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April 13, 2022

Dear Berkeley Law Alumni,
 
I write this quarterly message in mid-April with just a couple of weeks left in our classes for the semester. It has been a strange and difficult year in many ways. It has been wonderful to have in-person classes except for the first three weeks of this semester, but it also has felt strange for all of us to be wearing masks in the building. It is harder to get to know each other and I miss the ability to share smiles. Until the last couple of weeks, we were not allowed to have food at events in the building, which affected the number of events and attendance at them. And, of course, we dealt with the tremendous sadness of the deaths of two beloved colleagues, Lucinda Sikes and Stephen Sugarman.
 
Despite everything, we’ve made it through the academic year and I believe that our community is stronger than ever. Indeed, if you look at Berkeley Law by the numbers, things are going really well. One of the statistics that I am most proud of is that almost 95% of our first-year J.D. students did pro bono work this year. In fact, we achieved 95% on many crucial measures. Over 95% of our J.D. class of 2021 passed the California bar. We had the highest bar pass rate of any California law school. Over 95% of the J.D. class of 2021 was employed in full-time jobs as measured 10 months after graduation. And that does not include seven members of the class who are in full-time graduate or professional programs and a few who decided not to enter the job market immediately.
 
Among the numbers are our rankings, which I have written you about. Berkeley Law remains #9 overall in the annual U.S. News rankings, with a whopping nine top-10 specialty rankings for our programs, three of which are ranked #1 in the country. Specialty rankings are evaluated by U.S. News based on surveys administered to faculty who teach in those areas at all 199 ABA-approved law schools. No other law school has more programs ranked among the top 10 than Berkeley Law, and only three others have as many.
 
● Our Intellectual Property program again ranked #1
● Our Environmental Law program again ranked #1
● Our Business/Corporate Law program ranked #1
● Our Criminal Law program ranked #2
● Our Contracts/Commercial Law program ranked #7
● Our International Law program ranked #7
● Our Constitutional Law program ranked #8
● Our Clinical Training program ranked #8
● And our Trial Advocacy program has risen to #10 
 
One of the things that makes Berkeley Law special is our excellence across many different disciplines.
 
Our faculty ranks sixth nationally in scholarly impact, according to the latest version of a study that tracks citations as a measure of professors’ influence. We also rank #8 in Law.com’s 2022 Go-To Law Schools report, analyzing which law schools sent the highest percentage of 2021 graduates to associate jobs at the nation’s largest 100 law firms. There is not a ranking, but I am sure we are near the top in the percentage of our students obtaining clerkships, prestigious fellowships, and public interest jobs.
 
We are in the process of recruiting a number of new faculty members and I look forward to sharing good news with you about this in my next message. We also are in the process of admitting the Class of 2025. All indications about it are enormously positive and I will share the details when we have a complete picture of our new 1L students.
 
A few other things that might be of interest:
 
Commencement: Commencement for the Class of 2022 will be held in the Greek Theatre on Friday, May 13, at 9:00 a.m. We also will have a commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021 on Saturday, May 21, at 9:00 a.m. in the Greek Theatre. These two classes did not have the experience of an in-person commencement and we very much look forward to it.
 
Big Give: The Law School had a terrific day on March 10 during UC Berkeley’s annual 24-hour fundraising drive. We raised $605,219. This is compared to $213,761 last year. My enormous thanks to all of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni who contributed. And great thanks for our Development and Alumni Relations staff who did a superb job in making this such a success.
 
Alumni Reunion Weekend: Reunion will be held from September 30 to October 2, with a focus on classes ending in a “2” or a “7.” Everyone from all classes is welcome for what promises to be a very special weekend. Details to follow!
 
Going forward: As was announced, I have been reappointed as dean of Berkeley Law for another five-year term. I am thrilled. My top priorities for my second term are to put the Law School on a very stable long-term financial footing; to solve our space crisis in the short and long terms; to enhance our public mission, including expanding our in-house clinical faculty; to continue to recruit and retain outstanding faculty; to enhance the student experience at Berkeley Law in all of our programs; to continue to enhance the diversity and inclusiveness of our students, staff, and faculty; and to further engage our alumni and enhance our development efforts. I feel tremendously fortunate that I will have the opportunity to lead this wonderful law school for another five years.
 
A large part of what makes Berkeley Law special is its terrific community and our great alumni. Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me directly at echemerinsky@law.berkeley.edu or (510) 642-6483.
 
Warmly,