Media Highlights

Professor Peter Menell filed an amicus brief in American Axle & Manufacturing v. Neapco Holdings, LLC, the closely-watched Section 101 patent eligibility case involving driveshaft automotive technology

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, says the idea  of delivering gasoline to motorists sends a bad message

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program, and research fellow Katie Segal, from the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, write California is well positioned to help the United States meet President Biden’s nationwide carbon neutrality goal

Dr. Rohini Haar discusses a new report by the Human Rights Center and Geneva-based Insecurity Insight, which identified more than 1,100 threats or acts of violence against health care workers and facilities last year

Dr. Rohini Haar discusses a new report by the Human Rights Center and Geneva-based Insecurity Insight, which identified more than 1,100 threats or acts of violence against health care workers and facilities last year

Professor Jennifer M. Urban, Director of Policy Initiatives at the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, and clinic students Jennifer A. Hewitt and Blaine Valencia discuss their work on behalf of Public.Resource.Org to advocate for California to clarify that its civil and criminal jury instructions are in the public domain

Lecturer Shanin Specter questions whether mass torts have gotten too big for a lawyer to adequately represent all their clients

California Constitution Center Executive Director David Carrillo, with Darien Shanske, predicts the power of local voters to impose taxes on themselves by majority vote using the initiative power might be here to stay

Professor Andrea Roth discusses Orange County’s forensic DNA database and says it is the largest in the country never authorized by a legislature

Professor Orin Kerr explains the murky legality of web scraping, as people turn to bots to get Covid-19 vaccination appointments

Professor Orin Kerr joins the Washington Post’s Cybersecurity Network, a group of high-level digital security experts from across government, the private sector, and security research community to vote in surveys on the most pressing issues in the field

Professor Jonathan Gould explains the role of the Senate parliamentarian in deciding whether Democrats can squeeze a federal minimum-wage hike into a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package using the budget reconciliation process

Professor Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic, says race is the most salient feature of the American death penalty

Professor Khiara M. Bridges is featured in the Netflix documentary Amend: the Fight for America, particularly in episode 4, which examines the fight for women’s voting rights

California Constitution Center Executive Director David Carrillo and Senior Research Fellow Stephen M. Duvernay write the US and CA Supreme Courts are moving in opposite directions – but not in the way you might think

Professor Charles Weisselberg discusses potential legal strategies as accused rioters say they thought it was OK to enter the Capitol

Professor Prasad Krishnamurthy and Dean Erwin Chemerinsky encourage Congress can keep faith with the First Amendment by preventing social media platforms from discriminating

Professor Jonathan Gould explains the role of the parliamentarian in passing President Biden’s Covid-19 relief package

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses what Californians can expect from a conservative Supreme Court

Lecturer Shanin Specter encourages lawyers to remember to the principle that unpopular clients and causes need able representation

Professor Jonathan Simon discusses the CRISIS Act and says Governor Newsom’s desire to appear progressive has arguably outweighed his appetite to champion and enact legislation that reflects those values

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why, if former president Trump violated the law, he should be indicted and prosecuted and writes no one, especially not the president, can be above the law

Brandon V. Stracener, senior research fellow at California Constitution Center, discusses California’s Emergency Services Act, what powers it gives the governor and the State Legislature’s ability to be a check on those powers

Professor Laurel Fletcher, Director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, interviews the former high commissioner of Sri Lanka, who served from 2008 to 2014, about the role of her office in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka in the final stages of the war and since that time, and her views on what the council should do at its upcoming session

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes, in the case of former president Trump, our courts failed and the message to future presidents, and even other litigants, is just to protract litigation and sometimes it will go away

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky urges Democrats to look at how the Republicans reshaped the federal judiciary under former president Trump and take the opportunity to do the same

Lecturer Mallika Kaur interviews Clinical Professor Ty Alper, Associate Director of Death Penalty Clinic, about representing clients on death row, being hyper-aware of racial privilege and training next gen lawyers, 

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, urges U.S. and state policy makers to seize the opportunity to plan for a more sustainable, domestic electric vehicle supply chain

The Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies announces a $10 million gift and renaming as the Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies at UC Berkeley

Professor John Yoo, with Scott Atlas of the Hoover Institute, says lockdowns interfere with the constitutional rights to free speech and religion and the economic liberty of owners and workers

Lecturer Mallika Kaur discusses the farmers’ protests in India and the history that’s lead to widespread distrust of the government

Lecturer Mallika Kaur says the fight of the farmers in India is, at the heart of it, a fight against big monopolies owning everything we need to survive with dignity: medication, transportation, education, and food

Alexa Koenig, Executive Director of the Human Rights Center, discusses the use of social media evidence to create a narrative as one piece of the evidentiary puzzle ahead of the impeachment trial of former president Trump

Data published by the Policy Advocacy Clinic showing the high cost of collecting juvenile fees is cited as Oregon considers a bill to end juvenile fines and fees 

Judge Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, discusses the increasing number of federal judges who are taking senior status

Professor Roxanna Altholz, co-director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, discusses new evidence of a cover-up by US Customs & Border Patrol in the case of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas’s killing by federal agents

Professor Roxanna Altholz, co-director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, discusses new evidence of a cover-up by US Customs & Border Patrol in the case of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas’s killing by federal agents

Professor Roxanna Altholz, co-director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, discusses evidence of a “shadow investigation” that has emerged in the case of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas’s killing by federal agents

Professor Stephen Sugarman says San Francisco’s lawsuit against the school district is a first step toward a plan, but it’s still contingent on the union agreeing to send teachers back to the classroom

Professor Khiara M. Bridges discusses conservative states’ introducing bills banning abortion on the grounds of race, sex or the diagnosis of a fetal abnormality, with the aim to push a case before the Supreme Court

Lecturer Shanin Specter applauds the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approval of a settlement with Met-Ed, a FirstEnergy Corp. electricity provider, in the death of 31-year-old man

PBS announces a documentary premiering in May about the Tulsa Race Massacre, known as the deadliest incident of racial violence in American history, featuring Eric Stover, Faculty Director of the Human Rights Center

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes the Supreme Court’s ruling in Taylor v. Riojas is a rare instance in which the high court rejected a claim of qualified immunity and made clear that no case on point is required in order to hold a government officer liable

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, with Ngozi Nezianya, counsel at Protect Democracy, writes the violence on Jan. 6 should not be used as an excuse to thwart lawful assemblies and protests in Florida, or in any other state

Professor Christopher Kutz reviews Michael Sandel’s The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? and explains why a public, widely accessible merit-based system such as the University of California is our best hope

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky thinks Donald Trump and attorney Rudy Giuliani could be successfully prosecuted for inciting the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol by supporters of the former president

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, with Miriam Aroni Krinsky, encourages the courts to reject a legal challenge that attempts to derail Los Angeles D.A. George Gascón’s criminal justice reforms

Ted Mermin, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, hopes the Legislature will come back together and extend the reach of rent moratorium relief

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses the latest impeachment and what happens next in terms of process and fallout

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says state governments likely have the ability to mandate that citizens receive the COVID-19 vaccine

Brandon V. Stracener, senior research fellow at the California Constitution Center, says anti-maskers protesters who believe the ADA and federal law protect them are wrong

