Berkeley Law supports many opportunities for student engagement during and beyond their time here. While organizations may be added or changed according to student interest, the currently active student groups are listed below.
Student organization membership is open to all Berkeley Law students.
Student Association at Berkeley Law (SABL)
The Student Association at Berkeley Law (SABL), the law school’s student government organization, is composed of all registered law students. SABL organizes activities of general law school interest and helps new students adjust to life at Berkeley Law by sponsoring social, athletic, and law-related events. The SABL council represents student interests in curriculum planning, admissions policy, faculty hiring, administration of the library, professional placement, and many other areas; the council also appoints student representatives to faculty-student committees. In addition, SABL allocates funds to each of the student groups at Berkeley Law. You can contact the SABL at:
Student Association at Berkeley Law (SABL)
Email: sabl@law.berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/students/student-association-berkeley-law/
In addition to the below registered student organizations, Berkeley Law also has robust opportunities with:
2022-2023 Registered Student Organizations
Email: berkeleyabolitionists@gmail.com
Mission: Abolitionist Collective at Berkeley is a group of law students committed to the abolition of prisons, police, surveillance, and the social and material conditions that sustain them. We recognize the shared fabric between legal academic institutions and the colonial, capitalist, and carceral state. As law students, we recognize our privilege and potential as change-agents, and feel we are uniquely situated to examine and challenge our role in these institutions. AC@B offers a community space grounded in abolitionist values for law students who seek a future that doesn’t rely on cages to keep people safe.
Email: blast@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: Alternative Service Trips at Berkeley Law is one way students at Berkeley Law can engage in pro bono legal services. Alternative Service Trips at Berkeley Law allows students to take a short, but deep dive serving clients over school breaks outside of the Bay Area. Students work alongside established grassroots legal services agencies, gaining insight into the ways these organizations adapt their work to the unique challenges and needs of their respective communities. Alternative Service Trips at Berkeley Law is a service-learning experience that helps equip students with the tools to understand the complex needs of communities similar to and different from their own, helping foster an active generation of thoughtful community lawyers. In years past, Alternative Service Trips at Berkeley Law has traveled to rural Kentucky, the Central Valley of California, Mississippi, South Texas, Tijuana, and Los Angeles. Alternative Service Trips at Berkeley Law, like SLPS, is student-initiated and operates in conjunction with the Berkeley Law Pro Bono Program.
Email: berkeleylawacs@gmail.com
Website: https://www.acslaw.org/chapter/california-berkeley/
Mission: The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) nurtures the next generation of progressive lawyers, judges, policy experts, legislators, and academics by providing opportunities for networking, mentoring, and organizing around matters of both local and national significance.
Email: animallaw@berkeley.edu
Mission: The Animal Law and Advocacy Project (ALA) assists supervising attorneys at Animal Outlook in advocating for a more compassionate food system. Animal Outlook’s Legal Advocacy Program has been working since 2004 to use the legal system as a powerful tool to fight the systemic injustices of factory farming. They focus on creatively using existing laws and litigation to target large-scale animal cruelty on factory farms and to protect compassionate consumers from manipulation and unfair business practices by the animal agriculture industry. Farmed animals are given almost no protection under the law, at both the state and federal levels, which makes the task all that more challenging — and important. A compassionate food system means compassion and justice for all. The ALA’s projects also intersect with other social justice issues, especially those pertaining to climate change, public health, food justice, and worker’s rights.
Email: aldfberkeleylaw@gmail.com
Website: https://callink.berkeley.edu/organization/animallegaldefense
Mission: To protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system.
Email: airprobono@berkeley.edu
Mission: IR’s mission is to connect the worlds of law and art by supporting artists locally and around the world. By informing artists about their legal rights and safeguarding legal protections for artistic speech, students can help to empower the artistic community, who is often found at the helm of social change.
Email: aalj@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/library/ir/aalj/
Mission: The Asian American Law Journal (AALJ) is one of only two law journals in the United States focusing on Asian American communities in its publication agenda. Known as the Asian Law Journal until 2007, AALJ was first published in October 1993 in a joint publication with the California Law Review. AALJ’s first independent issue was published in May 1994. AALJ serves dual purposes for the Asian Pacific American and legal communities. First, the journal sets a scholarly foundation for exploring the unique legal concerns of Asian Pacific Americans. Second, AALJ seeks to put that scholarship in action and open the dialogue between those who study law and those who are affected by it. In pursuit of these goals, AALJ strives to provide a forum for the many voices and opinions of the Asian Pacific American community through events such as its annual Spring Symposium and Neil Gotanda Lecture in Asian American Jurisprudence.
Email: berkeleyapalsa@gmail.com
Website: https://www.berkeleyapalsa.com/
Mission: Berkeley’s Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), established in the 1970s, is a political, community service, academic, professional and social law student organization. APALSA is dedicated to serving and empowering the Asian and Pacific Islander American (AAPI) community at Berkeley Law and the Bay Area community at large. On the whole, APALSA’s goal is to promote a greater awareness of the diverse culture, rich history, and current struggle of Asian Pacific Americans. APALSA serves to create a safe space for AAPI students to explore their identities, build community, and honor their cultures. APALSA also works very closely with other affinity groups and student organizations in coordinating various educational and social events.
