Citing an “unprecedented moment” for democracy and the rule of law, Chemerinsky will add two years to his tenure to encourage the school to “think big,” deepen its public mission, and strengthen its long-term financial footing.
“We can and must do even more in the next few years.”
— Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
Berkeley, CA — April 13, 2026 — Erwin Chemerinsky’s tenure as the dean of UC Berkeley School of Law has been extended by two years, through June 30, 2029. The reappointment was announced today by UC Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost Benjamin E. Hermalin and Victoria C. Plaut, Vice Provost for the Faculty. Chemerinsky, who has led Berkeley Law for nine years, had planned to conclude his deanship in June 2027 at the end of his second five-year term.
The focused two-year extension is aimed at three priorities Chemerinsky identified: encouraging the school to “think big” about its future, strengthening its role in defending the rule of law, and — as the foremost priority — placing it on good long-term financial footing.
“Most of all, I want to use this additional time as dean to encourage us all to think big about what we can do to position Berkeley Law to truly make a difference in legal education, the legal system, and society,” Chemerinsky wrote in a message to the school community.
“Also, I think it is essential that Berkeley Law play a crucial role at this unprecedented moment in the history of our democracy. Our faculty, our students, our centers, and our clinics are all doing terrific work in myriad ways to uphold the rule of law. They are fighting to protect the climate, to safeguard immigrants, to reform the criminal justice system, to use AI constructively, to protect workers, to restore funding to University of California faculty and researchers, and so much more. We can and must do even more in the next few years. Berkeley Law, with its public mission, is uniquely positioned to do so.”
Chemerinsky has been similarly direct about the stakes in recent interviews. “I believe that our country is experiencing the most significant challenge to the rule of law in its history. As a law school, we have a special obligation to support and fight for the rule of law and for the principles in our Constitution,” he told the school’s Transcript magazine. “As a dean, I think it important to articulate our values and commitments, to support the work of our faculty and students in upholding the rule of law, and to do what I can to be part of these efforts.”
That work is already well underway, as chronicled in “Answering the Call,” a recent Transcript feature reporting on the many ways Berkeley Law faculty, students, staff, and alumni are working diligently to uphold the guardrails of democracy. Among them: Earlier this year, Clinical Professor Claudia Polsky ’96 initiated a class action — joined by Chemerinsky himself and a litigation team led by Elizabeth Cabraser ’78 of Lieff Cabraser, with Farella Braun + Martel — that has so far helped restore more than 700 federal grants worth roughly $1 billion to University of California researchers, and barred six federal agencies from terminating additional awards.
Chemerinsky also pointed to unfinished institutional work as a reason to stay. “My top priority is to put the Law School in a good, stable, and secure long-term financial situation. I believe that we can do this with a concerted effort from all of us.”
In response to the offer from UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons, Provost Hermalin, and Vice Provost Plaut to extend his deanship, Chemerinsky said he was “honored” to be asked and, after “great thought and discussions” with his wife, Berkeley Law Professor Catherine Fisk ’86, was “excited to accept this offer.”
Chemerinsky’s decision to serve for two additional years follows a sustained effort across the Berkeley Law community to encourage him to remain. In January, alumni, faculty, and friends of the school wrote to Chemerinsky pledging support for ensuring that his final term is “one of lasting influence and stability” and describing the school as having “a unique and profound responsibility and opportunity to convene the national discussion on the future of our democracy and the rule of law.” A separate letter from Berkeley Law staff echoed that call.
In a message to the Berkeley Law community today announcing the reappointment, Hermalin and Plaut wrote: “While our norm is for deans to serve no more than two consecutive five-year terms, we are extending Dean Chemerinsky’s appointment so that he can accomplish critical goals, especially strengthening the School’s financial position. We anticipate that the search for the next dean of Berkeley Law will launch in spring 2028 with a goal of having it conclude by early spring 2029. We invite you to join us in expressing gratitude to Dean Chemerinsky for his exceptional leadership of the Law School and his commitment to continue serving as dean.”
The extension will make Chemerinsky one of the longest-serving deans in Berkeley Law’s history. The last dean to serve more than 10 years was William Lloyd Prosser, who led the school for 13 years, from 1948 to 1961.
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