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and Burt Neuborne write that, in order for President Biden to get anything done, Democrats must find a way to limit the Republicans’ use of the filibuster 

Professor Robert Merges discusses the complexities of international patent law, as part of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology and Beijing’s Tsinghua University’s Conference on Transnational IP Litigation

Lecturer Shanin Specter says law firms dropping controversial clients should tread lightly to avoid sending message of disloyalty to existing and potential clients

Professor Khiara M. Bridges says the myth of a salt-retention gene causing hypertension in Black people has been perpetuated by researchers not looking at factors such as environmental injustices and inaccessibility of health care

Ted Lamm, Climate Policy Researcher at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, lays out what the Biden administration could do for the environment, particularly in California

Lecturer Rose Carmen Goldberg reflects on the passing of her father from COVID-19 and the support she found by joining a virtual grief group

Professor Ian Haney Lopez says the GOP’s rhetoric has convinced white people to see government programs as giveaways to undeserving people of color

Data from CLEE’s “Reversing Environmental Rollbacks” project was used to help create the Washington Post’s webpage tracking the Biden administration’s environmental actions

Professor Aaron Edlin says power isn’t a violation of antitrust law, even though big tech companies’ actions over the past week reinforce just how much power they have

The Human Rights Center’s Investigations Lab worked with the Associated Press to monitor any potential attacks as well as misinformation related to the inauguration

Ted Lamm, Climate Policy Researcher at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, explains some immediate steps President Biden can take to undo Trump environmental policies

Professor Dan Farber says to succeed, Democrats can’t afford to lose any votes from their side

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says there is historical precedent for the Senate trial of an ex-president

Ted Lamm, Climate Policy Researcher at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, discusses the process of rolling back Trump climate policies and the database, “Reversing Environmental Rollbacks,” CLEE compiled

Ted Lamm, Climate Policy Researcher at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, says when it comes to climate change we are facing a ticking clock, as President Biden looks to rollback policies the Trump administration put in place

Professor Orin Kerr says in order to prosecute social media companies for the riots at the Capitol, there would need to be evidence of a clear intention to assist in the violence

Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, says law enforcement should not use facial recognition technology widely until racial disparities are fixed

Lecturer Shanin Specter discusses the complexities of the decision on the “Marsy’s Law” ballot question in Pennsylvania

Professor Jonathan Simon says Californians who witnessed the failures of mass incarceration need to remind the public of the unacceptable human and financial costs of going backward

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says giving social media firms the power to permanently ban politicians could have serious ramifications for the future of free speech on the internet

Lecturer Mallika Kaur writes the rebellion of Dulla Bhatti is a reminder of the region’s long history of agrarian protest – and its fight for justice

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says laws outlawing militias are constitutional so long as they carefully define what is a militia and what conduct is prohibited

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says Facebook and Twitter can suspend who they want and there is no First Amendment issue

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains what happening at the Supreme Court and how will it impact the future

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says Twitter and Facebook are within their rights to remove posts by President Trump that rise to the level of incitement, but that outright bans by the communication platforms are a step too far and set a dangerous precedent

Professor Roxanna Altholz, co-director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, appears on the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime’s podcast series to discuss her work on behalf of the families of victims of human rights violations

Lecturer Shanin Specter weighs in on the lawsuit against his former co-counsel, Thomas Girardi 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky argues against rushing an impeachment vote

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky urges Gov. Newsom to consider former Berkeley Law professor and California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu for California Attorney General

Professor Bertrall Ross discusses the legal implications of possibly trying to remove President Trump from power

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says guardrails for our democracy worked, but it could have been different

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky suggests Justice Breyer consider stepping down when there is a Democratic President and a Democratic Senate to replace him

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains how the impeachment process could work in the wake of the riots at the Capitol

Berkeley Law experts reflect on the the attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol 

Professor Bertrall Ross discusses options for removing President Trump from office

Professor Bertrall Ross explains why the definition of the 25th amendment must be kept narrow and precise

Professor Dan Farber discusses potential legal fallout from the riots at the Capitol

Lecturer Shanin Specter discusses his efforts to reform the rules and practices relating to mass torts

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains how the 25th Amendment could be used to remove President Trump from office

Professor Bertrall Ross discusses the implications of the assault on the U.S. Capitol for President Trump and American democracy

California Constitution Center Executive Director David Carrillo and Senior Research Fellow Nicholas Cotter ask whether and how cash bail will survive

Professor Catherine Fisk says Google employees’ union’s relatively low numbers should be expected, if not embraced, as a start

Professor Roxanna Altholz, co-director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, discusses the murder of activist Berta Cáceres‎

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky weighs in on possible outcomes as the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals grapples with the constitutionality of Gov. Newsom’s pandemic restrictions on places of worship

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses President Trump’s phone call with Georgia Sec. of State Raffensperger and whether his conduct was criminal 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and Professor John Yoo weigh in on whether President Trump could and should pardon himself

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, appears on The Morning Report to discuss Covid-19’s potential long term impact on traffic, public transportation and how Californians get from point A to point B

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, says the city of San Diego’s disputed greenhouse-gas emissions numbers look suspect

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses the federal appeals court decision allowing information requests by congressional oversight panels without the approval of majority members

Lecturer Shanin Specter says San Francisco needs a prosecutor who is as tough on drug dealers as on police officers

Judge Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, discusses judicial stress and anxiety during the pandemic

 Lecturer Carla Shapreau discusses the theft of a rare 18th century violin

Lecturer Shanin Specter says a proposal to change the way Pennsylvania voters elect state Supreme Court justices and appellate court judges violates the law and the state constitution

Ted Mermin, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, says Bank of America may be liable for fraudulent activities on EDD debit cards

Research and analysis of the Emergency Services Act by California Constitution Center fellows Stephen Duvernay and Brandon Stracener is cited as San Bernardino County asks California Supreme Court to overturn Governor Newsom’s stay-at-home order

Professor Sonia Katyal says existing whistleblower law is totally insufficient and essential to address issues at the intersection of artificial intelligence and civil rights

Lecturer Shanin Specter discusses the paralysis in the court system in relation to catastrophic injury cases

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky offers advice to President-elect Biden on handling the investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes

Lecturer Shanin Specter successfully had a lawsuit remanded and gave the court-ordered attorneys fees to a case-related charity

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says there is no clear answer to the question of whether President Trump can pardon himself, but there is a strong argument that such a pardon would not and should not be constitutional

Lecturer Mallika Kaur explores the farmers’ protests in India and says women’s participation challenges the narrative that the protest is only about angry men, dangerous and entirely unwilling to listen to reason

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes the LA Superior Court ruling to enjoin a ban on outdoor dining ignores a fundamental constitutional principle: Government regulation of business is allowed as long as it is reasonable

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says mask mandates do not violate anyone’s constitutional rights and it’s a shame health issues have become politicized 

Professor John Yoo urges progressives to see the value of the Electoral College

Professor Sonia Katyal, co-director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, discusses the gamble companies are taking when they consider brand value vs. reputation, as the Supreme Court overturns a key provision of the Lanham Act, allowing trademarking of disparaging names

Lecturer Mallika Kaur discusses the unprecedented farmers protests in India and the solidarity protests across CA

Alexa Koenig, Executive Director of the Human Rights Center, explains the Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations which offers guidance on how social media evidence can be used in international criminal proceedings

