By Andrew Cohen
Twice a year, UC Berkeley Law’s Transcript magazine showcases the many ways in which the school strives to pursue excellence, cultivate community, and uphold its public mission. With every issue, there is an overflow of available examples — far more than 68 pages can hold — when it comes to the impactful work of our students, faculty, alumni, and staff.
The new Spring 2025 issue, recently mailed to alumni, provides another telling example. The issue is accessible through a digital version with interactive features or through the magazine PDF.
It opens with a column from Dean Erwin Chemerinsky emphasizing the responsibility of lawyers and law schools to actively help uphold the rule of law, noting that such a commitment is nonpartisan. He writes that UC Berkeley Law and law schools everywhere have a “special responsibility” in this regard.
The cover feature describes the law school’s extensive work at the vanguard on artificial intelligence (AI), unpacking seminal faculty research, pioneering programs, valuable student opportunities to help AI shape policy, and more. Among the abundant examples is the new AI Law and Regulation certificate for LL.M. students — the first of its kind at an American law school — which UC Berkeley Law is launching this summer.
Another feature highlights the many ways in which the school is turning public service aspirations into reality, profiling four recent alumni as prime examples. “Public service is in Berkeley’s DNA as a law school and institution,” says Aseem Mulji ’19, senior legal counsel for the Campaign Legal Center. “By offering so many resources, the school is able to attract students, professors, and staff who share a dedication to using the law for good, no matter their field or speciality.”
In between those features, an engaging photo essay presents inspiring students in various aspects of their law school experience, from service-focused endeavors and burgeoning career paths to community-building activities and all-star advocates.
Some of the issue’s other stories include UC Berkeley Law leading a broad effort to expand the pool of people applying to law schools nationwide, our new Edley Center on Law & Democracy hitting the ground running with timely programming, an exceptional roster of law and economics faculty setting the pace in the field, our regional alumni chapters gaining powerful momentum, and graduates shining in city management, intellectual property work, and litigation against environmental polluters.
We are thankful to everyone in the magazine who kindly shared their time and insights for all the stories in this new issue, which we hope you enjoy reading.