Email: abolitionistlawerying@berkeley.edu
Mission: The purpose of this project is to support the work of Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) through directed, legal-oriented research projects. This project is part of a larger interdisciplinary research effort to Reimagine Community Safety. As members of the SLP, law students will be contributing to the work of The Reimagination Lab. Housed in the Department of African American Studies at UC Berkeley, The Reimagination Lab provides research-based recommendations to organizers who are on the frontlines of building community-led visions of safety, well-being, and justice in the Bay Area. The Lab is led by James Burch, Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) Policy Director and inaugural member of the City of Oakland’s “Reimagining Public Safety Task Force” and Professor Nikki Jones, H. Michael and Jeanne Williams Department Chair in African American Studies and Director of the Abolition Democracy Initiative. The Lab is inclusive of an interdisciplinary working group of UC Berkeley student researchers and scholars in the School of Public Health, School of Social Welfare and the Othering and Belonging Institute who are committed to community-engaged research. The Lab is a Black and organizer-led hub dedicated to leveraging a diversity of skills to synthesize and share research-driven models for community safety without policing. The work of the Reimagination Lab is currently supported by the UC Berkeley Department of African American Studies’ Abolition Democracy Initiative, The William T. Grant Foundation, and Spencer Foundation. The goals of The Reimagination Lab are three-fold: To build an organizer-led interdisciplinary research base that can inform local efforts to reduce police budgets and reinvest in communities disproportionately surveilled, punished, and imprisoned. To bridge the institutional divide between UC Berkeley faculty and students, community members, and organizers together through working groups, public events, publications, and multimedia projects that will advance an accessible abolitionist analysis and promote community safety and accountability outside of the criminal legal system. To build the holistic capacity and invest in the wellness of community members directly-impacted by police violence (including families and loved ones) and frontline organizers to make legislative and policy interventions that advance our police-free future. The research and efforts of SLP members constituting the law school contingent will contribute to the overarching goals of The Reimagination Lab. The work produced by students will directly support APTP’s campaigns and organizing strategies to fight police terror in Oakland. Community-based organizations like APTP engage in a diverse array of organizing tactics from advocacy to direct action to supporting legislative campaigns. In and through this type of community-engaged work, all sorts of legal questions emerge. Students will be using all institutional and legal tools available to fight back against police terror in Oakland and beyond.
Email: berkeleyimmigrationgroup@berkeley.edu
Website: http://berkeleyimmigrationgroup.org/
Mission: Berkeley Immigration Group’s (BIG) mission is to support the legal rights of immigrants through pro bono legal services, advocacy, and partnerships with organizations working to dismantle the carceral immigration system.
Email: bjil@law.berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.berkeleyjournalofinternationallaw.com
Mission: Committed to publishing high-impact pieces from established and newer scholars likely to be referenced and relied on for a cutting edge approach to topics of international and comparative law.
Email: bjcl@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.bjcl.org/
Mission: The Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law is one of the nation’s preeminent forums for discussing regional, national, and international criminal law issues. Since its inception in 2000, the journal has published cutting-edge scholarship by professors, judges, research fellows, clerks, and law students from across the country.
Email: bjell@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/library/ir/bjell/
Mission: The Journal’s mission is to provide a forum for academics and practitioners to discuss emerging developments in employment and labor law. In addition, the Journal is committed to helping students interested in employment and labor law to connect with people in the field. To this end, the Journal hosts a lunchtime speaker series, symposia, and the Annual Feller Memorial Lecture. BJELL is always interested in connecting with academics and practitioners in employment and labor law.
Email: bjesl@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/library/ir/bjesl/
Mission: The Berkeley Journal of Entertainment & Sports Law (BJESL) is a student-run publication and scholarly community dedicated to fostering high-level, timely discussion of legal issues that contemporaneously impact the entertainment and sports world, both domestically and internationally. As an interactive and completely-online law journal, BJESL presents a unique platform for rich, diverse legal analysis that will serve scholars, practitioners, and students in these fields. Issues will contain approximately four articles by professors, practitioners, or students on current topics relating to sports and entertainment law.
Email: bglj@berkeley.edu
Website: http://genderlawjustice.org/
Mission: Our mandate is to publish feminist legal scholarship that critically examines the intersection of gender with one or more axes of subordination, including, but not limited to, race, class, sexual orientation, and disability.
Email: jmeil@berkeley.edu
Mission: JMEIL is committed to furthering and fostering discourse on issues related to Middle Eastern and Islamic law through the sponsoring of future colloquia, speakers, and work with Berkeley Law faculty to establish a structured program of research in Islamic law.
Email: btlj@berkeley.edu
Website: btlj.org
Mission: The Berkeley Technology Law Journal is a student-run publication of Berkeley Law. The Journal should primarily strive to keep judges, policymakers, practitioners, and the academic community abreast of the dynamic field of intellectual property and technology law. The Journal should also secondarily serve as a common thread for individuals in the Berkeley Law community with a similar interest in intellectual property and technology law, and as a resource for the Berkeley Law community generally.
Blockchain technology is developing at a rapid pace. Only prepared lawyers can successfully render help to this ever-expanding industry. Thus, Distributed Ledgers Association aims to provide firm knowledge and ways to utilize blockchain, cryptocurrency, DAOs, NFTs, and the Metaverse.
Email: boardofadvocates@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/professional-skills-program/advocacy-competitions-program/
Mission: Board of Advocates is a primarily student run organization charged with all of the school’s internal and external skills competitions. The Board of Advocates has won competition awards at multiple levels, consistently outperforming other top-ten law schools. The Board of Advocate’s general membership includes over 960 students who participate in both regional and national competitions in three main areas: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Trial Advocacy, and Appellate Advocacy. Competition for a place on these teams is fierce during the Board’s try-out process, with multiple students vying for each spot. Teams receive coaching from professors, Executive Board Members, alumni, and fellow students. The Board also places a strong emphasis on training fellow students and future members through internal competitions, offering scholarship money and the opportunity to be heard by federal judges in mock argument. The Board of Advocates provides further opportunities for students to hone their advocacy skills, hosting multiple skills workshops throughout the year.
Email: braiv@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: Brave Resistance Against Interpersonal Violence advocates against the persistence and proliferation of interpersonal violence in the Bay Area and beyond by raising awareness in the Berkeley Law community. BRAIV facilitates discussions regarding the intersectional issues of interpersonal violence through education, advocacy, and community partnerships. In particular, BRAIV explores and expands the ways in which the legal field can better support those experiencing interpersonal violence and connect law students and other community members to resources and information regarding interpersonal violence. BRAIV also actively supports the Bay Area advocacy network by connecting with local organizations to contribute to their efforts with fundraising or direct services.
Email: carc@berkeley.edu
Mission: The California Asylum Representation Clinic’s primary mission is to help guide and represent asylum seekers. CARC’s secondary goal is to train Berkeley Law students in critical lawyering skills including interviewing, client management, and immigration law.