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why the SCOTUS decision in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, New York v. Cuomo is hugely important and what it tells us about the new court

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses President Trump’s numerous court cases and the instances when he has been checked, or not, by the courts

Professor Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic, says the Trump DOJ is exploiting executions for political reasons

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says the Supreme Court’s differing decisions regarding large religious gatherings during the pandemic are a result of the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, says Biden’s Justice Department won’t be working against litigants in climate cases as the Trump administration did

Lecturer Shanin Specter weighs in as Pennsylvania plans to begin in-person civil trials again

Professor Orin Kerr discusses the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and more clarity about what the law means is needed

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says an exodus of federal judges considering retirement will depend on which party controls the Senate

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that the Supreme Court’s decision to bar New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo from putting restrictions on religious gatherings is the indicative of the impact Justice Amy Coney Barrett will have on the court

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes we should loudly condemn those who have enabled President Trump’s false claims of election fraud by their words and by their silence

Professor Orin Kerr explains pros and cons of virtual SCOTUS arguments

Professor Taeku Lee discusses his recent survey of Asian American voters in Georgia that found 41 percent voted for the first time in this election

Lecturer Shanin Specter appeared on ALI’s Reasonably Speaking podcast to explore multidistrict litigation

Professor Prasad Krishnamurthy writes that President-elect Biden may have the opportunity to solve the nation’s $1.6 trillion student debt problem

Professor Chris Hoofnagle, Faculty Director at the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, says privacy disclosures for apps can be lacking and asks whether a reasonable consumer would agree to them if explicitly asked

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why we are used to hearing agendas from political candidates, but not judges, in reaction to Justice Samuel Alito’s recent Federalist Society speech 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and UC Chancellor Howard Gillman say case-by-case reviews of religious beliefs versus government interests can never work, as the Supreme Court debates Fulton v. Philadelphia

Alexa Koenig, Executive Director of the Human Rights Center, explains why it’s critically important social media companies preserve evidence of abuse

Lecturer Shanin Specter asks the PA Supreme Court to exercise extraordinary jurisdiction to get his client’s case moving again after it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that the US is not a democracy because the government we live under is profoundly anti-majoritarian

Lecturer Mallika Kaur, as part of her ongoing series exploring managing trauma and the demands of lawyering, explores the intersection of law and policy and highlights the dire need for leading by example 

Lecturer Rose Carmen Goldberg writes the Biden/Harris administration’s commitment to veterans gives hope this Veterans Day

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, discusses immediate steps the Biden administration could take to help the environment 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says there are six votes on the Supreme Court to dramatically limit affirmative action and to overrule earlier decisions allowing it, regardless of who is President

Professor Jonathan Simon discusses the opportunities for bail reform at the local level, after Prop 25 fails 

Professor Ian Haney Lopez explores the ways President Trump exploited status anxiety within the Latino community and writes that we should think of race not in terms of fixed identities but in terms of complex beliefs about belonging, respect and threat

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says Californians’ attitudes and impulses around incarceration have changed

Professor Bertrall Ross appears on NPR’s On Point to discuss the latest litigation around the 2020 presidential election

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses President Trump’s vow to take the fight over election results all the way to the Supreme Court

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains says electors must vote how the state dictates

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky contemplates how the Supreme Court, with three justices appointed by Donald Trump, could anoint him to stay in the White House

Emily Bruce, Director of Equity and Inclusion, discusses ways students can cope with election anxiety

Professor Bertrall Ross appears on KQED’s Forum to discuss the role of the Electoral College and the ongoing debate over its relevance

Professor Chris Hoofnagle discusses CA Prop 24 and says the writing is on the wall that privacy law is coming

Professor Sarah Song says the notion of many voices being heard, and which voices prevail, is going to be an ongoing struggle even with the forces that 2020 has unleashed

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky weighs in on whether Supreme Court term limits are possible under the constitution

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes of his concern for what it will mean to have a Supreme Court majority that embraces the values of the far right of the Republican Party and is far more conservative than the electorate

EBCLC’s Clinical Supervisors Seema Rupani and Hewot Shankute write there is a real appetite for progressive reforms that will increase stable, decent, affordable housing for years to come

Professor Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic, and Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explain the unprecedented court filing that asserts the state’s death penalty law is applied in a racist manner against African Americans

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains what the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett will mean for upcoming cases on the Supreme Court docket

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains the key issues and history of the Electoral College

 Professor Robert Bartlett discusses the disparate impact of COVID-19 on small businesses

Professor Prasad Krishnamurthy weighs in on Google’s likely defense in a suit filed by Android users alleging an app monopoly

Lecturer Mallika Kaur, as part of her ongoing series exploring managing trauma and the demands of lawyering, speaks to Berkeley Law alum Taina Gomez, Solano County DPD about self care, the culture that compounds trauma for clients and lawyers of color and what it means to be committed to social justice as a child of immigrants. 

Professor Amanda Tyler’s upcoming book, authored with the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, entitled Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life’s Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union, is a review of Ginsburg’s legal legacy, filtered through her memories and perspective

The Washington, D.C. Attorney General has filed a lawsuit in parallel to a civil suit, represented by lecturer Shanin Specter, against the Washington Hebrew Congregation in relation to child sexual abuse of preschoolers

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky asks if we really want our rights to be determined by the understandings of centuries ago?

Professor Bertrall Ross appears on NPR’s On Point podcast to discuss the integrity of the votes cast by America’s 538 electors

Savala Trepczynski, Executive Director of the Henderson Center for Social Justice, explain how defunding the police protects black women and says we should spend money on helping people, not hurting them

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, says local races have huge long-term implications on land use and how communities adapt to a changing climate

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky breaks down Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission – what it meant for the couple and what it means for couples moving forward

Professor Andrea Roth discusses CA Prop 20, saying putting more money into collecting DNA is a a zero-sum game

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky appears on The Brian Lehrer Show to discuss affirmative action as an issue in the presidential race 

Professor Khiara Bridges discusses white supremacy and how scholars and activists talk about racism

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says a shift towards states’ rights could lead to a new era of progressive legislation

Professor Catherine Fisk explains why qualified immunity creates a too high a bar for victims of police violence

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says Judge Amy Coney Barrett has gone further than other SCOTUS candidates in refusing to answer questions

Professor David Singh Grewal, with Joshua P. Zoffer, explains why court reform for the sake of democracy becomes all the more urgent when faced by the prospect of a minoritarian majority on the Supreme Court

Professor Bertrall Ross discusses the mechanisms by which a majorly conservative U.S. Supreme Court would affect the sociopolitical landscape of the country

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes Democrats must use the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings as an opportunity to convey how much President Trump and the Republicans will undermine the rights of all Americans by putting Judge Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court

Lecturer Shanin Specter appears on the Court Radio Show to discuss tort issues related to COVID-19

Lecturer Shanin Specter discusses the president’s civil liability for Covid transmission

Ted Mermin, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, offers consumers tips on the complicated business of getting out of gym memberships

Professor Chris Hoofnagle discusses Prop 24 and says an opt-out system may not be perfect, but it is the only workable approach

Professor Pamela Samuelson predicts the usual right-left splits won’t apply in Google v Oracle

Professor Tejas Narechania says Google v Oracle poses two big questions for the Supreme Court

Professor Catherine Fisk says OSHA may feel themselves powerless to protect West Wing workers from exposure to the virus by the president

Lecturer Mallika Kaur asks what “defund the police” means in terms of response to domestic violence incidents, currently the single largest category of calls received by police?

