March 2, 2026
The University of California, Berkeley, School of Law announces that Ismail “Izzy” Ramsey, former United States Attorney for the Northern District of California, has joined the Public Law & Policy Program as a Senior Fellow.
The Public Law & Policy Program convenes leading scholars and practitioners to advance rigorous scholarship and public engagement on constitutional governance, prosecutorial discretion, separation of powers, administrative law, and the rule of law.
Ramsey served as the 53rd United States Attorney for the Northern District of California, the chief federal law enforcement officer for a district of nearly nine million residents and the heart of the nation’s technology economy. Appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate, he led one of the country’s most significant U.S. Attorney’s Offices—overseeing complex criminal and civil enforcement matters involving corporate and securities fraud, cybercrime, public corruption, civil rights, national security, and regulatory enforcement.
Before his service as U.S. Attorney, Ramsey spent more than 20 years in private practice representing executives and corporations in complex civil litigation and white collar criminal defense matters. He advised boards of directors, audit committees, and senior leadership in high-stakes investigations and enforcement actions, earning a national reputation for principled advocacy and strategic judgment in crisis settings.
Ramsey also previously served for six years as a Lecturer at Berkeley Law, where he taught a seminar on White Collar Crime and mentored students pursuing careers in public service and sophisticated litigation practice.
“I am honored to join Berkeley Law’s Public Law & Policy Program,” Ramsey said. “At a time when questions about prosecutorial independence, institutional accountability, and the responsible exercise of government authority are central to public trust, I look forward to contributing to thoughtful scholarship and engaging students in serious dialogue about governance and the rule of law.”
Earlier in his career, Ramsey clerked for then–Chief Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, one of the nation’s leading courts in administrative and constitutional law. He is also a veteran of the United States Air Force.
Ramsey holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.B.A. from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and an undergraduate degree from Harvard College.
As Senior Fellow, he will collaborate with faculty and students on research, programming, and public engagement initiatives focused on prosecutorial discretion, regulatory enforcement, institutional legitimacy, and the structural foundations of democratic governance.
The Public Law & Policy Program is proud to welcome Ramsey back to Berkeley Law in this leadership role.