Email: californialawnreview@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: The California Lawn Review is Berkeley Law’s preeminent student-run landscaping publication. We publish articles reviewing the best and worst lawns around campus and greater Berkeley and host an annual symposium in mid-April. The California Lawn Review considers submissions from all students in all forms, including open letters, satire, creative writing, artwork, and beyond.
Email: berkeleylawcanadians@gmail.com
Mission: To provide a welcoming community for all Canadians at Berkeley Law.
Email: chinalawassociation@gmail.com
Mission: CLAB seeks to provide a platform for all students and scholars interested in Chinese law and culture. Through developing social activities, CLAB seeks to enrich the academic experience of its members, building relationships between CLAB members through facilitating conversation and dialogue. CLAB also seeks to support the development of its members through hosting professional and academic events, laying the foundation for its members to develop their professional and academic experiences and capacities.
Email: christiansatberkeleylaw@gmail.com
Mission: We provide weekly Bibles studies and a community within the law school for those seeking spiritual support. We offer a time for those who self-identify as Christians, and those interested in learning more about the Christian faith, to encourage one another through the ups and downs of law school. We also provide networking opportunities to connect people to churches, other bible studies, and other faith groups at Berkeley. We also hold occasional social activities, including dinners and networking events with other graduate student groups.
Email: cleanenergyleadersinlaw@berkeley.edu
Mission: Clean Energy Leaders in Law (CELL) seeks to accelerate an equitable transition to renewable energy. Low-income neighborhoods and communities of color disproportionately experience the burdens of climate change and often lack access to renewable energy alternatives, such as residential solar. Through CELL, students can support non-profits aiming to address these inequities and improve access to community-owned renewable energy projects.
Email: coalitionfordiversity@gmail.com
Mission: Coalition for Diversity at Berkeley Law (CFD) The Coalition for Diversity at Berkeley Law (CFD) was formed in 2001 to develop strategies to promote faculty and student diversity at Berkeley Law. CFD also acts as a coordinating organization among affinity groups at Berkeley Law, providing support and community for diverse law students of all backgrounds.
Email: cmtl@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: The Coalition of Minorities in Technology Law (CMTL) is a student organization established within UC Berkeley School of Law with the purpose of providing community, mentorship, career resources, and advocacy on behalf of students who are interested in technology law and who come from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the technology, legal, and technology law fields.
Email: dapd@berkeley.edu
Mission: Public attention to systemic injustices within the criminal legal system have increased significantly over the past decade. Despite efforts to call out the harm perpetrated by police and prisons, the criminal court process remains a black box. However, judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys play a huge role in determining whether and how people are sentenced to incarceration after arrest.
For the past three years, a group of court watch volunteers in Alameda County have observed how courts are dealing with rising COVID cases in jails, using money bail versus pretrial alternatives, and treating defendants and their loved ones in hearings. We are looking for volunteers to join us in this effort to uncover what is happening in the criminal courts, share this information with the public, and hold court officials accountable to the communities they are supposed to serve.
The Community Defense Project will also focus on broader community education related to local District Attorneys and the role they play within the criminal legal system, as well as equip community members with necessary support to help combat the system at large. A report published by the Urban Peace Movement and the ACLU can be found here: https://meetyourda.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/acda-press-release.pdf
Email: trw@law.berkeley.edu
Website: Community Legal Outreach advances the legal rights of East Bay tenants and educates law students through training, events, and weekly client services. Under the mentorship of East Bay Community Law Center attorneys, we aim to empower the people we serve and equip aspiring lawyers to be effective advocates for justice.
Email: caps@law.berkeley.edu
Website: https://consumer.berkeley.edu/
Mission: CAPS is dedicated to fostering research, discussion, and advocacy in the field of consumer protection law. We are committed to strengthening ties between consumer law groups and the Berkeley Law community.
Email: c3po@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: Consumer Protection Public Policy Order (C-3PO) is a student-led project at UC Berkeley School of Law. The pro bono project was created to address consumer protection issues affecting everyday consumers, and especially communities most vulnerable to predatory financial practices.
Email: contracostareentry@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: The Contra Costa Reentry Project (CORE) assists the Contra Costa County Office of the Public Defender with its Clean Slate practice, which works to help remove the barriers that a prior conviction can present to employment, housing, public benefits, and family reunification.
Email: thedefendance@gmail.com
Mission: The Defendance is a Berkeley Law dance group that provides space for students to destress, create, and collaborate through moving and grooving.
Email: defenders@berkeley.edu
Mission: The purpose of the Defenders at Berkeley is to provide Berkeley Law students with a supportive community and opportunities to learn about criminal defense careers through both networking and discussions about important topics in criminal defense.
Email: drp@berkeley.edu
Mission: Our mission is to help young persons with disabilities understand and exercise their rights in working towards a society where people with disabilities are supported, valued, included in their communities, and are afforded the same opportunities as people without disabilities. The Disability Rights Project works with Disability Rights California (DRC) and other law students from UC Irvine to provide advocacy support for youth with disabilities and families across the state. We want to promote the idea that people with disabilities deserve respect and are valued and supported in their communities.
Email: dsabl@berkeley.edu
Mission: DSABL aims to foster a supportive community where disabled students at Berkeley Law receive mentorship, facilitate access to resources and accommodations, and provide a space to advocate and understand disability rights.
Email: digitalrightsproject@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: The Digital Rights Project is a Student-Initiated Legal Service Project (SLP) at Berkeley Law School. The group’s primary objective is to give JD and LLM students an opportunity to do pro bono work at the intersection of technology and social justice.
Students in DRP will work directly with the ACLU of Northern California’s Technology and Civil Liberties team on projects involving legal research and writing and community advocacy. Students will also be working with the citizen’s coalition Oakland Privacy, a local organization focused on privacy and surveillance reform through advocacy, education, and research. For both organizations, students will work on civil rights issues related to reproductive rights, surveillance technology, and data privacy. Students will conduct research, participate in trainings, and engage in community outreach projects – including the chance to draft legislation and advocate for its passage by local governments. There will be an opportunity for students to choose between multiple projects depending on members’ interests and the needs of our partner organizations.
