By Gwyneth K. Shaw
In his home country of Pakistan, Hassan Kamal Wattoo penned newspaper columns while practicing law for the past three years. In his most recent post, as a law clerk to Pakistan Chief Justice J. Qazi Faez Isa, he worked on several cases involving complex constitutional interpretation, with Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky’s scholarly works often serving as essential reading.
This fall, Wattoo is taking Chemerinsky’s First Amendment course, as a student in the school’s Master of Laws (LL.M.) program — a true pinch-me moment amid an experience that’s already exceeding his expectations.
“Pakistan is a place I love deeply, but in a way that often felt unrequited, owing to deep-rooted authoritarianism in governance and restrictions on freedom of speech. In my mind, Berkeley Law encapsulated the kind of freedom and opportunity I sought as a brief escape, and a means to serve my country better when I’m back,” he says. “To be a student in Dean Chemerinsky’s class is nothing short of extraordinary to me.”
Wattoo is one of 274 LL.M. students in this year’s cohort, a group hailing from more than 40 countries ranging from Cameroon to Uruguay. More than two-thirds are 30 or younger, 56% are women, and their non-law fields are as diverse as their geography, running the gamut from film studies to finance.
This new group is part of the school’s traditional track LL.M., in which students spend an academic year on campus. Berkeley Law also offers an executive track that combines remote learning and summer in-person courses.
Just a few weeks into the program, Wattoo says he’s already comfortable in the law school community.
“Engaging with classmates from across the world, sharing meals with them, disagreeing, and finding common ground with them, has been transformative,” he says. “I hope to gain more insights like these and leave here at the end of term as a better lawyer and a better person.”
A multifaceted magnetism
Wattoo’s classmates are similarly thrilled. Ilke Okan LL.M. ’25 hails from Turkey, where she practiced for three years at a tech law firm with a star-studded client list including Meta, Apple, and Microsoft and a specialization in technology law including privacy, intellectual property, and corporate ESG (environmental, social, and governance) issues. As a Fulbright scholar, she says she felt a strong urge to take responsibility to pursue her studies in a place where groundbreaking ideas come to life.
“I chose Berkeley Law because it represents a fusion of everything I value in legal education — innovation, impact, and inclusivity,” she says. “Berkeley’s proximity to Silicon Valley and its leadership in technology law made it the perfect choice for someone like me, passionate about the intersection of AI, tech, and law.
“Being so close to the center of innovation makes everything feel that much more real and immediate. It’s like you’re in the front row, watching the future unfold.”
Okan has jumped in with both feet, co-founding the Legal Tech Association student group and enjoying both the intellectually invigorating classes and the idea-sparking hallway conversations as part of a diverse global community.
“I knew I’d be surrounded by some of the brightest minds in both the legal and tech fields, and the collaborative, forward-thinking atmosphere at Berkeley was a huge draw,” she says. The chance to be part of a program that not only pushes academic boundaries but also seeks to address real-world issues was something I couldn’t pass up.
“I want my time at Berkeley to not only shape my own career but also pave the way for others to make meaningful contributions to law and society. It’s a wild ride building an association from scratch, but it’s also a chance to bring together people who are just as hyped about reshaping the future of law and tech as I am.”
While she was earning a law degree at Canada’s Dalhousie University, Sabre Pictou Lee LL.M. ’25 co-founded Archipel Research & Consulting in 2019 to provide research expertise on a wide variety of topics from an Indigenous and culturally informed perspective. Involved in more than 100 projects over six years, she was named Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2023 Canadian Business Awards and Invest Ottawa’s International Woman of the Year in 2021.
In 2022, Lee, a Mi’kmaw citizen of Ugpi’ganjig (Eel River Bar First Nation) in northern New Brunswick, Canada, received the Donald Marshall Jr. Award for her social justice and criminal law reform work with respect to Indigenous Peoples. She’s also a former ski racer and varsity rugby player.
Sabre says she’s already been inspired by the passion and commitment of her professors.
“I chose Berkeley Law for its unparalleled reputation for innovation and its influential role in advancing the legal profession, particularly in intellectual property and environmental law,” she says. “Given my interest in exploring the intersection of these fields through the lens of Indigenous governance, it was the perfect fit for my academic and professional aspirations.
“I hope to immerse myself in diverse viewpoints, forge meaningful connections within the legal community, and advance my practice in Indigenous governance, all while being inspired by Berkeley Law’s vibrant intellectual environment.”
María Maldonado Antillon LL.M. ’25 also took on a leadership role while a law student, and after graduating, at a climate-focused nonprofit called Nuestro Futuro (“Our Future”). She discovered and nurtured a passion for strategic litigation in defense of a healthy environment in her home country of Mexico.
She worked on the filing and litigation of a case before the Mexican Supreme Court, arguing for the legal standing of 214 young people to collectively sue the state over failing to provide a healthy and safe climate. Together with other nonprofit organizations, Nuestro Futuro helped create the first Methane Emissions Observatory in Mexico to monitor the powerful climate-warming gas.
Maldonado also worked as an associate at the law firm Magaloni Abogadas, which specializes in human rights and administrative litigation. When she won a Fulbright Scholarship, Berkeley Law and its top environmental law program was her first choice of LL.M. program.
“Berkeley has a large catalog of courses that I am interested in taking, and it is one of the first universities to include climate change in its programs,” she says. “This encouraged me to choose Berkeley, as its environmental and climate law program is very innovative and comprehensive.”
Since Mexico follows a civil law system, legal education is mainly about the study of statutes, regulations, and codes, Maldonado says. She’s eager to gain a new perspective about how environmental law works in the United States.
“Now that I have the opportunity to study in a common law jurisdiction, I hope to develop new skills in legal interpretation and argumentation based on case studies, which is something new to me. I would like these new skills to help me strengthen my legal practice when I return to my home country,” she says. “I also look forward to working closely with my professors, as they are people I admire professionally and from whom I have a lot to learn.”
A special community
In addition to their studies, these students say the UC Berkeley campus — and the Bay Area as a whole — helps make a dream LL.M. program even better.
“What I find truly special about Berkeley is the endless opportunities it offers. Just a casual stroll around campus can expose you to such diverse activities and people. You might find yourself signing up for a tennis club or gaming tournament on a whim,” Okan says. “Whether it’s deep discussions on AI governance in class or casual conversations that turn into startup ideas over coffee, the collaborative and innovative spirit here is contagious. It’s a place where you’re constantly inspired to think bigger and bolder.”
Being surrounded by people who support your vision makes the journey even more exhilarating, she adds.
Wattoo has sailed at the Berkeley Marina, cycled down the city’s hills, hiked among the iconic redwood trees, and taken a dip in the San Francisco Bay. He says he knew how beautiful the area would be, but didn’t expect the generosity of its residents.
“In many ways, it’s a gift that keeps on giving: in live music on street corners, in impromptu marching band performances, in an abundance of free lunches at surprisingly enjoyable legal events, and in conversations with strangers,” he says. “There’s a surprise around every corner here, and that’s something I cherish deeply.”