April 14, 2021
Dear Berkeley Law Alumni,
I write this message as our academic year is nearing completion and as so many consequential events continue to unfold around us. I know it has been a very difficult year for everyone and that some individuals and communities have suffered great hardships. But I also know that the Berkeley Law community has persisted in delivering a rigorous and supportive learning environment, producing important scholarship, and serving the public through pro bono work and the efforts of our clinics and centers. I am cautiously optimistic that we will be back to some semblance of normal for the Fall 2021 semester, and I wish the same for you and your family.
I wanted to update you on what has happened since my last quarterly message in January, including rankings, J.D. applications, the employment outlook for our graduates, commencement, faculty news, alumni news, and our budget. I am pleased to have much good news to share.
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Rankings: Every spring, I feel great trepidation before rankings come out. There is so much that is arbitrary about the rankings, and even capricious, such as penalizing schools that do more to help students launch public interest careers or that have lower tuition (because they then have less in per student expenditures). Besides, rankings certainly don’t measure all of the wonderful things about our community, our commitment to public service, or the excellence of our teaching. But nor can we deny their existence. They do give us a sense of how we are regarded by others and how by some metrics, however flawed, we compare to other law schools.
Several rankings have come out recently and overall they are quite good news. U.S. News publicly announced its 2022 rankings of law schools on March 30. We were ranked ninth overall (unlike last year, we are not tied with anyone in this spot). “Specialty rankings,” which generally reflect the strengths of faculty and programs, also were announced and we fared quite well in the following areas (sometimes tied with other schools):
#1 Intellectual Property
#1 Environmental Law
#2 Criminal Law/Criminal Procedure
#3 Business Law
#6 Constitutional Law
#6 International Law
#7 Contracts/Commercial Law
#9 Clinical Education
In addition, the U.S. News rankings are stunning in terms of the strength of Cal’s other graduate programs and professional schools. Berkeley achieved high scores in:
#1 English
#1 History
#1 Sociology
#3 Engineering
#4 Political Science
#4 Public Policy (Goldman School)
#7 Business (Haas)
#7 Economics
#8 Public Health
Other rankings have been released that also reflect the excellence of Berkeley Law. The QS World Rankings by Subject Matter 2021 ranking of law schools put us ninth in the world and sixth in the United States. (Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a global higher education think tank.)
Collectively, these rankings reflect the enormous hard work of our faculty, staff, and students. They also are a product of the loyalty and support from our alumni.
J.D. Applications: Applications for our J.D. program are up almost 50%. A year ago, we had about 5,500 applications and this year it is well over 8,000. Nationally, there is an increase in law school applications, but our growth far exceeds the national trend. Most importantly, the candidate pool is as highly qualified and as diverse as we have seen over the past few year. I expect that we will easily meet our target of 320 entering 1L students. You might enjoy viewing the video Why You?, which features our students and admitted students and was made as part of our admissions recruitment process.
I am very grateful to all of our alumni – over 200 – who are actively engaged in our Alumni Admissions Advisors Program this year. Special thanks, also, to Jay Purcell ‘11, who is devoting many hours to helping us recruit, train and motivate the Admissions Advisors. All of your efforts are making a huge difference!
Student Employment Outlook: On the hiring side, the good news is that, despite the pandemic, the employment outlook for our graduates and our students is excellent. For the Class of 2020, 95% were fully employed 10 months after graduation. This figure does not include several graduates whose employment began after the March 15, 2021 reporting date. While I do not have statistics yet, the post-graduate employment market for the Class of 2021, as well as the summer job market for our 1Ls and 2Ls, are shaping up to be a lot stronger than anybody would have guessed when a large segment of the economy was shut down mid-last year. All segments of the market--public interest, government, and the private sector--appear to be hiring at a pace similar to, and in many cases, better than last year. My thanks to all of our alumni who helped prep our 2Ls for our Winter Interview Program, and those who interviewed and hired Berkeley Law students.
Commencement for the Class of 2021: Like last year, the public health situation dictates that we cannot hold an in-person commencement ceremony on campus. This is an enormous disappointment for our graduating students and their families. Instead, a committee comprised of students and staff submitted recommendations for a virtual commencement on Friday, May 21, and I have approved their plan. We are fortunate that Bryan Stevenson, author, professor, and the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama, has agreed to be our commencement speaker. More information about how alumni can participate in commencement or watch the program afterwards will be available on our website in May.
Faculty News: Just this month, we were able to successfully recruit two new faculty members, Professors Jennifer Chacón and Jonathan Glater. Both currently serve on the UCLA Law faculty. Jennifer’s teaching and scholarship is focused on immigration law, constitutional law, and criminal law and procedure. Jonathan’s research focuses on accessibility of higher education and particularly on the implications of student debt. With the addition of Jennifer and Jonathan, the law school has now added more than 17 scholars to its ranks over the past three years.