At the heart of the Digital Rights Project is a belief that technology must be used and regulated in a manner that respects the dignity of the user. As technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous, novel questions over how to respect civil liberties in the information age have emerged. Should law enforcement surveillance technology be equipped with facial recognition? Can government officials legally Fs users from following them on Twitter, and can Twitter legally restrict the speech of government officials? How can we examine and work to dismantle the racist logics underpinning surveillance technologies?
The Digital Rights Project gives Berkeley Law students an opportunity to address some of these questions and to conduct substantive work at the intersection of law, technology, and social justice. DRP is committed to doing this work through a lens that acknowledges and addresses the impacts of racism and systemic inequality on surveillance and technology. Our organization engages in legal research and community advocacy where law, technology, and social justice intersect. Our work is underpinned by the belief that privacy is a fundamental right and a desire to unearth how race, class, and power are implicated in government and corporate surveillance. It will provide a space to interrogate how the history, development, and implementation of surveillance technologies impact the communities we work with and the work that we do.
Students in DRP will work directly with the ACLU of Northern California’s Technology and Civil Liberties team on projects involving legal research and writing and community advocacy. Students will conduct research on the judicial implementation and enforcement of the state’s groundbreaking electronic privacy law, the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (CalECPA) and assist with research, trainings, and related materials for local communities related to government surveillance practices and applicable privacy and surveillance laws. Students who are interested in committing more time may also have the opportunity to assist the ACLU with research related to ongoing surveillance and privacy legislation and litigation, subject to the organization’s needs.
Email: dreamersclinic@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: East Bay Dreamers Project partners with the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) in providing immigration legal services to support and empower Bay Area undocumented community members. EBDP specifically focuses on DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. EBDP helps clients with their initial and renewal DACA applications and advance parole (permission to travel outside the US). Apart from DACA, EBDP also helps EBCLC conduct general immigration consultations to identify other options for legal status.
Website: https://www.ecologylawquarterly.org/
Email: elq@berkeley.edu; elq.symposium@berkeley.edu
Mission: Established in 1971, Ecology Law Quarterly is among the oldest and most prestigious journals publishing environmental law scholarship.
Publishing four issues a year, ELQ provides a forum for preeminent scholarship on groundbreaking environmental law topics, including renewable energy, environmental justice, and international environmental law. In 2008, ELQ launched Ecology Law Currents, an online companion journal designed to publish pieces on a more frequent basis than the print journal.
Staffed by Berkeley Law students, ELQ is a community of dedicated and like-minded individuals. True to our environmental roots, the ELQ staff embarks on two outdoor adventures each year: Yosemite in the fall, Tahoe in the spring. In addition, ELQ strives to support the student body through writing awards, public interest summer fellowships, and a diversity scholarship.
Email: eaberkeleylaw@gmail.com
Mission: Effective Altruists of Berkeley Law tries to use evidence and careful reasoning to find paths towards positive impact which are large in scale, tractable, and neglected relative to other important causes, and spread the philosophical ideas underpinning this endeavor through the Berkeley Law community.
Email: electionlawberkeleylaw@gmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/electionlaw/?hl=en
Mission: To build community among students passionate about democracy, equality, citizenship, voting rights, and representation.
Email: europeangourmetsa@gmail.com
Mission: The goal of our organization is to spread the knowledge about the European culture through gourmet experiences within the Berkeley Law Community.
Email: FABL@law.berkeley.edu
Website: https://callink.berkeley.edu/organization/FamiliesatBerkeleyLaw
Mission: The mission of Families at Berkeley Law is to provide information, advocacy, and support for parents, caregivers, and students at Berkeley Law. The group establishes a secure forum to discuss issues surrounding family life while pursuing a career in law. The forum is open to all students.
Email: familydefense@berkeley.edu
Mission: The purpose of the Family Defense Project (FDP) is to provide holistic legal support and advocacy for low-income parents in dependency court proceedings. In particular, Black and Brown parents are at disproportionate risk of being aggressively surveilled and unnecessarily separated from their children by the family regulation system (also known as the child welfare system). This happens because the dependency court system is highly discretionary and often conflates poverty with failed parenting, which could be mitigated by adequate provision of social services instead of by tearing apart loving families. Too often, racism and bias also bleed into dependency court decisions, which leads to less institutional trust of parents of color and a misguided belief by the system that their children are better off in state custody. In partnership with the East Bay Family Defenders (opens in a new tab), FDP will help fight this racism and classism by advocating for parents in the East Bay who are at risk of unjust family separation or have already been separated from their families.
Email: berkeleyfederalistsociety@gmail.com
Mission: The Federalist Society is a group of conservatives and libertarians interested in the current state of the legal order. It is founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. The Society seeks both to promote an awareness of these principles and to further their application through its activities.
Email: berkeleylawfgp@gmail.com
Mission: First Generation Professionals (FGP) is a student-led group that strives to address the needs of first generation law students through mentorship, career advising, and social activities. Born of the common experiences and challenges of students from working-class backgrounds who are often the first in their family to attend college, FGP is a truly diverse community that fosters inclusiveness, well-being, and academic achievement throughout students’ time at Berkeley.
Email: foodjustice@berkeley.edu
Website: https://foodjustice.berkeley.edu/
Mission: The Food Justice Project serves UC Berkeley students who have been denied CalFresh benefits. With the understanding that hunger on college campuses is a serious and preventable problem, Berkeley Law students assist students in navigating the appeals process by providing direct client services. We partner closely with the Basic Needs Center at UC Berkeley to provide resources to students who need help obtaining benefits. In addition to direct services, the Food Justice Project also undertakes research projects on the topic of food justice with local organizations.
Email: fostered@berkeley.edu
Mission: More than 437,000 youth are in the U.S. foster system. Foster youth are significantly more likely to experience unplanned school changes: in California, foster youth lose four to six months’ worth of learning time with every transfer. Compared to a statewide graduation rate of 85%, foster youth have a 56% graduation rate. They are more likely to be enrolled in the lowest-performing schools, have the lowest participation rate in state testing, and experience suspensions at five times the rate of the rest of California’s students. (HHS, 2019); (CDE, 2019).
