Skip to content Skip to main menu
  • News
  • Events
  • Law Library
  • Giving
  • Alumni
  • Quicklinks

    • Academic Calendar
    • bCourses Overview
    • bCourses Link
    • Business Services
    • Schedule of Classes
    • View Evaluations
    • Identity Resources
    • RoloLaw
    • COVID-19 Protocols
    • Event, Catering and Food Policy
    • Emergency Info
    • Resource Hub for Faculty & Staff

    Support

    • Reporting Potential COVID-19 Cases
    • COVID-19 Remote Teaching Resources
    • Computing Support
    • Faculty Support Unit
    • Berkeley Law Events
    • Faculty Services (Library)
    • Human Resources & Academic Personnel
    • Instructional Technology
    • Phones
    • Room Reservations
    • Building Services
    • Resources to Respond to Sexual Harassment
  • Quicklinks

    • Academic Calendar
    • b-Line
    • Berkeley Law Facebook
    • Financial Aid
    • Faculty Profiles
    • Schedule of Classes
    • Teaching Evaluations
    • Final Exam Review Session Schedule
    • Exams
    • Final Exam Schedule
    • CalCentral
    • COVID-19 Protocols
    • Event, Catering and Food Policy
    • Emergency Info
    • Resource Hub for Students

    Student Services

    • Reporting Potential COVID-19 Cases
    • Student Services Office
    • Academic Skills Program
    • Student Organizations
    • Student Journals
    • Commencement
    • Bookstore
    • Wellness at Berkeley Law
    • Registrar
    • University Health Services
    • Resources to Respond to Sexual Harassment
    • Inclusive Restrooms
  • Search for People at Berkeley Law