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says conservatives on the Supreme Court are moving strongly toward creating a right of people to exercise their religious freedom to discriminate against others

Professor Orin Kerr predicts Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment to the Supreme Court will bring a considerable and rapid shift to the right

Lecturer Shanin Specter examines the president’s civil liability for Covid transmission, following his campaign fundraiser in Bedminster 

Jim Dempsey, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, discusses the legal cases around the sale of TikTok

Professor Khiara Bridges says when public agencies share private information it can lead to serious unexpected consequences 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why no start of a new U.S. Supreme Court term ever has been like this one

Professors Bertall Ross & Kathryn Abrams discuss efforts by Republicans to reduce the number of votes cast by people of color, swinging a close election to incumbent President Donald Trump and away from Democrat Joe Biden

Professor john a. powell, Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute, says critical race theory has lifted up the racial gaze of America

Professor Bertrall Ross says replacing Justice Ginsburg with a woman with different ideology reinforces the idea that identity matters more than the substantive values that the individuals represent

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says adding Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court would make it the most conservative Supreme Court since the Lochner era

Rachel Johnson-Farias, Executive Director of the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice, says the judiciary has been attacking Roe v Wade with “death by a thousand cuts”

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes the disconnect between the nation’s highest judicial panel and the people who live with its rulings is starker than ever

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says Judge Amy Coney Barrett is far to the right of most in American society

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky advises Senate Democrats to focus on what Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation will mean for the Constitution, the country and for people’s lives

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, discusses Governor Newsom’s executive order banning sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035

Professor Orin Kerr discusses the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her legacy, and the impact a Supreme Court vacancy may have on the Presidential Election

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, says telecommuting may be more politically palatable in the Bay Area, but policies such as road pricing and building housing near transit would go further to cut congestion and emissions.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains how Republican-appointed judges seem more inclined to advance the party’s interests than uphold the Constitution

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and UC Chancellor Howard Gillman warn that the addition of another conservative justice to the Supreme Court could be a disaster for Americans’ access to healthcare

Professor Amanda Tyler discusses Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s impact and legacy

Professor Bertrall Ross discusses the issues and concerns surrounding the upcoming election

Professor Khiara Bridges explains the history and importance of Critical Race Theory 

Professor Catherine Fisk explains the issues with the Labor Department’s proposal to adopt a shorter, simpler test for when employers may legally classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees who are covered by federal minimum wage and overtime law

Dean Erwim Chemerinsky advocates for an “open book” bar exam, as the California Supreme Court says no to “diploma privilege” 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says Democrats should move to expand the size of the Supreme Court if Republicans force a vote on Justice Ginsburg’s replacement through without President Trump first being re-elected

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and UC Chancellor Howard Gilman, co-authors of a new book, The Religion Clauses: The Case for Separating Church and State, discuss the difference between separationist and accomodationist views, the reason they felt that it was an opportune time to write this book, and what they hope to accomplish with its release

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, weighs in on the significance of Governor Newsom’s plan to eliminate sales of gas-powered cars and trucks in the state by 2035

Professor Khiara Bridges discusses the evolution of Critical Race Theory and expresses doubt President Trump even knows what it is

Professor Amanda Tyler reflects on her experiences with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why, if President Trump’s nominee is confirmed, we’ll have the most radically conservative Court since the early 1930s

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says President Trump’s use of the Justice Department for political gain is exceptional and unprecedented

Alexa Koenig, Executive Director of the Human Rights Center, explains why social media companies’ use of algorithms to remove content can hinder investigations into incidents

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, discusses Gov. Newsom’s promise to accelerate the state’s response to global warming

Dean Erwin Chemerinksy President Trump’s executive order essentially banning WeChat has chilling effect on the exercise of free speech that is profound and constitutionally unsupportable

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that there’s a way for Democrats to make clear they will not tolerate Republicans trying to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat in advance of the election

Professor Amanda Tyler discusses her experiences with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says the Trump administration’s efforts to block downloads of TikTok and WeChat are unprecedented, even in the context of trade restrictions, and unconstitutional

Anya Grossman, Director of Global Outreach and Professional Engagement, and James Dempsey, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, explain how Berkeley Law’s LLM program keeps the curriculum relevant 

Lecturer Mallika Kaur, as part of her ongoing series exploring managing trauma and the demands of lawyering, speaks to critical race theorist and feminist legal scholar Angela P. Harris about challenging homogeneity of the profession and academy;  the genius and struggle of women scholars; emotional intelligence for strong lawyering; the trap of “diversity” without power-sharing; and the potential of Juneteenth, 2020

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and UC Chancellor Howard Gillman, co-authors of a new book titled The Religion Clauses: The Case for Separating Church and State, argue the Supreme Court’s majority is using the religion clause to strike down hard-fought advances in civil rights

Professor Ian Haney Lopez, with Tory Gavito, writes that President Trump’s competitiveness among Latinos is real and suggests Joe Biden’s key to reaching Latino voters is to link racism and class conflict

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that the Trump administration’s attack on critical race theory is profoundly anti-intellectual and wrong 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says comments on the arrest of journalist Josie Huang and says a reporter on a public sidewalk observing what’s going on is constitutionally protected

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses his new book, “The Religion Clauses: The Case for Separating Church and State,” and how the Supreme Court’s First Amendment law concerning religion is likely to change in the years ahead

Professor Orin Kerr’s work, and his 2011 paper titled, “Why Courts Should Not Quantify Probable Cause” are cited in this Bloomberg Opinion column 

California law deans, including Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, urge the California Supreme Court to drop remote proctoring for the fall bar exam and eliminate limits on materials students may consult during the two-day online test

A look at the flow of lawyers moving from BigLaw to public interest work cites “Making Public Interest Lawyers,” a large-scale study looking at law careers authored by Professor Catherine Albiston, along with Scott Cummings and Rick Abel of UCLA Law

An examination of oil spills, chemical dispersants and related lawsuits against the EPA, including the suit filed by Claudia Polsky and the Environmental Law Clinic

The Human Rights Center’s Investigations Lab contributed to this in depth report on the situation in Portland

Judge Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, says his colleagues on the bench face a couple of “unique challenges” when it comes to evaluating their own temperament

The work of Innocence Project co-founder and special counsel Barry Scheck, (class of ’74) lands Berkeley Law on the list 

Professor Catherine Fisk says union protections make it difficult to charge police officers with crimes

Professor Kenneth Ayotte discusses the tricky, no-win business of valuation during bankruptcy

Professor Jonathan Simon says a combination of a new state law and the current police reform climate may have swayed the Alameda DA to prosecute the case of a police officer who fatally shot Steven Taylor at a Walmart store in April 

Professor Prasad Krishnamurthy writes that a permanent payroll tax credit is a necessary step toward guaranteeing a living wage for all Americans

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that while it should be the role of the federal courts and the Supreme Court to protect the right to vote, the five conservative Supreme Court justices have strongly indicated that the solutions are not to come from federal courts

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says President Trump’s latest attempt to cut funding for “anarchist jurisdictions” is “clearly unconstitutional”