The Foster Education Project at Berkeley Law serves foster youth in the Bay Area. We pair each member with a foster student in need of an educational advocate. Law students become the legal educational rights holders, ensuring the child receives an appropriate school placement, representation in disciplinary proceedings, any services for disabilities or special needs, and the support needed to succeed. Members may serve as a point of contact for social workers, teachers, attorneys, and other stakeholders in the child’s life, such as group home staff. Members are expected to actively evaluate their student’s school placement, engage with teachers, administrators, and school counselors, and advocate for the needs of the child. Students may also produce education timelines based on foster student records and develop know-your-rights graduation requirement presentations.
We anticipate law students will be able to serve as education rights holders in person for Fall 2022. FosterEd trainings and meetings will likely take place in person during the lunch hour, but may be held over Zoom in the evenings if it makes sense to do so. A year-long commitment is required, however three-year membership is highly encouraged for consistent representation of our foster youth.
SOURCES:
Children’s Bureau. AFCARS Report #26 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019).
Data Reporting Office. Foster Youth in California Schools (California Department of Education, 2019).
Email: ftlp@berkeley.edu
Mission: This project seeks to provide support to grassroots organizers in their land, housing, and environmental justice goals.
Email: globl@berkeley.edu
Website: https://callink.berkeley.edu/organization/globl
Mission: GLOBL is an International Student Organization that contacts alum and shares information regarding career tracks and options available for students without a Green Card/US citizenship. The purpose of the organization is to make it easier for current and future international students to navigate various career paths.
Email: gvpp@berkeley.edu
Mission: For five years, the Gun Violence Prevention Project (GVPP) has been Berkeley Law’s only student group specifically focused on using legal tools to reduce and prevent gun violence. The Project partners with Brady Legal, a law group that has won landmark cases across the country, establishing precedent and holding gun industries accountable for injuries and deaths caused by gun violence. In previous years, students with GVPP helped develop guides, factsheets, and other resources to educate individuals and organizations on California’s Gun Violence Restraining Order laws and the ways in which these laws can be used to keep communities safe.
Mission: Happiness and Enjoyment for Legal Practitioners aspires to create and embolden
mindfulness and self-care among the burgeoning professionals at Berkeley Law.
Email: patent.berkeley@gmail.com
Mission: The Intellectual Property Law Society is dedicated to fostering research, discussion, and advocacy in the field of intellectual property law. We are committed to strengthening ties between students interested in intellectual property law and the Berkeley Law community. We work to:
1. Create networks between intellectual property law attorneys, advocacy organizations, and the Berkeley Law student body in order to promote the field of intellectual property law and provide training opportunities for students;
2. Spread awareness of intellectual property law as a career path for young scholars in the Berkeley community at large;
3. Foster community among student advocates whose interests intersect with the Intellectual Property Law Society; and
4. Encourage and maintain intellectual property law curriculum and clinic opportunities at Berkeley Law.
Email: ihrw@law.berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/pro-bono-program/slps/current-slps-projects/international-human-rights-workshop-ihrw/
Mission: Through careful legal research, detailed data collection, and comprehensive analysis, the International Human Rights Workshop is dedicated to working alongside international courts and organizations to protect and promote human rights around the globe.
Email: irap@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: IRAP Berkeley works with pro bono attorneys, IRAP Headquarters, and IRAP chapters across the United States and Canada to advance legal pathways to safety for refugees and other displaced people. This can be by supporting cases directly, contributing to litigation matters, or working on policy projects. Through IRAP Berkeley, students can develop legal research, client work, and client advocacy skills.
Email: jsabl@berkeley.edu
Mission: JSABL’s mission is to provide a community for Jewish-identifying students at Berkeley Law.
Email: laalianza@berkeley.edu
Website: https://alianzaberkeleylaw.com/
Mission: La Alianza seeks to empower Latinx students. By studying law with conocimiento, we learn how to shape the law to enhance our diverse communities’ cultural, economic, political, social, and spiritual vitality.
Email: laalianzaslp@berkeley.edu
Mission: La Raza Workers’ and Tenants’ Rights Clinic is one of the oldest SLPs at Berkeley Law, created in 1969 by La Raza law students who founded Centro Legal de la Raza after seeing the immense need for free legal representation to Oakland’s Latinx community. The historic organization has since become a cornerstone of legal services in Oakland, serving the Bay Area and now all of Northern California in the areas of Workers’ Rights, Tenants’ Rights, Immigration, and running an innovative Youth Law Academy.
The SLP is divided into two parts, the Workers’ Rights clinic and the Tenants’ Right clinic. Students have the opportunity to participate in either one of the clinics or to do both. The Workers’ Rights clinic meets with predominantly Spanish-speaking and immigrant workers who are facing a variety of job-related issues including wage theft, discrimination and sexual harassment, retaliation, and unemployment issues and safety concerns related to COVID-19.
The Tenants’ Rights clinic meets with tenants, roughly 60% of whom speak English and 40% who speak Spanish, Cantonese, and Vietnamese. Tenants at the clinic face a range of housing issues from evictions, illegal rent increases, landlord harassment, or uninhabitable conditions. The goal of this clinic is to stop displacement of low-income residents and stabilize rapidly changing communities through eviction defense.
Email: lrlj@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/library/ir/blrlj/
Mission: Our purpose is to provide an open forum for the analysis of legal issues affecting the Latinx community; to publish articles written by Latinx students, scholars, practitioners; and to serve as a legal research resource.
Email: Berkeley.lpesoc@gmail.com
Website: lpesoc.org
Mission: The Law and Political Economy Society (LPE Soc) at Berkeley offers a community through which Berkeley Law students can build creative thinking, dissent, and systemic critique into their study and practice. LPE Soc is a student-run organization dedicated to fostering interest and discussion in the emerging LPE movement, which seeks to expose how legal rules concentrate economic and political power among dominant social groups, and simultaneously build and expand modes of legal thinking which embed the economy in social life. By revealing the artificial divide between law, politics, and economics, we seek to help students exercise their power to reimagine the social order.