Berkeley Law
    • Academics Home
    • Areas of Study
      • Social Justice and Public Interest
        • Curriculum
          • J.D. Path
          • LL.M. Path
        • Social Justice+Public Interest Community at Berkeley Law
          • Public Interest and Pro Bono Graduation
      • Business and Start-ups
        • Business Law Curriculum
        • Business Law Faculty
      • Law and Technology
        • Student Activities
        • Law and Tech Curriculum
        • Law and Tech Faculty
      • Environmental Law
      • Criminal Justice
      • International and Comparative Law
        • Centers, Clinics, and Programs
        • Faculty
        • Student Activities
      • Constitutional and Regulatory
      • Law and Economics
        • Faculty
        • Prospective Students
        • Visiting Scholars
        • Law and Economics Fellowship
    • J.D. Program
      • First-Year Curriculum
      • Concurrent Degree Programs
      • Combined Degree Programs
      • Berkeley-Harvard Degree Programs
    • LL.M. Programs
      • Current Academic Calendars
      • LL.M. Executive Track
        • LL.M. Executive Track Academic Calendar
          • 2023 LL.M. Executive Track Academic Calendar
          • Past LL.M. Executive Track Academic Calendars
        • LL.M. Executive Track Courses
      • LL.M. Traditional Track
        • Current Academic Calendars
      • LL.M. Courses
      • Certificates of Specialization
      • Application & Admission
        • Steps to Apply
        • Application Forms & Deadlines
        • Eligibility & Admission Standards
        • Application Checklist
        • Admissions Policies
        • Check Application Status
      • Tuition & Financial Aid
        • Cost of Attendance
        • Scholarships
        • Ways to Fund Your Studies
          • Financial Aid Checklist for LL.M./J.S.D. Students
        • FAQ Financial Aid
      • Professional Development
      • Admitted Students
        • Visas
        • Housing for LL.M. Students
        • Cancellation & Refund Policies
      • Join an Event & Connect with LL.M. Staff
        • Recruiting and Informational Events
        • Visit Us!
        • Contact Us
      • Meet Our Students
        • LL.M. Thesis Track Student Profiles
      • Meet Our Partners
      • Questions? Start Here
    • Doctoral Programs
      • J.S.D. Program
        • Application & Admission
          • Steps to Apply
          • Application Form & Deadline
          • Eligibility & Admission Standards
          • Application Checklist
          • Check Application Status
        • J.S.D. Tuition & Financial Aid
          • Cost of Attendance for JSD
          • Robbins J.S.D. Fellowship
        • J.S.D. Student Profiles
          • Zehra Betul Ayranci
          • Ella Corren
          • Silvia Fregoni
          • George Lambeth Vicent
          • Sylvia Si-Wei Lu
          • Natsuda Rattamanee
          • Youngmin Seo
          • Abdullah Alkayat Alazemi ’21
          • Mehtab Khan ’21
          • Maximilien Zahnd ’21
          • Shao-Man Lee ’20
          • Alvaro Pereira ’20
        • Contact Us
      • Ph.D. Program – Jurisprudence and Social Policy (JSP)
        • Events Calendar »
    • Executive Education
    • Schedule of Classes
      • Two Year Curriculum Plan
    • Current Academic Calendars
      • 2023-2024 Academic Calendar
      • Past Academic Calendars
        • 2022-2023 Academic Calendar
        • 2021-2022 Academic Calendar
        • 2020-2021 Academic Calendar
        • 2019-2020 Academic Calendar
        • 2018-2019 Academic Calendar
        • 2017-2018 Academic Calendar
        • 2016-2017 Academic Calendar
        • 2015-2016 Academic Calendar
        • 2014-2015 Academic Calendar
        • 2013-2014 Academic Calendar
        • 2012-2013 Academic Calendar
        • 2011-2012 Academic Calendar
        • 2010-2011 Academic Calendar
        • 2009-2010 Academic Calendar
        • 2008-2009 Academic Calendar
      • Future Academic Calendars
        • 2024-2025 Academic Calendar
    • Registrar
      • Order of the Coif and Dean’s List
      • Academic Rules
        • Supplemental Academic Rules for Traditional Track LL.M. Students
        • Academic Honor Code
        • Academic Rules Petition
        • Academic Rule 3.06 – applies to the Class of 2010 and before
        • Credit Hours
      • Registration
      • Transcripts
      • Verification of Attendance
      • Registrar’s Forms
      • Ordering a Diploma »
      • J.D. Academic Guidance
        • 3L Requirements FAQ
        • 3L Degree Worksheet
      • Registrar’s Student FAQ
      • Bar Information
        • State Bar Swearing-In Ceremony Information
    • Admissions Home
    • J.D. Admissions
      • Applying for the J.D. Degree
        • Ready to Apply
        • After You’ve Applied
        • Transfer & Visiting Student Applicants
        • FAQs
      • Entering Class Profile
      • Connect with Admissions
        • Plan Your Visit
        • Virtual Engagement
        • Recruitment Events
        • View the Prospectus
        • Contact LL.M. Admissions
        • Contact J.S.P. Admissions
      • Meet Our Students
      • Studying at Berkeley Law
      • Living in the Bay Area
      • Diversity at Berkeley Law
      • Concurrent & Combined Degree Programs
      • Faculty Admissions Policy
      • Financial Aid
        • Prospective and Entering Students
          • Entering Student Registration & Financial Aid Information
          • Financial Aid for International J.D. Students
          • Financial Aid for Undocumented J.D. Students
          • Legal Resident Information
        • Types of Aid
          • Scholarships
          • Loans
          • Work-Study
          • Native American Opportunity Plan
          • Financial Aid for Active Military and Veteran J.D. Students
          • Resources For Bar Related Expenses
        • How to Apply
          • Financial Aid Checklist & Timeline For Entering Students
          • Financial Aid Checklist & Timeline For Continuing Students
          • Financial Aid Checklist & Timeline For Incoming Transfer Students
        • Fees & Cost of Attendance
          • Cost of Attendance Adjustments
        • Forms
        • Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)
          • LRAP Eligibility Guidelines
