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Inter Alia | Alumni Newsletter | April 2024

Our Community

"An Enormous Privilege’: Service Trips Turn Spring Break Into Powerful Pro Bono Work

Students who participate in the Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips (BLAST) say it’s an intense but invigorating experience, intellectually and personally — and this year was no exception. Read more>>

More Than a Pet Project: Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Leaders Push for Real Change

Three students lead the group’s effort to broaden awareness of animal rights issues and show how they intersect with other social justice concerns. Read more>>

‘A Superb Teacher and a Great Scholar’: Professor Andrea Roth Awarded New Faculty Chair

Roth, a groundbreaking scholar of criminal law and evidence in an increasingly technology-driven world, is the first Barry Tarlow Chancellor’s Chair in Criminal Justice. Read more>>

Cutting to the Chase: Barbershop Launches 2L Dominick Williams to Prestigious Journal’s Top Role

Williams has parlayed working at Lord Tony’s in Sacramento to becoming editor in chief of the California Law Review, where he’s pushing to expand the journal’s accessibility and reach. Read more>>

LL.M. Student Deshna Desai Unravels the Fashion Industry’s Legal Threads

Desai, who wrote an article recently published in the Fashion & Law Journal, probes some of the compelling aspects, important nuances, and timely issues at the nexus of law and fashion. Read more>>

Spring Into Berkeley Law's Magazine 

The new issue of our magazine, Transcript, includes features on how a surge in scholarships is expanding student access and opportunity and how alumni professors are spreading Berkeley Law’s stellar intellectual culture. Other content highlights student success in landing coveted public interest fellowships, vital work to combat climate change, and worldwide training sessions to guide digital investigations of atrocities. There's also a lively photo essay, profiles of star students, class notes, and more. You can read an accessible, interactive digital version or a PDF. 

Los Angeles Chapter Hike and Happy Hour in Calabasas

Saturday, May 11, 1-5 pm, Victory Trailhead, Woodland Hills, CA. Join a gathering of Los Angeles alumni for a spring hike at the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. Following the hike, a number of us will gather at the nearby Sagebrush Cantina for happy hour and live music. With thanks to Donna Schuele '85 for organizing. Register here>>

New York Chapter Fireside Chat with Professor Sheila Foster ’88

Monday, May 20, 6:30-8:30 pm. Join us for a reception and conversation between Jami Floyd ’89 and Sheila Foster ’88 as they discuss the intersection of climate change, marginalized communities, and the law. Many thanks to Allan Marks ’90 and Milbank for hosting. Register here>>

DC Chapter Fireside Chat with Senator Peter Welch ’73 (VT): Save the Date!

Wednesday, June 5, 6-8 pm. Join us for a reception and conversation with Vermont Senator Peter Welch ’73 as he discusses his experiences on the Senate Judiciary Committee and with the Supreme Court. Registration opens soon. 

DC Chapter Happy Hour: Save the Date! 

Thursday, June 6, 6-8 pm. Registration opens soon. 



Summer Gatherings: Save the Date! 

Our large market alumni chapters invite alumni to welcome our new 1Ls and meet rising 2Ls and 3Ls. Registration opens soon. 

• Wednesday, July 17 - Washington, DC
• Thursday, July 18 - New York City 
• Tuesday, July 23 - Los Angeles
• Wednesday, July 24 - Silicon Valley 

Berkeley Art, Finance, and Law Symposium

Thursday, May 16, SFMOMA. The Berkeley Center for Law and Business is hosting its third annual Berkeley Art, Finance, and Law Symposium. The program will feature cutting-edge conversations at the intersection of art, law, finance, technology, and culture. For further details, including confirmed speakers and topics of discussion, visit the website and register here>>

IABA Annual Reunion

Friday, June 21 - Sunday, June 23. The IABA (International Association of Berkeley Law Alumni in Europe) Annual Reunion will take place in St. Gall, Switzerland. Information packet for the 2024 IABA Reunion Weekend>> Registration form>>

Save the Date! Alumni Reunion 2024, September 20-21

This fall, we are looking forward to gathering in Berkeley with alumni of all class years and celebrating those in class years ending in 4 and 9. Class dinners will be held on Saturday, September 21. Event registration and program details are expected in July. Email reunion@law.berkeley.edu with questions. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Volunteer Opportunities

Alumni Volunteer Mentors Needed For Summer BigLaw Interview Prep

We are looking for 250 volunteers to mentor rising 2L students this summer as they prepare for both BigLaw and Plaintiff’s Side interviews. The time commitment is one 30-minute conversation in May or June and a second 30-minute conversation in June or July. Interested? Please contact Erin Dineen at edineen@law.berkeley.edu.

International Law Alumni

The Berkeley Journal of International Law is working on building a network of Berkeley Law alumni and students who are interested and involved in international law. If you are interested in our initiative, have ties to Berkeley Law or BJIL, and have experience with international law and cross-border work, please consider joining the Berkeley Law International Law Network Group or connecting with the student leaders here>>

Berkeley Boosts

Free webinars on hot topics in business, law, technology, and civil justice (most are eligible for MCLE credit). Learn more and subscribe>>

ESG University

Inaugural Cohort Starts June 29. Lead your organization into the future of sustainable capitalism with this self-paced online certificate program and community. The course includes live office hours and networking, plus interviews with thought leaders. Two tracks: One for practitioners and another condensed version for directors and C-suite executives. Alumni are eligible for a 15% discount off general tuition. Register here>> 

Corporate Finance Fundamentals

Registration Open. Learn the language of business and transform your career. This online certificate program for practicing attorneys and other non-financial professionals focuses on how to apply financial information analysis and corporate valuation in a variety of corporate settings and throughout the legal practice. Register now>>

VC University

Registration Now Open; Early Bird Discount until May 17. Perfect for professionals new to venture capital and practitioners who want to reinforce their understanding of venture fundamentals! VC University is the definitive online course in venture finance. Participants will learn the nuts and bolts of venture and earn a certificate of completion. Course components include lectures, conversations with leading venture capitalists, interactive activities, and networking. Past cohorts have sold out. Register today>>

Generative AI for the Legal Profession - New Course!

Registration Open; Self-paced Online Executive Course. Taught by Wei Chen, a seasoned general counsel with extensive experience in AI applications, this skills-based course explores generative AI's role in legal practice through lectures, use cases, and interactive exercises in prompt engineering. The course includes exclusive, monthly Lunch and Learn webinars with industry experts. Alumni can save 30% off general tuition. Learn more and register>>

Unique, Free CLE Program Thrives at Berkeley Law

Laws and regulations are critical to today’s tech and IP landscape. In-house counsel, mid-size firms, and solo practitioners need advanced legal material to help them navigate today’s ever-changing issues, and of course they need to earn required CLE credit. The Berkeley Center for Law & Technology developed a proprietary training and CLE platform – B-CLE – that is open to the entire legal community, providing this advanced content and CLE credit at no charge. About to enter its third year, B-CLE has grown to a catalog of 528 courses and 4,000 subscribers. A broad range of live webcasts and on-demand programs cover material in multiple areas of tech and IP law. We encourage you to take a look at our unique CLE platform>>.