Email: berkeleylawstudents4palestine@gmail.com
Mission: (LSJP) is Berkeley Law’s home for education, discussion, and activism promoting the rights of the Palestinian people. We seek to amplify the voices of Palestinian activists resisting annexation, settlements, and human rights abuses; to combat anti-Palestinian narratives and the silencing of pro-Palestine viewpoints in American politics and academia; to strengthen the intersectional bonds between the Palestinian struggle and other racial & social justice movements; and to highlight Palestinian arts and culture, particularly in forums that are accessible to students in Berkeley.
Email: lsad@law.berkeley.edu
Website: https://ucberkeleylsad.com/
Mission: As Berkeley Law’s chapter of the National Black Law Students Association, LSAD is a place for Black law students to build community and find mutual support in their legal journey. LSAD actively participates in the recruitment and retention of Black students. Over the past four years, we’ve seen our membership steadily grow, in part due to the dedication of each class to mentor and support one another. LSAD offers targeted programming focused on academic support, professional development, and relationship building for Black students. In addition, we seek to engage in advocacy and community outreach that centers the interests of the Black community in Berkeley and beyond. Whether you are a student or alum, administrative staff or faculty, sponsor or community member, we are excited about building with you.
Email: legalautomation@berkeley.edu
Mission: We strive to help pro bono organizations to increase their service capabilities. The less time lawyers spend on automatable tasks, the more clients can be served. For that, we identify those automatable tasks and build cross-discipline teams to carry out the automation.
Email: LOVE_SLP@berkeley.edu
Mission: L.O.V.E.’s purpose is to provide support for veterans to overcome legal obstacles.
Email: jspstudents@googlegroups.com
Mission: Our purpose is to provide networking, professional development, and social opportunities for graduate students in Jurisprudence & Social Policy and the field of Law & Society.
Email: Massmediaberkeleylaw@gmail.com
Mission: Helping Berkeley Law students become more media literate, making legal media more accessible, and raising awareness about opportunities in journalism.
Email: berkeleylawmelsa@gmail.com
Mission: The Middle Eastern and North African Law Students Association (MENALSA) empowers and builds community among Middle Eastern and North African students at Berkeley Law. MENALSA works in solidarity with other organizations to develop students academically and professionally, as well as provide a fun social forum and address challenges our broader community faces.
Email: berkeleylawmsa@gmail.com
Mission: To provide a space for Muslim students at Berkeley Law to connect with each other, and to educate the broader Berkeley Law community about the Muslim faith.
Email: nalaproject@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/pro-bono-program/slps/current-slps-projects/native-american-legal-assistance-project/
Mission: The Native American Legal Assistance Project (NALA) is a research- and direct services-based SLP that works to address legal issues faced by Native Americans.
Website: https://callink.berkeley.edu/organization/bamv
Email: mvbl@berkeley.edu
Mission: Military and Veterans at Berkeley Law’s mission is to create a community where veterans can help veterans succeed in law school and beyond. This means, first and foremost, promoting social cohesion among veterans and military service members at the school. Additionally, we seek to develop veteran-specific professional opportunities for our members, as well as host events geared toward educating the wider student body on military-related topics in the law.
Email: NALSA.ucberkeley@gmail.com
Mission: NALSA is a community of law students that seeks to promote the success of Native students, create awareness around Native issues, and foster a positive culture of unity, cooperation, and respect. Serving as an academic, political, and social resource for Native law students and their allies, NALSA is committed to forming lasting relationships with Native alumni, Native members of the legal community, and the Native community as a whole. From social trips to educational lectures, conferences to mentorships, NALSA actively provides its members with opportunities for academic and legal prosperity, a deeper sense of engagement with Federal Indian Law, and a supportive community of peers. NALSA at Berkeley Law is an active chapter of National NALSA.
Email: ngcw@berkeley.edu
Mission: The mission of the Name and Gender Change Workshop is to help our clients obtain
gender-affirming identification documents through requesting legal name and/or
gender marker changes.
Email: berkeley.owls@gmail.com
Website: https://tinyletter.com/berkeleyowls
Mission: OWLS provides a venue for older or otherwise non-traditional law students to network, socialize and build community while navigating the law school process.
Email: pala@berkeley.edu
Mission: Advocates for Palestinian freedom in the U.S. face escalating efforts by
government officials, school administrators, and Israel proxy groups to investigate,
censor, and punish criticism of Israel or support for Palestinian rights. Palestine Legal confronts this widespread suppression by representing, advising, and providing legal education to activists and communities who stand up for justice in Palestine.
Email: peerwellnesscoalition@gmail.com
Mission: The Peer Wellness Coalition (PWC) is a student organization dedicated to increasing resources dedicated to wellness and mental health in law school and the legal profession.
Email: pals@berkeley.edu
Mission: Pilipino American Law Society (PALS) is a student-led group that strives to address the needs of law students of Filipino decent through mentorship, career advising, and social activities. Born of the common experiences and challenges of students from Filipino-American law students, PALS is a community that fosters inclusiveness, well-being, and academic achievement throughout students’ time at Berkeley Law.
Email: pla.law@berkeley.edu
Mission: The Plaintiffs’ Law Association (PLA) is a student organization at Berkeley Law and an official AAJ chapter dedicated to cultivating future plaintiff-side attorneys. We are a comprehensive resource for students interested in plaintiff-side careers–providing community support, professional guidance, and exposure to a variety of practice areas.
PLA hosts speaker events with prominent practitioners, connects students to mentors, and shares employment opportunities with current and former members. We are also committed to fostering community. We provide a space for students to support and encourage each other from day one, and engage with a robust alumni network.
More broadly, we want to dispel the myth that the only career opportunities for law students are in BigLaw, government, and the nonprofit sector. A career as a plaintiff-side lawyer is fulfilling, financially rewarding, and impactful.
We are also dedicated to making the profession accessible to underrepresented groups. That is why diversifying the plaintiffs’ bar is a priority for PLA.
Overall, the Plaintiffs’ Law Association aims to equip members with the tools, knowledge, and relationships they need to succeed as future plaintiff-side advocates.