          • LRAP Eligibility Calculator
          • How to Apply for LRAP
          • LRAP Forms
          • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
          • News & Updates
          • LRAP & PSLF Testimonials
          • LRAP FAQs
        • Info Sessions & Presentations
        • Financial Literacy
        • Financial Aid – J.D. Concurrent Degree Programs
        • FAQ & Glossary
        • Requesting a Financial Aid Award for a Student
        • About Our Team
      • Outreach Partnerships
      • Admitted Students – First-Year »
      • Admitted Students – Transfer & Visitor Status »
      • For Current Berkeley Law Students
      • Admissions Policies
      • ABA Required Disclosures »
    • LL.M. Admissions
    • J.S.D. Admissions
    • Ph.D. (JSP) Admissions
    • Visiting Scholar and Visiting Student Researcher Admissions
    • Faculty & Research Home
    • Faculty Experts by Topic
    • Faculty Profiles
    • Deans Emeritus Lecturers
    • Recent Faculty Scholarship
    • Awards and Honors
    • Faculty on Social Media
    • Faculty in the News
    • Featured Research
    • Centers, Institutes & Initiatives
    • Experiential Home
    • Clinical Program
      • Apply to the Clinics
      • Death Penalty Clinic
        • About the Clinic
          • Faculty and Staff
          • Alumni
        • Clinic News
        • Projects and Cases
          • Death Penalty Clinic Amicus Curiae Briefs
          • Whitewashing the Jury Box: How California Perpetuates the Discriminatory Exclusion of Black and Latinx Jurors
        • Information for Students
        • Resources and Publications
          • Capital Defense Internships and Jobs
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • East Bay Community Law Center
      • Environmental Law Clinic
        • About the Clinic
        • Information for Students
        • Newsletters
        • Clinic News
        • Student Voices
        • Faculty and Staff
        • Alumni
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • International Human Rights Law Clinic
        • About the Clinic
          • Alumni
          • Faculty and Staff
        • Clinic News
        • Projects and Cases
          • Accountability and Transitional Justice
          • Promoting Human Rights in the United States
          • A Rights-Based Approach to Combating Poverty: Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
          • Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights
        • Family Members of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas vs. United States
        • Independent Investigation of the Murder of Berta Cáceres
        • Living with Impunity: Unsolved Murders in Oakland and the Human Rights Impact on Victims’ Family Members
        • A New Border Vision
        • Who Will Be Left to Defend Human Rights? Persecution of Online Expression in the Gulf and Neighboring Countries
        • Resources and Publications by Focal Area
        • Information for Students
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • New Business Community Law Clinic
        • About the Clinic
        • Information for Students
        • Our Work
        • Services to California’s Central Valley
        • New Businesses
        • Events
        • Apply for Services
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • Policy Advocacy Clinic
        • About Us
        • People
          • Georgia Valentine
        • Clinic News
        • Juvenile Fee Abolition in California
          • COVID-19 Action on Juvenile Fees
        • Resources and Publications
        • Information for Students
        • Donate to the Clinic
      • Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic
        • About
          • Faculty and Staff
          • Clinic Alumni
          • Partners
        • Clinic News
        • Our Work
        • Information for Students
        • Access Reports
      • Clinical Program Annual Report
        • Annual Report Archive
      • The Brian M. Sax Prize for Excellence in Clinical Advocacy
        • Brian M. Sax
        • Recipients
    • Pro Bono Program
      • The Pro Bono Pledge
        • Definition of Pro Bono
      • Log Your Pro Bono Hours
        • Definition of Pro Bono
      • Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS)
        • How to Apply
        • Current Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects
          • Animal Law and Advocacy
          • Arts and Innovation Representation
          • Berkeley Immigration Group
          • Berkeley Law Anti-Trafficking Project
          • Berkeley Law and Organizing Collective
          • California Asylum Representation Clinic
          • Clean Energy Leaders In Law
          • Community Defense Project
          • Consumer Protection Public Policy Order
          • Contra Costa Reentry Project
          • Digital Rights Project
          • Disability Rights Project
          • Drug Policy, Education, and Decriminalization Project
          • East Bay Dreamers Project
          • Environmental Conservation Outreach
          • Family Defense Project
          • Food Justice Project
          • Foster Education Project
          • Free The Land Project
          • Gun Violence Prevention Project
          • Homelessness Service Project
          • International Human Rights Workshop
          • International Refugee Assistance Project
          • La Alianza Workers’ and Tenants’ Rights Clinic
          • Legal Automation Workshop
          • Legal Obstacles Veterans Encounter
          • Name and Gender Change Workshop
          • Native American Legal Assistance Project
          • Palestine Advocacy Legal Assistance Project
          • Police Review Project
          • Political and Election Empowerment Project
          • Post-Conviction Advocacy Project
          • Queer Justice Project
          • Reentry Advocacy Project
          • Reproductive Justice Project
          • Startup Law Initiative
          • Survivor Advocacy Project
          • Tenants’ Rights Workshop
          • Workers’ Rights Clinic
          • Youth Advocacy Project
        • How to Start a New SLP
        • Inactive Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects
          • AI Legal Workshop
