From: Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
Date: May 28, 2025
At Berkeley Law, we are proud to be a public institution committed to advancing justice through legal education. That mission does not stop at the border. International students and scholars are vital members of our community and central to our mission.
Educating international lawyers in U.S. law is an essential part of our work and a public good. Our international students strengthen the legal profession around the world. Some return home to become judges, advocates, policymakers, or educators. Others stay in the United States or move elsewhere to serve communities in need of legal expertise. Wherever they go, their Berkeley Law education makes a difference.
International students and scholars also enrich life here at the law school. They bring perspectives shaped by different legal systems and lived experiences. They challenge assumptions, raise new questions, and help all of us become better thinkers and more effective lawyers. At a time when so many legal challenges are global in scope, learning from and with one another is critically important.
We are deeply concerned about the U.S. State Department’s recent decision to pause new interview appointments for student and exchange visas. This creates delays and possibly barriers for those who are ready to begin their studies this fall. We strongly support the University of California’s call for visa interviews to resume quickly so that students and scholars can move forward with their education and their research.
The Berkeley International Office (BIO) will continue to provide guidance as information becomes available. I encourage you to review their most recent updates here:
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BIO is advising that students apply for a visa, if they have not already done so, and schedule an interview as soon as possible.
You are not just welcome at Berkeley Law. You are an essential part of who we are.
Warmly,
Erwin
Erwin Chemerinsky
Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law
University of California, Berkeley School of Law