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, appears on Forum to discuss the Trump administration’s environmental record and its impact

Ted Mermin, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, says Californians facing a financial cliff or targeted by predatory financial products “are going to find that someone’s got their back” 

Professor Catherine Fisk weighs in as San Francisco passes an emergency ordinance that temporarily bars employers from taking adverse action against employees and job applicants who tested positive for Covid-19 or who are or were isolating due to Covid-19 symptoms or exposure

Professor Malcolm Feeley discusses the political history of ‘Law and Order’ 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that the Supreme Court’s dealings with issues concerning COVID-19 and the election process have made clear that it does not want the federal courts changing the rules of an election, even when necessary to protect the right to vote in a pandemic

Dr. Rohini Haar, Human Rights Center Research Fellow, discusses “less lethal weapons” used to disperse crowds and the serious, sometimes deadly, injuries they can cause

The LA Times Editorial Board calls for the passing of AB 3070, a bill that addresses discrimination in jury selection, and points to Berkeley Law’s Death Penalty Clinic’s report, “Whitewashing the Jury Box” to support the need for action

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky comments on the importance of The Hatch Act, as members of the Trump administration are called out for potentially violating it

Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon says the United States’ forcing TikTok to sell itself is “really unprecedented” 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that the RNC events at the White House are blatant violations of The Hatch Act – the most recent of so many instances of Trump flouting federal laws and the norms of the office

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses key lessons the legal profession can learn from attempts to administer the July bar exam and how the pandemic presents a chance to rethink how law school graduates will take the test in the future

Jim Dempsey, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, says TikTok’s lawsuit against the Trump administration faces an uphill fight, but the company may be successful with a due process argument

Savala Trepczynski, Executive Director of the Henderson Center for Social Justice, writes that people of color have had a golden rule that said be twice as good and calls for white folks to adopt a version of this rule for themselves and their anti-racist work: be twice as kind

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why the coronavirus makes California’s ‘student borrower bill of rights’ essential

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why John Eastman’s theory that Kamala Harris may not be eligibile to be Vice President are wrong under the language of the 14th Amendment and under Supreme Court precedent

Professor Jonathan Simon explains why this moment in time resents a unique opportunity to reduce prison overcrowding by making reforms, particularly by releasing women who could safely be released

Savala Trepczynski, Executive Director of the Henderson Center for Social Justice, writes about the connection between the murders of her great, great grandmother and Breonna Taylor – both black women, both killed in their homes by police, both still waiting for justice

Lecturer Shanin Specter explains why Amazon should be regarded as a supplier for the purposes of product liability law

Professor Rebecca Wexler says the California Supreme Court opinion in Touchstone v Facebook reflects a real skepticism of Facebook’s claims about the Stored Communications Act

In his latest Deal Professor column in DealBook, Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon considers what TikTok could have done differently to avoid its current trouble with the Trump administration

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky weighs in on legal challenges related to Trump’s most recent executive orders

Professor Roxanna Altholz, co-director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, discusses the murder of activist Berta Cáceres‎ and her role in the fight to bring her killers to justice

California Constitution Center Executive Director David Carrillo and Senior Research Fellow Stephen M. Duvernay look at some of the 12 measures in the California November general election

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses the reasons California has filed or joined more than 90 lawsuits against the Trump administration

Professor Roxanna Altholz, co-director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, discusses the murder of activist Berta Cáceres‎ and the fight to bring her killers to justice

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that President Trump’s latest executive orders are unconstitutional and exceed presidential authority

Professor Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic, explains why Batson process isn’t working on the state level, as prosecutors use Black Lives Matter to exclude black people from juries

Lecturer Spencer Pahlke explains how to use cross-examination skills to deal with Covid-deniers

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman reflect on the 2019-20 Supreme Court term and the decisions concerning the protection for religion, as part of a SCOTUSblog symposium on the Roberts court and the religion clauses

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, discusses the environmental impact of single family zoning laws

Professor Khiara Bridges shares five fun facts and discusses the intersection of ballet and the law (page 21)

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky looks at recent Supreme Court actions in cases related to the pandemic, and shares what can be learned from them 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky advocates for the lower passing score for the California bar to be retroactive to February 2020

Professor Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic, along with AJ Kutchins and Brendon Woods, writes that the time for waiting is over and the California Legislature must pass AB3070

David Carrillo, Executive Director of the California Constitution Center, explains why remote voting by California legislators is constitutional and should be allowed

Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, applauds the use of live audio or video by federal and state courts 

Professor Roxanna Altholz, co-director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, comments on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ investigation into the killing of a man at the San Diego-Tijuana border a decade ago, in which she is co-counsel for the victim’s family

Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon, in his recurring Deal Professor column in DealBook, explores why special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are having a moment

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that President Trump cannot postpone the election and Republicans, Democrats, conservatives and liberals must all loudly condemn the idea as antithetical to the most basic aspects of a democratic society

Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, dicusses the benefits of “virtual court”

Professor John Yoo and Sai Prakash debate whether Trump’s aggressive fight for presidential power goes beyond the Founders’ original designs

Professor John Yoo discusses presidential power, the Supreme Court DACA ruling and his new book, Defender in Chief: Donald Trump’s Fight for Presidential Power 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky weighs in on the California Supreme Court’s decision to reduce the state bar exam’s passing score

Lecturer Mallika Kaur, as part of her ongoing series exploring managing trauma and the demands of lawyering, interviews UC Hastings Professor Naomi Roht-Arriaza

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that President Trump’s use of federal agents in Portland is not only outrageous, it is clearly unconstitutional

Professor Jennifer Urban explains why the push to strengthen the Digital Millennium Copyright Act could end up squelching online speech, how her research informs her thinking and advocates reformulating DMCA incentives

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains the ways federal agents in Portland appear to be going well beyond the authority to protect federal property and the rights the arrests of protesters are violating

Professor Orin Kerr says while the federal government does have the right to send troops to cities and states to protect its interests, the issue is what the troops are doing

Professor Pamela Samuelson, co-director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, backs the Internet Archive’s argument that its digital lending qualifies as fair use, comparable to traditional library lending, and says the idea that lending out a book is illegal is just wrong

Professor Jonathan Gould, with Olatunde C.A Johnson, writes that the Supreme Court’s suspicion of Congress’s competence and motives should be worrying for anyone who cares about the most democratic branch’s ability to serve as a check on presidential power and confront an ever-growing list of policy challenges

Professor Franklin Zimring argues that new incentives and stiff penalties can reduce needless police killings

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program, and Ted Lamm, Climate Policy Researcher at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, write that California’s electrical grid is getting cleaner, but it is still not well positioned to deal with a changing climate with its web of decades-old poles and wires

The Human Rights Center Investigations Lab contributed to a study that found Uighur workers in forced labor settings in China are making masks for the US and other countries (credit to the lab – staff and students – in the video)

Professor Orin Kerr weighs in on the constitutionality of detention of protesters in Washington state by federal officers from the U.S. Marshals Service and Department of Homeland Security

Lecturer Mallika Kaur interviews a Fresno-based immigration lawyer to discuss the importance of giving clients more control and how to stay healthy while doing trauma inducing work, as part of her ongoing series exploring managing trauma and the demands of lawyering

Professor Jonathan Simon discusses the impact of Justice Kennedy’s retirement and Justice Kavanaugh’s appointment on capital punishment cases

Lecturer Carrie Rosenbaum, with Ediberto Román, examines the flaws of the Trump administration’s immigration policy that would have forced international college students to leave the U.S, and explain and why it would have failed court scrutiny under the Administrative Procedure Act

California Constitution Center Executive Director David Carrillo and Senior Research Fellow Stephen M. Duvernay ask why, if everything happening remotely is our new long-term reality, is the California legislative process on hold?

