55 minute read
BRIEFS
NEWS FROM SANTA CLARA LAW
ADAM HAYS
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Santa Clara Law Hosts Swearing-In Ceremony
Last December, in the Mission Santa Clara, Santa Clara Law and the Santa Clara Bar Association hosted a swearingin ceremony for the newest members of the California Bar.
In front of a beautiful holiday display of green trees with sparkling white lights, Dean Michael Kaufman greeted those assembled at what was his first swearingin ceremony as dean. “This truly is an occasion for reflection, for joy, and for gratitude,” said Dean Kaufman. “You have overcome tremendous challenges and shown great strength of character and perseverance,” he said. Dean Kaufman invited those gathered to reflect on the circle of people who supported them and encouraged them on their way to this goal. “Our nation, my friends, needs you. Our world needs you…You have been called to build the future of justice, and we have an abiding faith that all of you will answer that call in diverse and powerful ways,” said Kaufman.
The Honorable Theodore C. Zayner, presiding judge of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County in California since 2009, swore those assembled into the California Bar; and the Honorable Edward J. Davila, district judge for the Northern District of California, swore the group into federal court. Other speakers at the event included Susana Inda, president, Santa Clara County Bar Association; and Adam Juratovac, chair, Barristers, Santa Clara County Bar Association.
—SANTA CLARA LAW DEAN MICHAEL J. KAUFMAN
100% Employment for Inaugural Tech Edge J.D. Graduates
All of the inaugural Tech Edge J.D.
certificate-earners received employment offers before they hit 10-months postgraduation.
The Tech Edge, which accepted its first cohort of students in the Fall of 2018, is Santa Clara Law’s innovative experiential J.D. certificate program. While many J.D. certificate programs focus on doctrinal knowledge acquisition through coursework, the Tech Edge is based upon the acquisition of skills through experiential learning. The Tech Edge students, all of whom have a demonstrated desire to work in technology law, start their 1L year with a customized professional development plan in accordance with their career interests. Each student is assigned a team of two Silicon Valley attorney mentors and one faculty or staff advisor who guide the student through their professional development. While in law school, Tech Edge students complete at least 450 hours of work experience through clinical and externship or internship placements. To successfully fulfill the certificate requirements, students must complete six skill milestones which can be obtained through courses, extracurricular activities, clinics, or work experience.
Sound like a lot of work? It is, but the intent is that the extra work will pay off— namely, that employers will recognize these graduates have acquired essential skills and competencies to succeed in a technology law job.
For the inaugural graduating class of 2021, it appears that the extra work has indeed paid off.
Julia Olson of Our Children’s Trust Awarded 2022 Alexander Law Prize
The 2022 Katharine & George
Alexander Law Prize was awarded to Julia Olson, founder, executive director, and chief legal counsel of Our Children’s Trust, a non-profit public interest law firm that provides strategic, campaignbased legal services to youth from diverse backgrounds to secure their legal rights to a safe climate system. Our Children’s Trust is the only legal organization dedicated exclusively to representing young people in lawsuits against their governments to protect their fundamental human rights from the dangers of fossil fuel energy policy and resulting climate disruption.
Olson graduated from UC Hastings College of the Law in 1997, and shortly thereafter founded her own law practice in the San Francisco Bay Area to litigate public interest environmental cases on behalf of grassroots conservation organizations in the Western US. She founded Our Children’s Trust in 2010 when, as a new mother, she realized the shortcomings of environmental statutory law in redressing the greatest threat to her children, and children everywhere—the climate crisis. She is lead counsel in Juliana v. United States, the groundbreaking constitutional climate change case brought by 21 youth against the U.S. government for violating their Fifth Amendment rights to life, liberty, property, public trust resources, and equal protection of the law. Olson and Our Children’s Trust are recipients of the Rose-Walters Prize for Global Environmental Activism. She received the Kerry Rydberg Award for Environmental Activism in 2017, is a member of Rachel’s Network Circle of Advisors, and was named as one of Bloomberg’s “Green 30 for 2020.”
First presented in March 2008, the annual Katharine & George Alexander Law Prize was created by Katharine and George Alexander to bring recognition to legal advocates who have used their legal careers to help alleviate injustice and inequity. Katharine Alexander (1934-2019) practiced law for 25 years as a public defender for Santa Clara County and taught law courses for several years at San Jose State University. George Alexander (1931-2013) served as a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law for 34 years and as dean of the Law School for 15 years. Both Katharine and George dedicated their lives to instilling in students and lawyers a commitment to justice.
