led a fascinating life. Yet today, outside of a few places, he is largely forgotten," says Raustiala, who directs UCLA's Burkle Center for International Relations.
UCLA Law researchers: Prison mortality rates skyrocketed during the pandemic
The UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project has launched a database that tracks the number of people who have died while incarcerated, the only nationwide accounting of recent deaths in U.S. prisons. The project documented a 61% increase in prison deaths (6,182 total) in 2020, despite a 10% drop in the U.S. prison population from the year before. The new database improves on discontinued efforts by the federal government to report this information.
Safeguarding Democracy Project:
Rachel Maddow kicked off spring events
The twin impacts of the 2022 elections and the work of the Jan. 6 committee in Congress continue to develop as the new year begins. In this dynamic atmosphere, UCLA Law’s Safeguarding Democracy Project, founded and led by election law expert and professor Rick Hasen, has assembled an impressive slate of events for the spring semester. The festivities kicked off on Jan. 26 with a probing conversation featuring celebrated journalist Rachel Maddow (pictured), and will continue with an expert-led conference examining threats to fair and free elections on March 17.
Celebrating Black History Month with
the Black Law Students Association
We catch up with Rochelle Mulondo (pictured, left) and Sydney Gaskins (pictured, right), who serve as co-chairs of UCLA Law’s Black Law Students Association, or BLSA, which focuses on the recruitment and retention of Black students. Both second-year students who are looking forward to working as summer associates at major law firms, Mulondo and Gaskins share their views on Black History Month and their favorite moments at UCLA Law.
Find out why they think UCLA Law is the best place to go to law school.
How climate justice requires racial justice
UCLA Law professor E. Tendayi Achiume recently concluded her five-year term as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. During her tenure, Achiume held consultations and solicited information from leading activists and thinkers around the globe. She presented many reports, including a final document on the intersection of racial justice and climate justice.
UCLA Law partners with the MacArthur Justice Center on prisoners' rights
Prisoners’ Rights Clinic students are now benefiting from the teaching and mentorship of MacArthur Justice Center attorneys Daniel Greenfield (pictured, right) and Megha Ram (center), alongside UCLA Law professor Aaron Littman. "Our students are impassioned advocates for the rights of incarcerated people, and they came to UCLA Law and joined the clinic to develop the tools they need to challenge the brutality of our carceral system," Littman says.
Professor Emeritus Herbert Morris, in memoriam: A titan of law and philosophy
Professor Emeritus Herbert Morris, a renowned scholar and teacher of law and philosophy and a foundational member of UCLA Law’s faculty, died on Dec. 14, 2022, at age 94. An instrumental leader at UCLA for seven decades, Morris built an uncommonly distinguished career. "Thanks to his sharp and probing mind and warm and charismatic personality, he will have a lasting influence on his many students and colleagues," says Professor Mark Greenberg.
Reflect on the outstanding life of this pillar of the UCLA community.
- Eli Alcarez is named Deputy Chief of the United States Attorneys' Office, Riverside branch.
- Allison Blanco is promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins.
- Andrea Campbell is elected as Massachusetts attorney general.
- Christopher Crosman is promoted to partner at Seyfarth Shaw.
- Janet Dhillon joins Dollar Tree Stores as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary.
- Lara Leitner is promoted to partner at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell.
- Robert Drury Lenhard is appointed to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
- Osco Pardo is appointed as interim judge of Sonoma County Superior Court.
- Susan Prager receives the Bernard E. Witkin Medal.
- Daniel E. Robbins is reappointed to the Commission on Uniform State Laws.
- TuLynn Smylie joins Imagine LA as Chief Executive Officer.
- Adam Weiss joins Relativity as Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Legal Officer.
- Amanda R. Wolin is promoted to partner at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP.
- John G. Yslas, Esq. joins Wilshire Law Firm as senior partner.
March 3 and 4: ITLP Symposium: Platform and the Press
Looking at the future of news reporting while promoting a clear roadmap for how institutions should support, sustain, and promote quality journalism.
March 4: Promise Institute Symposium: Bringing Human Rights Home
Featuring keynotes by President Julissa Mantilla, and Commissioners Margarette May Macaulay and Roberta Clarke of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
March 17: Can American Democracy Survive the 2024 Election?
Convening leaders for a cross-ideological, interdisciplinary conversation to consider ongoing threats to free and fair elections in the United States.
April 12: Emmett Institute Symposium: Make or Break: Transforming U.S. Infrastructure to Meet Climate Goals
The Emmett Institute's spring symposium will explore the new laws that are driving the energy transition.
May 31, June 7 and 9: UCLA Entertainment Symposium
Bringing together leading lawyers, executives, agents, managers, and producers for candid discussions on subjects at the forefront of the entertainment industry.
Join Us for These Events!
Terrific events are always happening at UCLA Law. You are invited!
March 10 - Tech Talks with Helen Nissenbaum
April 19 - Tech Talks with Zachary Steinert-Threlkeld
Aaron Littman and the UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project are featured in a front-page New York Times story on prisons and the pandemic. Among several television appearances to promote Shielded, her new book about police accountability, Joanna Schwartz is a featured guest on C-SPAN’s After Words series, where she discusses qualified immunity. Adam Winkler appears on the PBS Newshour to discuss gun laws after the Monterey Park shooting. John Villasenor writes an opinion piece in Scientific American about ChatGPT. Jonathan Zasloff appears on a CNN report about the Colorado River water crisis. Beth Colgan speaks with the Atlantic about the inequitable impact of traffic fines. Alex Alben appears on Bloomberg TV to discuss internet companies and the Supreme Court. The scholarship of Kimberly Clausing is used to support a Senate bill to close offshore tax loopholes. Rick Hasen participates in a Q&A for Vice News about voting rights. Eileen Scallen talks to CNBC about civil procedure in a case involving Google. Joanna Schwartz writes an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times on getting justice for police brutality. Laura Gómez is cited in a Los Angeles Times op-ed on race and identity. Ahilan Arulanantham is quoted by CBS News on the case of legal immigrants possibly facing deportation. Steven Bank appears on NPR to discuss employee flexible spending accounts. James Salzman is quoted in the Los Angeles Times on the Colorado River water crisis. Diane Birnholz talks to the Washington Post about Google searches in a murder case. Eugene Volokh is quoted in a USA Today story about abortion and free speech. Stephen Bainbridge is quoted in a Bloomberg opinion piece on punishing corporate directors. Gary Blasi talks with the Los Angeles Times about a homelessness state of emergency. James Park talks to NPR about the fraud case against FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried. And Russell Korobkin is quoted in the Washington Post on law school rankings.
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