An amicus brief authored by Professor Seth Davis on behalf of congressional lawmakers is highlighted as the courts decide whether the Penobscot Nation has authority over its namesake river’s waters in Maine

Stephanie Campos-Bui, Clinical Supervising Attorney in the Policy Advocacy Clinic, discusses the decision from the Orange County Board of Supervisors to join other counties throughout California in ceasing collection of old juvenile fines and fees

Professor Holly Doremus discusses the the Great American Outdoors Act, a bill before Congress that would invest billions in national parks in California and nationwide

The Human Rights Center’s summer team contributed to a report on excessive police force and blinding of US protesters (credit at the end of the video)

Professor Rebecca Wexler discusses the issues with the current rules of evidence in criminal court, which do not account for the rise of forensic software, or for the entrance of trade secrets claims

Professor Franklin Zimring discusses the debate on Oakland around defunding the police

Professor Bertrall Ross explains the challenges prosecutors face in proving hate crime charges against a Martinez couple who allegedly defaced a Black Lives Matter mural

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky appeared on Slate’s Amicus podcast to examine the Supreme Court term, taking a close look at the Trump financial records cases, the ministerial exception cases, and a landmark decision about tribal lands in Oklahoma

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why the Covid-19 church singing ban is legally enforceable 

Coverage of “Whitewashing the Jury Box”, the Death Penalty Clinic report that found California prosecutors disproportionately strike people of color, especially African-Americans, from serving on juries

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky comments on yesterday’s Supreme Court decisions related the President Trump’s taxes and finances

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains what today’s Supreme Court decisions regarding President Trump’s taxes and finances means in the near and long term

Ted Lamm, Research Fellow at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, discusses California’s zero-emissions truck rule, which was approved last month, and explains the important health benefits for disadvantaged communities 

Professor Sonia Katyal, co-director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, explains how the Black Lives Matter movement is helping make long overdue change in racist branding

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky reacts to the selection of Dr. Michael V. Drake as the new president of the U.C. system

Bloomberg examines the ways the pandemic is the perfect storm for fraud and highlights the Berkeley Center for Law and Business’ annual “Fraud Fest”

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses the impact of the new ICE regulations and steps the university is taking to protect our international students

Professor Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic, discusses “Whitewashing the Jury Box”, the report she co-authored that found California prosecutors disproportionately strike people of color, especially African-Americans, from serving on juries

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky predicts the Supreme Court will focus on the separation of powers issues as they decide the case related to President Trump’s taxes 

Time looks at the movement for prosecutorial reform and highlights the case of Toforest Johnson, who is represented by the Death Penalty Clinic

Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon, in his recurring Deal Professor column in DealBook, says post-pandemic M.&A. is all about the big getting bigger and pushing their brands into new places

Dean Erwin Chemerinky and john a. powell, Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute, weigh in on the opportunities and challenges the new UC President faces, ahead of the announcement of the selection

Ted Lamm, Research Fellow at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, explains what recent Supreme Court decisions could mean for the Trump administration’s plans to roll back environmental protections

Lecturer Rose Carmen Goldberg explains why the Senate should pass the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act, which would create a five-year pilot program requiring the VA to fund service dogs for veterans with PTSD and other mental health conditions

Professor Prasad Krishnamurthy writes that California should enact an “Automatic Application and Admission” plan for the UC system, to increase diversity across race and class lines at all UC campuses

Shanin Specter’s high-profile Philadelphia personal injury firm Kline & Specter has joined hundreds of companies that have decided to halt advertising on Facebook, due to concerns about the social media platform’s publication of hate speech and misinformation

Professor Amanda Tyler explores the potential ramifications of the Supreme Court decision in Department of Homeland Security v. Thuraissigiam

Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon, in his recurring Deal Professor column in DealBook, considers who benefits from public benefit corporations

Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon, in his recurring Deal Professor column in DealBook, considers who benefits from public benefit corporations

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky looks at today’s Supreme Court decision and what Chief Justice Roberts may have signaled about his a willingness of to follow precedent in the area of abortion rights

Stephen M. Duvernay, a senior research fellow at Berkeley Law’s California Constitution Center, explains why Governor Newsom  has widespread power to respond during a state of emergency such as a pandemic

Stephen M. Duvernay and Brandon V. Stracener, senior research fellows at the California Constitution Center at Berkeley Law, write that while the governor legally has the power to force people to wear masks, people should wear them because it’s the right thing to do to save themselves, their families and fellow Californians

Professor Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic, writes that AB 3070 is about addressing enduring, pervasive racial and ethnic inequities 

Professor Prasad Krishnamurthy writes that India’s solution to the problem of the unbanked — requiring existing banks to offer free, quality accounts in underserved areas — can be replicated here at home

Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, testifies before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Coronavirus pandemic and Federal Courts

Adam Sterling, Executive Director, Berkeley Center for Law and Business, discusses the Startup@BerkeleyLaw program, which helps startup founders and their teams understand the legal, finance and operational challenges they may face

Professor Catherine Fisk looks at the history of police unions and examines steps police departments can take make reforms

Professor Kinch Hoekstra appears on the “Ideas” podcast to talk about on the politics of an ancient epidemic – the plague of Athens

Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, explains how rooftop solar panels can improve resilience against natural disasters

Professor Jeffrey Selbin, director of the Policy Advocacy Clinic, discusses the impact juvenile fees have on families and communities

Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, along with Ken White, writes that the Federal Bureau of Prisons should end its unjust policy of requiring inmates to “voluntarily” waive privilege in emails they send to their attorneys through the bureau-provided email system

Lecturer Rose Carmen Goldberg writes about her father’s COVID-19 diagnosis

Professor Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic, discusses a the new report she co-authored that found California prosecutors disproportionately strike people of color, especially African-Americans, from serving on juries

Professor Catherine Fisk discusses the ways police unions and cities can work together to make meaningful reform

Shanin Specter explains why the COVID-19 liability waivers the Trump campaign forces rally attendees to sign are not enforceable

Professor Eric Stover, Faculty Director of the Human Rights Center, in an in-depth interview about the Tulsa Massacre, through the lens of history and human rights

Lecturer Carrie Rosenbaum, with Ediberto Roman and Geoffrey Hoffman, explains why the Supreme Court DACA decision is far from a permanent victory for Dreamers

Lecturer Mallika Kaur, as part of her ongoing series exploring managing trauma and the demands of lawyering, interviews Dylan Nicole de Kervor of the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice

Professor Rebecca Wexler argues that the courts’ interpretation of the Stored Communications Act has created a category of privileged communication without congressional approval or instruction

Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, writes that judges have an express mandate to act in ways “that promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary”

Professor Sonia Katyal, co-director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. with UCLA Professor Angela R. Riley, writes brands can no longer stand apart from social movements and activism and must stop using racial stereotypes to sell products

Shanin Specter says the best advice for business owners who want to protect employees and themselves during the pandemic is simple: follow the rules 

Mario Alvarado Cifuentes, Pro Bono Administrator, says DACA helped him, but it was never meant to be a full solution

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says the Supreme Court’s DACA decision shows we still have an independent judiciary

Professor Rebecca Goldstein’s striking finding in a working paper that “age is a more powerful predictor of police-related policy preferences than race” is cited in an Op-Ed.