Email: Berkeleypolicereviewproject@berkeley.edu
Mission: The Police Review Project (PRP) focuses on helping community members tell their stories about their interactions with police officers to the official review board, participating in anti-police coalitions, and supporting survivors of police brutality and police abuse. There are two different branches within PRP that work to achieve these goals. The first branch of the PRP assists in representing civilians who file complaints against members of the Berkeley Police Department with the Berkeley Police Accountability Board (PAB). Our students review complaints and evidence collected by the Board, interview complainants and help them understand the PAB process, communicate with the Board regarding any new evidence and witnesses, prepare complainants for their hearing, and present opening and closing statements on behalf of complainants at their hearing, if one is granted. After the hearing, the complaint is either dismissed or sustained. If a complaint is “sustained,” meaning the PAB agrees that misconduct took place, they submit their findings to the Chief of Police. Students will also be asked to attend public PAB meetings to provide feedback to the city on the PAB process’s strengths and weaknesses. Our mission is to provide support to community members who have been negatively impacted by police misconduct, so they do not have to navigate this unfamiliar process on their own. The second branch partners students with the ACLU Louisiana Justice Lab: Putting Racist Policing on Trial™. This effort challenges racially discriminatory policing practices and combats police violence against people of color. The Justice Lab primarily assists complainants in bringing challenges under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, in addition to § 1983. Additionally, as an alternative to litigation, the Justice Lab provides a way for impacted people to share their experiences through the Storytelling Program. Students participating in this branch will meet with clients, draft legal intake memos, and assist their storytelling initiative.
Email: peep@berkeley.edu
Website: https://callink.berkeley.edu/organization/PEEP
Mission: The Political and Election Empowerment Project (PEEP) supports nonprofit organizations in California and across the nation fighting for voting rights and democracy reform.
Email: p-cap@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/pro-bono-program/slps/current-slps-projects/post-conviction-advocacy-project-p-cap/
Mission: P-CAP is a Student-Initiated Legal Services Project (SLP) whose purpose is to train Berkeley Law students to assist incarcerated people with the parole process. Students meet with their clients in teams, prepare them for their parole board hearing, and help represent them at that hearing. Students also assist clients in preparing for a life outside of prison by helping them secure stable housing and providing information on mental health or medical services that will be available to them in their communities. P-CAP may also provide opportunities for students to assist with appeals of individuals who have been denied parole by engaging in legal research and writing a habeas corpus petition.
P-CAP’s mission is justice for the thousands of men and women who may spend the rest of their lives in prison, even if they pose no threat to society. Indigent and incarcerated individuals regularly receive inadequate representation from attorneys appointed by the parole board. Student support can help ensure that these individuals are well prepared and have a fair chance at their hearing.
Email: privlab@berkeley.edu
Website: https://privlab.berkeley.edu
Mission: Privacy Law at Berkeley (PrivLAB) is a student-run organization that brings together Berkeley Law students interested in data security and privacy law and introduces them to the substance of their future practice. We host talks by eminent privacy experts, write briefing notes and opinion pieces, organize crypto-parties and privacy events, analyze foundational and complex privacy scholarship, and promote a multifaceted and inclusive understanding of information privacy in Berkeley and beyond.
Email: berkeleyprobonotes@gmail.com
Mission: Relying on the power of voice alone, the group seeks to bring together students who want to sing and support each other through establishing a musical scene in the law school. The ProBonotes aim to perform music across a range of genres and eras for the many fans across the law school who enjoy musical showcases.
Email: publichealthlaw@
Mission: PHL is dedicated to engaging and educating the Berkeley Law community around public health law. We are committed to increasing the educational opportunities and professional connections within this field.
Email: berkeleylawqc@gmail.com
Mission: The Queer Caucus at Berkeley Law is comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender variant, queer law students and allies. We strive to provide social opportunities and support for our members, to develop an academic environment that supports queer scholarship, and to organize events relating to political, social, and legal issues affecting the queer community. In addition to maintaining a strong and visible community of LGBTQ students, the Queer Caucus works with LGBT attorneys at public interest organizations, private firms, and government agencies to create networks of support between Berkeley Law students and alumni. Since its founding in 1978, the Queer Caucus has worked to eradicate the legal, political, and social oppression of LGBTQ people, and to provide an affirming, supportive base for students of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. This mission is complimented by our commitment to intersectional work and coalition building with a broad group of other student organizations and journals on campus.
Email: quirs.bl@gmail.com
Mission: QUIRS is a non-hierarchical community of students at Berkeley Law committed to dismantling systems of domination and oppression. To us, liberation means a radical transformation of our society. We plan to pursue liberation at every turn. Queer and trans justice is about ending colonialism, capitalism, white supremacy, cis-hetero-patriarchy, ableism, and all other forms of subjugation. Queer and trans justice is prison abolition, no nations or borders, universal housing, Palestinian self-determination and right to return, redistribution of wealth, indigenous sovereignty. We acknowledge that we will not always get everything right and that this list is non-exhaustive. However, it is our mission to hold ourselves accountable and better ourselves and our community in the face of missteps.
QUIRS is also about the personal lived experiences of queer and trans people. Of queer and trans people in this law school. We hope to create a space where we show up for each other, in all of our complexities and hold space for free ranging, tapestried conversations of healing and growth. We aim for this new group to be a place for queer law students to collectively grapple with what it means to be a queer and in law school. For us, queerness is something that is inherently political and tied to larger movements for liberation beyond our sexual orientation and the law. We will honor the lived experiences of our members.
Email: reentryadvocacy@berkeley.edu
Mission: The Reentry Advocacy Project (RAP) works with Root & Rebound, an Oakland non-profit, to provide free legal information to currently and formerly incarcerated individuals on navigating the legal barriers imposed by a criminal history when reentering society. RAP volunteers will work with attorneys on Root & Rebound’s legal aid hotline to take calls from clients in prison and across California, conduct legal research, and provide follow-up information and resources. By engaging in this work, students will learn about California criminal law and procedure while seeing the real-world effects of criminal law on individuals in the system and their loved ones.