          • Berkeley Abolitionist Lawyering Project
          • Berkeley Immigration Law Clinic
          • Berkeley Students in Support of Arts and Innovation
          • Civil Rights Outreach Project (CROP)
          • Community Restorative Justice Project
          • Juvenile Hall Outreach
          • Karuk-Berkeley Collaborative Legal
          • Local Economies and Entrepreneurship Project
          • Prisoner Advocacy Network
          • Wage Justice Clinic
          • Workers’ Rights Disability Law Clinic
        • SLPS Champions
      • Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips (BLAST)
        • Current Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips (BLAST)
          • Alaska
          • Atlanta
          • Central Valley
          • Kentucky
          • Hawai’i
          • Mississippi
          • U.S./Mexico Border
        • Inactive Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trips
          • Los Angeles
          • South Texas
          • Tijuana
      • Call for Necessary Engagement in Community & Timely Response (CNECT)
        • Berkeley Law Afghanistan Project
        • Current & Past CNECT Partners
          • Hub for Equity in Administrative Representation
          • Racial Justice Legal Research Bank Project
        • CNECT News
      • Independent Projects
      • Opportunities for LL.M. Students
      • Supervising Attorneys
      • Pro Bono Spotlights
        • Tori Porell, Supervising Attorney FosterEd
        • Drug Policy, Education, and Decriminalization (DECrim) Project
        • Caity Lynch, JD ’25
        • Berkeley Immigration Group SLP Supervising Attorneys
        • Family Defense Project
        • Gabby Cirelli, JD ’24
        • Brooke D’Amore Bradley, JD ’23
        • Taiya Tkachuk, ’24
        • Emily Chuah ’24
        • Malak Afaneh ’24
        • KeAndra Hollis ’24
        • Maripau Paz ’24
        • Lucero Cordova ’23
        • Bharti Tyagi ’21
        • Benji Martinez ’23
        • Will Morrow ’23
        • Stephanie Clemente ’23
        • Francesco Arreaga ’21
        • Armbien Sabillo ’21
        • Kelsey Peden ’21
        • Jennifer Sherman ‘22
        • Professor Khiara M. Bridges
        • Professor Kristen Holmquist
      • Awards
      • Law Firm Pro Bono Programs
      • New York Bar Pro Bono Requirement
      • For Public Interest & Pro Bono Providers
    • Professional Skills Program
      • Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing Program
      • Elective Skills Courses
    • Advocacy Competitions Program
      • Eligibility by Class Year
      • Internal Competitions
        • McBaine Honors Moot Court
          • 2024 McBaine Competition
          • Previous Years’ McBaine Competitions
          • Past McBaine Winners
          • McBaine — Frequently Asked Questions
          • Helpful Materials
        • Halloum Negotiations Competition (Spring)
          • Competition FAQ
          • Previous Winners
        • Halloum Business Competition (Fall)
        • Bales Trial Competition
        • Pahlke Internal Trial Competition (PINT)
      • External Competitions (BOA)
        • BOA Tryouts
        • Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Team
        • Moot Court Team
        • Tech & IP Team
        • Trial Team
      • Competition Videos
    • Field Placement Program
      • Testimonials
      • How to Apply
      • Judicial Externships
      • Civil Field Placements
      • Criminal Field Placements
      • Away Field Placements
        • Berkeley Law in The Hague
        • INHR Program
        • UCDC Law Program
      • For Supervisors and Host Organizations
        • BACE: Bay Area Consortium on Externships
      • Administrative Rules
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Startup@BerkeleyLaw
      • Law Students
      • Entrepreneurs
        • How to Start a Startup @ Cal
        • FORM+FUND
        • Startup Law Initiative
      • Investors
    • Domestic Violence Field Placement
      • About the Director
      • How to Apply
      • Companion Seminar
      • History & Impact
    • Veterans Law Practicum
    • Careers Home
    • For J.D. Students
      • Appointments and Drop-in Hours
      • Private Sector Careers
        • Explore Private Sector Careers
        • Find Private Sector Jobs
          • 2023 OCI: EIW & FIP
          • OCI Alternatives
          • SIP – Spring 2024
      • Public Interest Careers
        • Explore Public Interest
          • Public Interest/Public Sector Employer Events & Resources
        • Find Public Interest Jobs
          • PI/PS Interviewing Resources
          • Using Interview Programs to Land Your 1L Summer Job
          • Post-Graduate Public Interest Fellowships
          • PI/PS Job Search Videos
        • Finance Your Public Interest Career
          • Summer Funding for PI/PS Internships & Judicial Externships
          • Berkeley Law Bridge and Public Interest Fellowships
      • Public Sector Careers
        • Federal Government Careers
        • State & Local Government Careers (incl. CA)
        • Careers in Policy/Politics
      • Judicial Clerkships
        • Application Instructions & Resources
        • Clerkship and Interview Evaluations
        • Videos of Clerkship Programs
      • Judicial Externships
      • Academic Careers
        • FAQ
        • Further Reading
        • Alumni Contacts
        • Links
        • Webcasts
      • Alternative Careers
    • For LL.M. Students
    • For Employers
      • Berkeley Law Recruiting Policies
      • Employer Resources for Virtual Internship Programs
      • Non Discrimination and Non Harassment Policies
      • Grading Policy
      • Interview Programs
      • Posting Job Listings
      • Reaching Berkeley Law J.D. Students
    • PSJD »
    • For Alumni
      • For Recent Graduate Job-Seekers
      • Enrichment Opportunities for Recent Grads
      • Executive Education
      • CDO Online Resources
      • Alumni Resource Collection
      • Help the CDO
    • About CDO
      • CDO Staff News
    • Career Resource Library
    • Employment Outcomes
      • Employment Statistics
      • Judicial Clerkship Placement Statistics
  • Racial Justice
Home Articles News Ten Student Success Stories Reveal Just a Sampling of Thriving Lives at Berkeley Law