Professor Elisabeth Semel, Director of the Death Penalty Clinic, discusses a the new report she co-authored that found California prosecutors disproportionately strike people of color, especially African-Americans, from serving on juries

A new study from the Death Penalty Clinic found that prosecutors often routinely strike Black and Latino prospective jurors and that appellate courts have failed to rein in the practice

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says the Supreme Court decision on LGBTQ rights is a huge advance, both for civil rights and for the triumph for the rule of law

Professor Franklin Zimring discusses the history of police violence, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd

Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, comments on judges speaking out about the judiciary’s role in perpetuating injustices and pledging to root out racial bias

Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr on Friday filed a brief supporting a new trial for Toforest Johnson, who is represented by Ty Alper, Associate Director of Death Penalty Clinic

Federal judges express concerns about the impact remote judicial proceedings have had on the legal profession during a virtual panel discussion titled “The Changing Landscape and the Opportunities It Presents” jointly hosted by the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, the Berkeley Judicial Institute, the nonprofit ChIPs and the Federal Circuit Bar Association

Professor Jonathan Simon cautions against police using social media to investigate crimes that may occur during protests

Professor Catherine Fisk discusses occupational safety and health as Amazon faces litigation over alleged unsafe work conditions

Professor Khiara Bridges explains how COVID-19 and George Floyd’s murder reveal black people’s vulnerability and marginalization

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that major reforms in our criminal justice system are needed and hopes the national protests about police racism and police violence will lead to reforms that really will make a difference

Professor John A. Powell, Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute, discusses the nationwide uprisings over the police killings of Black men and women and how the COVID pandemic is disproportionately impacting Black communities

Professor Frank Partnoy warns another financial crisis, hastened by the pandemic, could be on the horizon

Professor Laurel Fletcher, Director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, discusses East Bay Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s (D-Oakland) call for the creation of a “Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Commission”

Amelia Miazad, founding Director and Senior Research Fellow of the Business in Society Institute, and Professor Stavros Gadinis suggest corporate leaders welcome input from employees and consumers, but also local communities, NGOs, academic experts, government authorities and regulators, as they navigate their business thru the pandemic

Professor Ian Haney Lopez asks if President Trump can replicate President Nixon’s success in posturing against protesters

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that the President and the Supreme Court have gutted the legal tools for fighting police abuse, but it does not have to be this way

Claudia Polsky, founding Director of the Environmental Law Clinic, discusses the successful lawsuit, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and the ELC, to force the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its plans for responding to offshore oil spills

Ted Mermin, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, comments on the complexities surrounding calls for Governor Newsom to alleviate consumer debt during the pandemic

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky reflects on his personal experience with the Rodney King riots and his feelings about the current crisis

Claudia Polsky, founding Director of the Environmental Law Clinic, discusses the successful lawsuit, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and the ELC, to force the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its plans for responding to offshore oil spills

Savala Trepczynski, Executive Director of the Henderson Center for Social Justice, comments on “white silence” on social media

Dr. Rohini Haar, Human Rights Center Research Fellow, explains why tear gassing should be a weapon of absolute last resort

Catherine Crump, director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, explains that while police have a right to monitor protest activity, a line must be drawn when that surveillance becomes oppressive

Dr. Rohini Haar, Human Rights Center Research Fellow, explains what to do if you are exposed to tear gas 

Professor Orin Kerr discusses The Legal Academy, his new weekly YouTube series that looks behind the curtain of law schools and their faculties

John A. Powell, Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute, looks at the murder or George Floyd and calls on us to keep the struggle for love and humanity alive 

Professor Ian Haney Lopez discusses the murder of George Floyd, the protests that have followed it and the need for systematic change

Ethan Elkind, Director, Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, discusses options lawmakers have that would draw down and eventually phase out fossil fuel production in California

Savala Trepczynski, Executive Director of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, writes that “black and brown people have been protesting for centuries. It’s white people who are responsible for what happens next.”

Professor Rebecca Wexler weighs in on the trade-secret and intellectual property issues related to algorithms currently in use to solve crimes

Erik Stallman, associate director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, explains why the President’s executive order aiming to limit protections for social media companies asks the Federal Communications Commission to promulgate rules that the FCC itself has said it has no authority to issue

Professor Robert Merges weighs in on trade between China and the U.S., during a virtual event hosted by the Berkeley Center For Law and Technology as a part of its China Law Trade and IP Certificate Series

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that President Trump’s effort to open religious institutions for worship services has no basis in law 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky suggests the Supreme Court should continue to utilize technology after the pandemic 

Visiting professor Peter H. Schuck explains why the President’s comments about the death of a congressional staffer in 2001 may constitute intentional torts for which a civil jury could award punitive damages against him

Professor Prasad Krishnamurthy calls for debt-relief legislation that would allow consumers to defer payment and an opportunity to refinance missed payments

Professor Ian Haney Lopez discusses his new book Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America

Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, explains why the courts are in a unique position to expand electronic access, as part of a webinar on accessing the courts in a post-pandemic world.

Jim Dempsey, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, explores whether the China-U.S. supply chains, previously driven by trade war-induced uncertainties, increasingly may be cast in terms of cybersecurity and national security imperatives

Ethan Elkind, Director, Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, explains why regulatory retreat over automobile fuel efficiency undermines both climate progress and U.S. competitiveness

Shanin Specter suggests the legal community consider new and creative approaches

Professor Khiara Bridges explains how racism and racial bias impeded important public health measures that impacted the spread of Covid-19

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky expresses concerns about the actions of Attorney General William Barr

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky weighs in on the extraordinary circumstances of the Michael Flynn case

Professor Chris Hoofnagle explains why Facebook’s new lobbying strategy raises flags

Professor Catherine Fisk weighs in on the struggles employees face as they weigh their protections under law against the pressure to return to work, as Tesla reopens their factories

Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, along with Ken White, calls for the Federal Bureau of Prisons to stop forcing inmates to “voluntarily” waive all claims to confidentiality in emails they send their lawyers through the BOP-provided email system

Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon, in his recurring Deal Professor column in DealBook, considers what went wrong in one of the highest-profile lawsuits over a busted deal — so far — during the pandemic

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky asks whether the Supreme Court will uphold the rule of law when it comes to the Trump presidency

Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, explains why government requests for Google data should raise major privacy concerns

Professor Catherine Fisk looks at Tesla’s reopening and predicts the same factors that led to massive unionization in the 1930s could result in 21st century versions of unions.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky appeared on KPFA’s Upfront to discuss the SCOTUS cases relating to President Trump’s taxes and financial dealings.

Professor Jeffrey Selbin, Director of the Policy Advocacy Clinic, with Jessica Feierman, explains why now is the time to impose an immediate moratorium on all juvenile fees and fines

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why California is likely to prevail against shutdown related lawsuits 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky asks if the Supreme Court can overcome the political polarization as they take up cases concerning presidential power and the rule of law.