I also have good news to share about three of our current faculty members. Professor Bertrall Ross received a distinguished honor. He was awarded the law school’s Rutter Award for Teaching Distinction. This award was established in 1995 by the late philanthropist, lawyer, educator, and author William Rutter, and it honors an instructor who inspires students and demonstrates a deep commitment to teaching. Also, Professor Ross has been named by President Biden to a prestigious commission to look at possible proposals for reforming the Supreme Court.
Professor Frank Zimring was chosen to deliver Cal’s prestigious Martin Meyerson Faculty Research Lecture this term. A pioneering scholar of violent crime, “Professor Zimring was considered to be the best in his field when came to Berkeley, and his stature has grown ever since,” UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ said when introducing him during the March 29 event. Frank’s talk can be viewed here: Police Killings: An American Tragedy.
Alumni News
On June 16 at 1 p.m. (PT), I will host another virtual alumni Town Hall. As I did in February, I will provide a brief update on the state of the law school and speak on the new Supreme Court. An invitation to alumni will be sent by email in May and information about the program will be available on our alumni webpage. https://www.law.berkeley.edu/alumni/
There are many other virtual alumni events scheduled over the next few months. A partial list is below.
CLE Programs Open to All Alumni
April 22, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PT – “Bias: Critical Race Theory: A Primer”
The Development and Alumni Office is sponsoring a CLE program entitled Bias: Critical Race Theory: A Primer. Professor Khiara M. Bridges will discuss the origins of critical race theory, explain its foundational commitments, and use it as a lens for understanding current events. This virtual event will be open to all alumni and eligible for 1.0 Elimination of Bias credit. Register here>>
May 19, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PT – “Leadership for Lawyers”
The San Francisco Alumni Chapter will host a virtual CLE program for all alumni on Leadership for Lawyers. The presenter will be Larry Center, founder of Center Leadership Coaching. This session is designed to give participates a greater appreciation of the character and skills required of leaders and the realization that we can be leaders in all areas of their lives. The program is eligible for 1.0 CLE credit. Many thanks to Mark Mao ‘04 and Boies Schiller Flexner LLP for generously sponsoring this event. Registration information is forthcoming.
Regional Engagement Alumni Chapter (REACh) Events
I am looking forward to meeting, albeit virtually, our alumni in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley on two separate days to discuss The Path Forward for American Democracy. Alumni in the L.A. area can register for the May 5, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. PT event here: Los Angeles REACh Chapter Event. The event in Silicon Valley will be held on May 12, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. PT. Please register here for that event: Silicon Valley REACh Chapter Event.
The DC REACh program kicked off in March with a program called The Year Ahead through a DC Lens. Special thanks to Lillian Hardy ’06, who is serving as the first chair of the chapter. We are planning to launch chapters in New York and Chicago next year. If you are interested in helping to form those groups, please contact Doreen de Roque at dderoque@law.berkeley.edu.
Planning Ahead: Alumni Reunion Weekend 2021
We are looking forward to Alumni Reunion Weekend 2021, and hope that this year we can gather in person. The dates are September 24 and 25. All graduates are welcome but we will especially celebrate our alumni in classes ending in 0’s, 1’s, 5’s and 6’s. More information about reunion will likely be available in July. The public health situation in Berkeley and on campus will dictate our plans, but I am hopeful that we can be in person.
Finally, Cal hosted its annual Big Give Day on March 11. This day of giving has become an important part of our annual fundraising effort. I am so grateful to all the alumni who gave that day, and our alumni volunteers who helped promote the effort on social media. This year’s results were more than double from a year ago. Over 600 gifts totaling more than $225,000 were contributed by alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the school for scholarship assistance, faculty support, our clinical program, and our unrestricted Berkeley Law Fund. I promise to put your gifts to good use.
Budget for 2021-2022. This has been an extraordinarily difficult budget year for us. We lost about $9 million in revenue from a significant decline in enrollment in our L.LM. program because of the pandemic. The Berkeley campus has a large deficit and cut our funding by $2.5 million. And, the University of California Office of the President reduced their funding of public interest programs, cutting funding by $500,000. Altogether, this created a $12 million shortfall. We have been able to handle this without compromising our educational program in any way or laying off staff by strategic cost-cutting and by relying on our reserves.
I fear next fiscal year also will be quite difficult. Chancellor Christ has announced that there again will be cuts in funding for each school and I expect at least another $2.5 million cut for the Law School. The Office of the President has said that it will cut funding for public interest programs by another $300,000 on top of the cut from last year. And our ability to attract international students remains uncertain and depends on the public health situation and travel restrictions.
We will get through this. But now, more than ever, the support of our alumni is essential and enormously appreciated. If you are in a position to contribute to the school, it would make a real difference. Here is a link to our giving website: Make a Gift.
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At this very difficult time, I feel very fortunate to be part of the wonderful Berkeley Law community. My enormous thanks to all of you who do so much to make it a very special place. As always, I welcome hearing from our alumni. I can be reached at echemerinsky@law.berkeley.edu and (510) 642-6483.
I wish each of you and your loved ones all the best.
Warmly,