Ten Student Success Stories Reveal Just a Sampling of Thriving Lives at Berkeley Law

spirit-group
2019 Spirit Week at Berkeley Law
  • Share article on Facebook
  • Share article on Twitter
  • Share article on LinkedIn
  • Email article

By Andrew Cohen 

For Berkeley Law applicants who have been admitted by the school, there’s a natural curiosity about the community they may join. 

The current 1L class—3.81 median GPA, 168 median LSAT, 49 percent people of color, 11 percent first-generation college students—reflects the school’s excellence and diversity. They include a former CNN photo editor, NBA Twitter account manager, radio talk show host, “Sesame Street” performer, python catcher, NASA jet propulsion lab worker, and fire dancer.

At Berkeley Law, the talents and tenacity students bring and the new skills they develop while here are a continual source of inspiration. Here are 10 stories about remarkable students from just the past few months.

Cultivating a Latinx Legal Community 

Estefani Rodriguez ’21 & Katelyn Feliciano
Estefani Rodriguez ’21 & Katelyn Feliciano

When Katelyn Feliciano ‘21 was considering law schools, she wanted to find a Latinx community—something she lacked as an undergrad. She saw that the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal was “one of the only journals focused on Latinx issues and scholars in the T14 (top 14 ranked law schools). Then when I came to Admitted Students Weekend, La Raza students were so welcoming. The co-chair … told me about the academic and professional development, the programming, and just the great community of people. It really sealed the deal for me.”

Feliciano and Estefani Rodriguez ‘21, co-chairs of the school’s La Raza Student Association, spent months planning the curriculum and lining up speakers for 16 panels at this year’s National Latino Law Students Association Conference March 5-7. Hosted by Berkeley Law for the first time, the event confronts topics relevant to Latinx attorneys, law students, and prospective law school applicants while building community and professional networks. 

The main message? “Be brown, be proud, and bring that to law school,” Rodriguez says. “I think a lot of Latinx students, especially first-generation students, deal with imposter syndrome. But you shouldn’t feel because you’re coming to law school that you have to lose your identity. I think this conference will help Latinx people feel like they belong here and that their voices are valuable.” Read more. 

Home State Advantage 

Thanks largely to the initiative of two students in Berkeley Law’s Policy Advocacy Clinic, Nevada families no longer have to pay thousands of dollars for everything from food to a public defender when they have a child in the juvenile delinquency system.

Savannah Reid '20 (left) and Dagen Downard '20
Policy Advocacy Clinic students Savannah Reid ’20 (left) and Dagen Downard ’20 (center) outside the Nevada State Legislature building with Jared Busker from the Children’s Advocacy Alliance.

Nevada natives Savannah Reid ’20 and Dagen Downard ’20 were instrumental in the unanimous passage of a state bill ending the harmful practice of charging fees to parents and guardians for almost every aspect of their children’s involvement in the juvenile system. The clinic’s extensive research in states and counties across the country shows the fees disproportionately harm poor families and families of color, and that collecting such fees is not cost-effective.