Email: reproductivejusticeproject@law.berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/pro-bono-program/slps/current-slps-projects/reproductive-justice-project/
Mission: The Reproductive Justice Project advocates for bodily autonomy and the right to choose whether and under what circumstances people have and raise children by supporting reproductive rights groups around the globe.
Email: salsa@law.berkeley.edu, salsa@berkeley.edu
Mission: The Berkeley Law South Asian Law Student Association (SALSA) is dedicated to building a supportive and inclusive community for South Asian identifying law students. We seek to create and share opportunities for community-building between South Asian law students, alumni, faculty, staff, practicing attorneys, and members of the broader Bay Area. We provide mentorship, and connect our members to academic resources and professional opportunities. We partner closely with other affinity groups to work towards racial, economic, gender, sexuality, and disability justice within Berkeley Law and within the legal profession at large.
Email: sels@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: The mission of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society (SELS) is to educate the Berkeley Law community about legal opportunities and issues in the entertainment and sports industries. SELS also strives to facilitate opportunities for students to network not only with each other, but also with legal professionals in these industries. SELS regularly sponsors many events during the academic year, including both guest lectures and social events. SELS thereby provides a resource for students to connect with alumni and other industry-leading professionals and seek employment opportunities in the sports and entertainment industries.
Email: startuplawinitiative@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/pro-bono-program/slps/current-slps-projects/startup-law-initiative/
Mission: The Startup Law Initiative strives to lower the barriers to entry for Bay Area startup founders, while also providing a community of first-year law students with the opportunity to learn basic transactional skills and gain startup law experience early in their law school career.
Email: soals@law.berkeley.edu
Mission: The primary goal of SOALS is to facilitate the social and professional needs of advanced legal students and scholars who share similar interests and needs while studying and conducting research at Berkeley Law. Through social, professional, and academic activities, SOALS aspires to build relationships among its members and its U.S.-based and international alumni, and to share experiences on paths to practitioner and academic job placement, scholarly research, international public service, and business opportunities.
Email: seej.berkeleylaw@gmail.com
Mission: Students for Economic & Environmental Justice (SEEJ) was founded in 2009 in order to create a permanent home for Environmental Justice studies and advocacy at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. SEEJ is committed to advancing justice for low-income communities and communities of color. The organization accomplishes its mission by engaging with a variety of local, national and international Environmental Justice issues through an annual symposium, clinics, and workshops. SEEJ is also helping develop a broader environmental justice curriculum at the law school.
Email: BerkeleyLawSAP@berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/pro-bono-program/slps/
Mission: The Survivor Advocacy Project (SAP) builds generations of lawyers dedicated to preventing and combatting sexual assault, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. SAP provides the communities within UC Berkeley and the Bay Area with legal support aimed at empowering and supporting survivors of sexual violence. SAP instills skills of prevention, advocacy, training, empathy, cultural competency, and healing.
Email: berkeleylawtransfers@gmail.com
Mission: TABL is committed to addressing the needs of both 2L and 3L transfer students through career and academic advising, mentorship, social activities, networking, and other events and programs.
Email: wagejusticeclinic@berkeley.edu
Mission: The WJC is a Student-Initiated Legal Project at Berkeley Law, dedicated to assisting low-wage workers with the filing of wage claims with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. The organization trains Berkeley Law students by providing opportunities for client engagement, legal research, and development of practical legal skills.
Email: witl@berkeley.edu
Mission: Women in Tech Law is dedicated to fostering discussion, mentorship, and advocacy to promote the presence of women in the field of technology law. We are committed to strengthening ties between women technology law students in the Berkeley Law community and increasing opportunities for those women to succeed in the field.
We work to:
1. create networks between women technology law attorneys, advocacy organizations, and women in the Berkeley Law student body in order to promote women in the field of technology law and to provide professional development opportunities for students;
2. foster community among student advocates whose interests intersect with the Women in Tech Law; and
3. create and maintain resources and opportunities for women interested in technology law at Berkeley Law.
Email: wobl@berkeley.edu
Mission: Women of Berkeley Law (WOBL) is committed to advocating for women on campus and in the legal community. We work toward advancing a more diverse, inclusive legal community through education, community service, mentorship, and activism.
Email: berkeleylawwocc@gmail.com
Website: https://sites.law.berkeley.edu/wocc/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/women_of_berkeley_law?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Mission: The Womxn of Color Collective (WOCC) is dedicated to providing a supportive community space for Asian & Pacific Islander, Black, Latinx, Middle Eastern/North African, Native American, and other womxn-identifying people of color at Berkeley Law.
By providing cultural, social, professional, educational and community service programs, WOCC seeks to advance the passions, goals, and needs of womxn-identifying people of color and enrich their educational experiences at Berkeley Law. WOCC is committed to working in solidarity with other organizations to promote diversity in Berkeley Law, the legal profession, and beyond.
Women of Berkeley Law is committed to advocating for women on campus and in the legal community. We work toward advancing a more diverse, inclusive legal community through education, community service, mentorship, and activism.
Email: wrdlc@berkeley.edu
Mission: The Workers’ Rights Disability Law Clinic is a graduate student-run legal clinic that has served low-income individuals in the greater Bay Area with employment-related legal concerns for over a decade. Every other Tuesday, our organization holds a session to provide low-income workers around the Bay Area community with employment advice on a range of issues, including employment discrimination, unemployment, workers’ compensation, wage and hour problems, and unreported overtime.
Email: workersrightsclinic@law.berkeley.edu
Website: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/pro-bono-program/slps/current-slps-projects/workers-rights-clinic-wrc/
Mission: The Workers’ Rights Clinic is committed to protecting employment rights for low-
income and disadvantaged workers and their families by providing free legal services to
address discrimination based upon race, national origin, gender, pregnancy, disability,
language proficiency, and immigration status. The Clinic provides students an overview
of employment law and exposes them to a wide variety of workplace issues faced by
low-wage workers across California—many of whom are non-English speakers.
Email: yap@berkeley.edu
Mission: Students will work as youth advocates to support juveniles who are currently, or were previously, incarcerated at Contra Costa County’s juvenile hall.