Alumni Newsletter | June 2020
Virtual Alumni Town Hall
On Thursday, June 11, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky presented his first virtual alumni Town Hall on civil liberties during a pandemic and gave an update on the state of the Law School. Please click on the arrow above to watch the video.
What's New
An eye-opening report from Berkeley Law’s  Death Penalty Clinic  evaluated 683 California Courts of Appeal cases involving objections to peremptory challenges, used by attorneys to excuse potential jurors without providing a reason why, from 2006 to 2018. Prosecutors used their strikes to remove African-American jurors in nearly 75 percent of these cases, Latinx jurors in about 28 percent, and white jurors in only three cases (0.4 percent). Read more .
National Center for Youth Law attorneys  Neha Desai '06, Melissa Adamson '17, and Matthew Bedrick '19, played key roles in gaining emergency relief for children in federal immigration custody. Read more .
From price-gouging on essentials to outright theft, students in Berkeley Law’s Consumer Advocacy and Protection Society have been uncovering  coronavirus -related fraud and swindles all over the country, and fighting back. Read more .
As students in Berkeley Law's summer professional and hybrid track LL.M. programs log in to virtual classrooms from around the world, they say the transition to a remote learning environment exceeds expectations. And with a global reputation like Berkeley's, that's a high bar. (Pictured: Ishan Shivakumar (left), Jennifer Granado, and Gaurav Bhagwanani, who just earned their LL.M. degrees, at a Cal basketball game.)
IN THE NEWS



  • Professor Frank Partnoy writes about the potential collapse of the U.S. financial system in The Atlantic, "The Looming Bank Collapse"


Visit the Media Highlights page to view more recent headlines. Read more recent news from the Law School on the News page. And check out the exciting spring issue of Berkeley Law's  Transcript  magazine .
Our Community
Alumni Hub: COVID-19
For your convenience, we have gathered information about Berkeley Law's response to COVID-19 on one page. Click here to see communications from the dean , faculty in the media, and more.
Pro Bono Opportunities
  • In March 2020, the Berkeley Center for Law and Business began mobilizing to support small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. One of its projects matches small businesses with law students to help them navigate the CARES Act. If you would like to assist students as an attorney volunteer, please complete the interest form here.
  • Looking to get more involved with legal projects related to your personal interests such as criminal justice, consumer rights, voting rights, and veterans rights, check out We the Action. This organization connects licensed attorneys to pro bono projects.
  • The Law School’s Pro Bono Office can assist legal services organizations seeking law students to help with pro bono projects. Click here for more information.
EVENTS
Wednesday Mindfulness Sessions : Berkeley Law's Office of Student Services provides guided mindfulness meditation on Wednesdays from 1:00-2:00 PST. It is open to all members of the Berkeley Law community, including alumni. Check the Law School's Events Calendar for the Zoom links.
Berkeley Boosts Shorts , in partnership with the Civil Justice Research Initiative, presents a series of webinars focused on civil legal issues and COVID-19. View the schedule and register here .
View Berkeley Law faculty speaking on the most pressing legal issues of the day, such as race and policing and COVID-19. Subscribe to Berkeley Law on  YouTube .
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Fatemah Albader '21
Professional Track  LL.M . | Zooming in from: Kuwait

Profile: Assistant Professor of International Law at Kuwait International Law School. She obtained her J.D., with Honors, from Emory University School of Law. She is an active member of the American Bar Association. She was appointed co-chair of the ABA Section of International Law Young Lawyers Interest Network and vice chair of publications of the ABA Section of International Law Middle East Committee for the upcoming Bar year. She is a member of the D.C. Bar.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an  LL.M . at Berkeley Law?
I wanted to further my studies, as I am immersed in academia. I chose Berkeley because of the professional track program, which allows me to obtain my degree in two summers.

Q: What area(s) of law are you interested in?
International law, namely  human rights  and humanitarian law.

Q: Do you have a favorite course or professor so far?
Both of my professors right now—James Higa and Bill Fernholz—have such vibrant personalities. I am so excited about their classes, such that I refuse to watch lectures online later. I force myself to attend at 2-4 a.m. Kuwait time to be in Prof. Higa's class.

Q: How are you juggling home life and school during the current coronavirus crisis?
Actually, coronavirus makes it somewhat easier, as, here in Kuwait, we are on an absolute curfew, meaning we cannot leave the home, unless we get government passes to leave at specific times to head to the grocery store in our location, and that is it. This allows me to focus all my time on studies and work.
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