“I don’t feel comfortable taking credit for the passage of this bill. This was the work of Savannah and Dagen in particular,” says Denise Tanata, executive director of a Nevada nonprofit (Children’s Advocacy Alliance) that partnered with the clinic. “I guarantee that this bill would not have gone forward without … the work the students did.” Read more. 

Taking the Criminal Justice High Road

The easy path holds little interest for Safa Ansari-Bayegan ’20. Throughout her journey toward the legal profession, one filled with awards and accolades, she remains driven to probe the deep-rooted causes of crime—and to trek uphill helping low-income defendants. 

Starting this fall, those efforts will get a huge boost as an E. Barrett Prettyman Fellow. Awarded to just three 3Ls from hundreds of applicants, the coveted two-year LL.M. fellowship at Georgetown Law funnels vast resources toward developing stellar, devoted indigent defense counsel through rigorous training. Ansari-Bayegan will receive stipends totaling $117,000, with full benefits, in addition to full tuition and fees.

“The amazing clinical experiences I’ve had here at Berkeley Law made this possible,” she says of her work with the school’s Death Penalty Clinic and East Bay Community Law Center. Read more. 

Pathway for Patriots

Active military and veteran students are a growing presence at Berkeley Law, enriching the collective learning environment and providing real-world perspective. Eleven are now finishing their 2L year, having entered law school—just as they entered the military—from all kinds of backgrounds and for all kinds of reasons.

Chris-Moon
MISSION MET: Chris Moon ’21 celebrates graduating from Ranger School with his mother, Cindy, at Fort Benning (Georgia) in 2013.

Students are expanding robust programming on military-related issues while building a network of veterans and military affiliates within the legal profession, and a recently created scholarship fund will help recruit more applicants from the armed forces.

“I think the idea of service through promoting justice makes law school an appealing option for veterans,” says Chris Moon ‘21, a former Army intelligence analyst and Ranger School graduate. “You encounter people from all walks of life in the military, which helps ease the transition to any new situation. And adjusting to Berkeley Law is easier because the students are collaborative and very down to earth.” Read more.

Big Win in the Big Easy

New Orleans boasts quite a reputation as the epicenter of party culture. No argument from four Berkeley Law students who had plenty to celebrate there after winning the American Bar Association Student Trial Advocacy Competition in labor and employment law.

Arguing a mock case involving a whistleblower retaliation claim under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Hannah Braidman ’21, Daina Goldenberg ’20, Alex Lyons ’20, and Paul von Autenried ’20 bested more than 50 other law school teams.  

“Strong chemistry and cohesion … is crucial,” Braidman says. “I think that’s where we really succeeded.” Read more.

Linking Children’s Rights with Technology

Emma Day
Emma Day LL.M. ’20

While working as a youth advocate human rights lawyer in Africa and Asia, Emma Day ‘20 saw how easily kids in developing countries can be exploited—often by foreigners and especially online. The pace of technology children were using outstripped the ability of parents and law enforcement to protect their privacy and safety.

The difficulty of investigating abuse cases involving such apps prompted Day to co-found a nonprofit, Child Redress International, which matches victims with pro bono lawyers who help them seek compensation from their abusers. The urge to do more—to make a direct connection between legal advocacy and technology policy—drew Day to Berkeley Law’s LL.M. program.

“It’s opened my eyes to a lot of things related to children’s rights,” says Day, a Fulbright Scholar

from England. “I’m learning huge amounts every day … the method of teaching here is very engaging.” Read more.

DACA-Driven

A campus tour guide during his freshman year at UC Berkeley, Yongbin Chang ‘22 had a life-changing moment when, while speaking to roughly 300 parents of incoming students, he revealed that he was undocumented.

“I was shaking and wondered if I could get the words out,” Chang says. “After, a parent came up and said he’d skipped work for the first time to bring his daughter to college. He told me she was undocumented, and that hearing my story made him feel like she would be okay. He started crying, I started crying … it was a powerful moment to step up and help other people know they’re not alone.”

1L Yongbin Chang
Yongbin Chang ’22

Berkeley Law’s pro bono and clinical programs provide wide-ranging legal assistance and support for DACA recipients, more than 188,000 of whom live in California. Read more.