Lecturer Rose Carmen Goldberg, with Dwight Stirling, calls for California to pass Senate Bill 1274 to empower service members to sue their assailants in civilian court

Professor Paul Schwartz examines the role for COVID-19 cellphone surveillance apps in contact tracing and the impact they might have on privacy and civil liberties.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky looks ahead to the fall semester with a focus on health and safety.

Lecturer Millika Kaur interviews Marin County public defender and Berkeley Law alum Jose Varela for the first in a new series exploring managing trauma and the demands of lawyering

Professor Prasad Krishnamurthy and EBCLC’s Miguel Soto explain how consumer debt can result in a court order to sell your home, even if you pay your mortgage.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky comments on SCOTUS and Federal Courts’ response to Covid-19 lawsuits that push back on state and local governments’ orders.

Professor Catherine Fisk looks at the outdated policies that make it difficult for independent contractors to receive unemployment assistance during the pandemic.  

Professor Catherine Crump, Director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, discusses the technological and legal implications of the Ring device, and the significance of this new third-party surveillance.

Professor Catherine Fisk explores the complexities of employer liability during the pandemic

A look at CLEE’s new report on how policymakers can reduce and eventually phase out oil and gas production in California

Berkeley Law students, Bay Area attorneys, Silicon Valley philanthropists and community lenders partner to help small-business owners 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky reflects on the history of sex discrimination and why the ERA matters

Shanin Specter weighs in on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s call to make tort reform a condition for giving state and local governments aid for budgets depleted by COVID-19 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses how Berkeley Law’s LLM program is adapting and reacting to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ted Mermin, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, advocates for a moratorium on debt collection during the Covid-19 pandemic

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky previews the upcoming month at SCOTUS 

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why the law is not on the side of small business owners suing the government, arguing that closure orders for nonessential businesses are unconstitutional.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky says House Republicans who blocked a rule change to allow proxy voting are needlessly putting their colleagues and their staffs in danger

Professor Emeritus Daniel Rubinfeld, with UPenn Professor Robert Inman, suggest using the 3 principles of federal policymaking, laid out by the Founding Fathers, to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky reacts to the California Bar’s decision to postpone the bar exam until September.

Professor Catherine Fisk, talks workers rights and breaks down how essential workers are faring during the pandemic.

Erik Stallman, associate director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, weighs in on the SCOTUS decision in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and David Carrillo, Executive Director of the California Constitution Center, explain States’ broad quarantine powers.

Joseph Lavitt explains why the issue of insurance coverage for businesses impacted by the coronavirus involves questions the courts have not yet addressed.

Professor Pamela Samuelson considers the implications of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Romag Fasteners, Inc. v. Fossil, Inc. and whether juries or only judges can decide about disgorgement of a trademark infringer’s profits in trademark cases.

Professor Orin Kerr weighs in on the issues with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, as SCOTUS prepares to consider whether to rein in the sweeping anti-hacking law.

A look at CLEE’s report, Building A Sustainable Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chain: Frequently Asked Questions.

Nine UC Berkeley faculty members from a wide range of disciplines have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), a 240-year-old organization honoring the country’s most accomplished artists, scholars, scientists and leaders.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, with UCLA Law Professor Jennifer M. Chacón, write that the President’s attempts to ban immigration during the Covid-19 crisis are unlawful.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why House Democrats have the authority to permit proxy voting.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky talks Congressional power and the ERA.

Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, explores how the courts have a chance to learn from the virtual ways they are doing their work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Adam Sterling, Executive Director, Berkeley Center for Law and Business, talks the CARES Act with KQED’s Forum and explains how Berkeley Law students are working to help small businesses.

Professor Catherine Albiston examines inequality, paid family leave, and the new legislation during the Covid-19 crisis.

Ted Mermin, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, urges Governor Newsom to protect stimulus checks from debt collectors.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky examines whether the government can restrict individual liberties to stop the spread of COVID-19.

California Constitution Center Executive Director David Carrillo and fellow alum Matthew Stanford argue that Federalism is both the problem and the solution to the Covid-19 crisis.

Professor Aaron Edlin, with Dana Goldman, explains how California could use a system of virus alerts to help people get back to work

Professor Jeffrey Selbin, director of the Policy Advocacy Clinic, talks to The Marshall Project about the concerning history of escalating court fees and fines during recessions.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why President Trump is wrong to claim he has “absolute power” during the pandemic.

Berkeley Law students work to get migrants out of America’s overcrowded detention centers.

Dean Chemerinsky makes the case for allowing law school graduates to practice law under an experienced attorney’s supervision while the bar exams are delayed.

Jim Dempsey, Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, talks privacy issues with data collection.

The deans of UC Berkeley and UCLA law schools write that it is exceedingly hard to imagine that by July it will be safe for students to sit closely together in gigantic test halls, nor is it likely to be feasible to implement appropriate physical distancing measures.

Professor Prasad Krishnamurthy writes about the steps Gov. Newsom can take to help ease the financial burden of Californians.

Adam Sterling and Robert Bartlett explain the flaws in the CARES Act’s PPP that could leave small businesses that need the funds the most at the back of the line.

Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon returns to the DealBook column as the “Deal Professor” to talk deal making during the pandemic.

Adam Sterling and Robert Bartlett explain the flaws in the CARES Act’s PPP that could leave small businesses that need the funds the most at the back of the line.

Professor Aaron Edlin, with Bryce Nesbitt, suggest a path to normalcy lies in credible, verifiable, and voluntary programs to identify individuals as “certified recovered” from Covid-19

Professor Jonathan Simon appeared on the Crime Inc. podcast to talk “governing through crime.”

Professor Jonathan Gould, along with David Pozen, writes about how Congress can force the White House to more aggressively respond to the pandemic.

Professor Khiara Bridges discusses the role of racial bias in emergency medical care.

Professor Andrea Roth explores the idea of “virtual court” testimony by video and the right to confront.

Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon expresses his frustrations with the inequities he’s seen in public/private school virtual classrooms.

Professor Kenneth Ayotte, with David Skeel from Penn Law, looks at bankruptcy law and its readiness for the coming wave of corporate failures.

Professor Amanda Tyler looks at the lessons we can learn from President Lincoln as we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic.

Claudia Polsky, founding Director of the Environmental Law Clinic, with Tim Whitehouse and Tom Bruton, writes that the EPA must designate PFAS wastes as “hazardous” immediately and set strict standards for their management to keep hazardous chemicals out of drinking water.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky explains why the President does not have the authority to reopen business by April.

Professor Catherine Fisk & Seema Patel, Clinical Director for the East Bay Community Law Center, explain workplace rights during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Professor Pamela Samuelson, Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology’s, testimony before the Senate IP Subcommittee was quoted in coverage of the hearing.

Ethan Elkind, Director, Climate Program at Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, compares the transportation plans of the Democratic presidential nominees.

Professor Steven Davidoff Solomon spoke to Bloomberg Radio about Carlos Ghosn’s sharp criticisms of the Japanese legal system.

Professor Catherine Fisk told Rolling Stone a new bill makes it harder to classify workers as independent contractors and the impact that may have on dancers in music videos.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky argues that the regents should approve cohort-based tuition and implement predictable tuition increases to maintain the quality of the country’s finest public university system, the University of California.