Media Highlights

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 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

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

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.