UC Law SF: A History of Innovation and Transformation
The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (UC Law SF), formerly known as UC Hastings College of the Law, stands as a prominent public law school in San Francisco, California. As the first law school of the University of California and one of the first established in the state, UC Law SF has a rich history marked by significant contributions to legal education and the legal profession. However, its legacy is also intertwined with the controversial actions of its founder, Serranus Clinton Hastings, leading to a recent name change and renewed commitment to restorative justice.
Founding and Early Years
UC Law SF was founded in 1878 through a donation of $100,000 by Serranus Clinton Hastings, a prominent figure in California's early legal landscape. Hastings served as the first Chief Justice of California and later as the state's Attorney General. The institution was established by statute in 1878 and is governed by a Board of Directors. The Hastings College of the Law was for many years considered the primary law school of the University of California with the purpose of preparing lawyers for the practice of law in the state, whereas the Department of Jurisprudence on the Berkeley campus was intended for the study of law as an academic discipline.
Serranus Clinton Hastings was born in Watertown, New York, on November 22, 1814. He studied law and moved to the Iowa District in 1837 to open a law office. He represented the state in the United States House of Representatives. After one year in office, Hastings resigned and moved to California. He was appointed to the California Supreme Court as Chief Justice a few months later. He won an election to be Attorney General of California, and assumed office shortly after his term as Chief Justice ended. He began practicing law again as Attorney General. He earned a small fortune with his law practice and used that fortune to finance his successful real estate ventures.
The early years of Hastings College of the Law were marked by challenges. The school was described as a "peripatetic law school" due to the absence of a permanent campus. It relied on part-time faculty and served students who were often unable to attend a full-time law school program. The lack of a dedicated academic law library further compounded these difficulties. Despite these obstacles, the college persevered in its mission to provide legal education.
Transformation and Growth
Under the leadership of David E. Snodgrass, Hastings College of the Law underwent a significant transformation. Capitalizing on the surge of interest in legal careers following World War II, Snodgrass secured a permanent home for the college. This marked a turning point, enabling the institution to develop its resources and enhance its academic offerings.
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The same statute that affiliated Hastings with the University of California also designated the Hastings College of the Law as the University of California's "law department." UC Law SF is managed by a nine-member board of directors. The UC Law SF's board of directors exists independently of, and is not controlled by, the Regents of the University of California. Pursuant to California law, eight of the directors are appointed by the governor of California. Pursuant to the UC Law SF constitutive documents, the ninth director must be a direct lineal descendant of UC Law SF founder Serranus Clinton Hastings.
Academic Programs and Concentrations
UC Law SF offers a comprehensive Juris Doctor (J.D.) program, providing students with a strong foundation in legal principles and practical skills. The college offers a three-year Juris Doctor program with concentrated studies available in seven areas: civil litigation, criminal law, international law, public interest law, taxation, family law, and recently, a new concentration in intellectual property law. Most J.D. students follow a traditional three-year plan. During the first year, students take required courses as well as one elective course. In the second and third years, students may take any course or substitute or supplement their courses with judicial externships or internships, judicial clinics, or study abroad.
In addition to the J.D. program, UC Law SF offers a one-year LL.M. legal studies for students holding law degrees from foreign law programs. UC Law SF participates in the Concurrent Degree Program with UC Santa Cruz's Masters of Science in Applied Economics and Finance. In this 3+3 program, students may concurrently earn a JD from UC Law SF and a master's degree in applied economics and finance from Santa Cruz, by pursuing the two degrees concurrently, eligible students can earn both degrees in less time than it would take to earn them serially. UC Law SF also participates in the Concurrent Degree Program with U.C. Berkeley's Haas Graduate School of Business. Upon completion of a four-year program, the student earns a Berkeley M.B.A. degree and a J.D. UC Law SF College of the Law and the UCSF School of Medicine of the University of California, San Francisco have commenced a joint degree program, and in 2011 began enrolling their first class of graduate students in the Master of Studies in Law (MSL) and LL.M. in Law, Science and Health Policy programs.
Journals and Publications
UC Law SF is home to several esteemed law journals that contribute to legal scholarship and provide students with opportunities to engage in advanced research and writing. The oldest law journal at UC Law SF is the UC Law Journal which was founded in 1949. The second oldest journal is the UC Law Constitutional Quarterly, which was founded in 1973.
Controversy and Name Change
In recent years, UC Law SF has faced scrutiny regarding the actions of its founder, Serranus Clinton Hastings. Responding to press reports about Hastings' involvement in killing and dispossessing Yuki people in the 1850s, a commission of Hastings College of the Law concluded in 2020 that Hastings participated in the California genocide in Mendocino County, California. The issue of Hastings' involvement in the massacres became prominent in 2017. The book contains two sentences about Hastings. The first is that Hastings had facilitated the delivery to California Governor John Weller of a petition that requested the governor to commission the organization of a militia company to defend life and property in the Eden and Round Valleys north of Ukiah. Brendan Lindsay in Murder State: California’s Native American Genocide, 1846-1873, Univ. of Nebraska Press (2012), offered a judgment regarding Serranus Hastings's purported involvement in the indiscriminate killing of Yuki Indians in the Eden and Round Valleys: "Hastings and many others used the democratic process and the structures of republican government to call for and execute a massive genocide of 'Indians' during the second half of the nineteenth century.
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In 2020, after studying the matter for three years, a commission established by the school confirmed that its founder had managed a forced labor camp, organized murderous "Indian hunts", and otherwise participated actively in the genocide that killed most of the Native American population of Mendocino County, California.
In response to these findings, the college initiated a process to address the wrongs of Serranus Hastings and demonstrate a commitment to restorative justice.
The California State Senate and Assembly have approved a name change to University of California Hastings College of Law, the state’s oldest state law school. The new name, University of California College of Law, San Francisco, will take effect after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1936, which renames UC’s Hastings College of the Law as the College of the Law, San Francisco. The bill also advanced restorative justice efforts for Round Valley Indian Tribes and Yuki people whose ancestors endured genocide and other atrocities funded and supported by the college’s founder and namesake Serranus Hastings.
The name change was approved following a process that found the school’s founder, Serranus Hastings, organized the killing of Native Americans. The law school’s board of directors voted unanimously to remove “Hastings” from its name late last July. The school hosted meetings, town halls and events from November 2021 through June 2022 where the community was invited to ask questions and share their opinions on the name.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
UC Law SF is committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, where students and professors alike can learn from different viewpoints and backgrounds.
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Location and Campus
Located in the heart of San Francisco, UC Law SF benefits from its proximity to City Hall, state and federal courthouses, and the vibrant legal community of the Bay Area. The campus is within walking distance of the Muni Metro and Bay Area Rapid Transit Civic Center/UN Plaza station.
The first phase of the UC Law SF campus plan is located at 333 Golden Gate Avenue, a state-of-the-art academic hub featuring smart classrooms, conference rooms, and shared community spaces for students, faculty, and alumni.
Alumni Network
The law school has an extensive alumni network in California, particularly the San Francisco Bay Area, that includes general counsels, law firm partners, politicians, judges and corporate executives. Notable alumni include Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States; George R. Roberts, a founding member of the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts; Alexander Francis Morrison, the founding member of the international law firm Morrison & Foerster; William H.
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