A Cause for Paws, Hooves, and Claws

When Nikita Yogeshwarun ’20 was in high school, a teacher challenged her use of a s/he pronoun in an essay on endangered species in circuses. An animal, the teacher said, should be an “it.” 

“Our rhetorical structures—from grammar to idioms—literally objectify non-human animals,” Yogeshwarun says. “My act of lingual resistance was seen as ‘radical.’” 

The desire to push back at that thinking is part of what led her to Berkeley Law. And it informed her work with a group of fellow students to create the Animal Law and Advocacy Project, one of the school’s newest pro bono Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS). Read more.

Combating Child Labor and Slavery in Africa 

Despite a 2001 international agreement to combat child labor and slavery in West Africa, more children than ever are working in dangerous conditions at cocoa plantations there. As three International Human Rights Law Clinic students helped document, young children—often trafficked and then enslaved—still fuel the world’s lucrative chocolate industry.

Left to right: Melina Cardinal-Bradette LL.M., Kelsey Peden J.D./M.P.P. ’21, Alexandra Zaretsky ’20
Left to right: Melina Cardinal-Bradette LL.M. ’19, Kelsey Peden J.D./M.P.P. ’21, Alexandra Zaretsky ’20

“We talked to children who were clearly 7 or 8 years old max, using machetes, climbing trees, cutting open cocoa pods,” says Kelsey Peden ‘21, who spent a week in the Ivory Coast with Melina Cardinal-Bradette LL.M. ’19. “We saw young girls walking down the street with chemical containers as big as they were strapped to their backs, a lot of shocking uses of the worst forms of child labor.”

Peden, Cardinal-Bradette, and Alexandra Zaretsky ’20 performed extensive research, conducted interviews, and took photos—now evidence for two ongoing lawsuits about child labor in the Ivory Coast, the largest chocolate producer worldwide. Read more.

Powerful Photos, Powerful Words

A talented photographer and community-focused Berkeley Law student, Anya Ku ‘20 wanted to address a seemingly simple yet vastly complicated question: “What does it mean to be a womxn of color in law?”

Given the lack of diversity within law schools and throughout the legal profession, Ku wanted to shine a light on such women and to share their insights. The result is the Womxn of Color Collective Portrait Project, a law school gallery exhibit that showcases striking photos of 22 Berkeley Law students and their first-person accounts. 

“It is intended to show how diverse our diversity is and how our stories make us stronger,” Ku says. “It is intended to show you that, even though it may feel like it, you are never alone. Read more and see the photos.

03/05/2020
Topics: Business and Startups, Constitutional and Regulatory, Criminal Justice, Experiential, International and Comparative, Social Justice and Public Interest, Student Awards, Student News, Technology, Intellectual Property and Privacy

News

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
    • Berkeley Law COVID-19 Protocols
    • Event, Catering and Food Policy
  • Transcript Magazine
    • Transcript Archive
      • Transcript Spring 2021 Online Edition
      • Transcript Fall 2020 Online Edition
      • Transcript Spring 2020 Online Edition
      • Transcript Fall 2019 Online Edition
      • Transcript Spring 2019 Online Edition
      • Transcript Fall 2018 Online Edition
      • Transcript Spring 2018 Online Edition
      • Transcript 2017 Online Edition
      • Transcript 2016 Online Edition
  • Podcasts
  • On Display
  • Media Highlights
  • News Archive
    • 2023 Archive
    • 2022 Archive
    • 2021 Archive
    • 2020 Archive
    • 2019 Archive
    • 2018 Archive
    • 2017 Archive
    • 2016 Archive
    • 2015 Archive
    • 2014 Archive
    • 2013 Archive
    • 2012 Archive
    • 2011 Archive
    • 2010 Archive
    • 2009 Archive
    • 2008 Archive
    • 2007 Archive
    • 2006 Archive
    • 2005 Archive
    • News Briefs
    • Alumni Newsletter
  • Trailblazing Women
  • Social Media
  • Communications Office
    • Identity Resources
      • Ordering Printed Supplies
    • Media Release Form
  • Law School Images »
Berkeley Law
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Flickr
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • About
  • Getting Here
  • Contact Us
  • Job Openings
  • ABA Required Disclosures
  • Feedback
  • For Employers
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Privacy Policy
  • UC Berkeley

© 2023 UC Regents, UC Berkeley School of Law, All Rights Reserved.