“We are immensely grateful to the Alexander Family for recognizing the extraordinary efforts of lawyers using their legal careers in service of others,” says Deborah Moss-West, co-chair of the Alexander Prize Committee and executive director of the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center. “Julia Olson and her environmental justice work are indeed worthy of high praise.”
Dean Michael J. Kaufman Receives Double Honors
In October, Dean Michael Kaufman received dual honors from Loyola University Chicago (LUC), where he served for 35 years, including five years as dean. The LUC Alumni Board of Governors awarded Kaufman the Medal of Excellence in recognition of his distinguished service to the legal profession and for his loyalty and service to LUC’s School of Law. The following day, Kaufman was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the honor society of Jesuit colleges and universities, after being nominated by LUC’s president and administration. “These honors are a testament to Michael’s dedication to Jesuit education and authentic embrace of the enduring values in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. We are fortunate to have his passion, devotion, and leadership now guiding Santa Clara Law.”
—LISA A.KLOPPENBERG Acting President of Santa Clara University and former Dean of Santa Clara Law
The Northern California Innocence Project 20th Anniversary Celebration gathered staff, volunteers, and exonerees to acknowledge this milestone.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INNOCENCE PROJECT
The Northern California Innocence
Project (NCIP), a non-profit founded at Santa Clara Law in 2001, is committed to exonerating the innocent, educating future attorneys, and reforming criminal justice policy. Through two decades of dedicated work by the attorneys, staff, and Santa Clara Law students, NCIP has helped to exonerate 35 wrongly convicted California inmates, who had spent a combined 525 years in prison.
“When they took my case, it was like a Hail Mary in football,” recalls Obie Anthony III, whose 1995 conviction and life sentence for murder and attempted burglary were overturned in 2011. In December, Anthony was among a group of fellow exonerees who shared their stories and their thanks at NCIP’s 20thanniversary celebration.
NCIP’s founding attorneys Kathleen “Cookie” Ridolfi and Linda Starr, along with their dedicated staff and many supporters, could not be prouder.
“When we started, we were nobody,” recalls Starr. “We would go into court somewhere in the state and we’d say, ‘We’re from the Northern California Innocence Project,’ and they’d be like, ‘Who are you?’”
Based on their years of experience, the duo knew the potential of DNA evidence to reverse wrongful convictions and lead to necessary law reform. “DNA opened a window into the justice system, exposed its flaws, and made meaningful law reform finally possible,” says Ridolfi. “Before DNA, the American public had no real sense of the unfairness in our justice system.”
In fact, most of NCIP’s cases are not DNA-based; only a half dozen or so of the 35 exonerees’ cases have been linked to DNA. Cognitive bias, a subconscious error to discount evidence that contradicts a theory, is another recurring issue in many cases.
Ridolfi calls it “a culture of conviction,” and in 2010 she coauthored a 128-page NCIP study on prosecutorial misconduct in California between 1997 to 2009, which included recommendations for attorney, court, and state bar-related reforms. “While some of the guidelines have been adopted,” she says, “many have not.”
Yet NCIP—which receives more than 1,500 letters each year from inmates and family members about new or existing cases—has made huge strides in helping to change California law for the prisoners and exonerees with whom they work.
Looking back, Ridolfi and Starr credit NCIP’s success to the tireless and creative staff, the assistance of pro bono attorneys, and the vital funding that keeps the Project’s doors open.
“It’s really an all-hands effort,” says Starr, who, with Ridolfi, understood from day one that NCIP’s work had to be “exceptional, substantiated every which way, and persuasively argued and edited, or it wouldn’t even be considered.”
Putting that kind of effort into their work not only helped them win exonerations, “it also helped develop our reputation,” says Starr.
While the pandemic has limited NCIP’s ability to visit clients and conduct investigations, the legal work continues in person, whenever possible, as well as through Zoom, phone calls, and emails. A handful of exonerations even took place during the last two years.
“Our staff is incredible,” says Starr. “Everybody just pivoted because they recognized that we’ve got to do it differently. We can’t stop.”
ADAM HAYS
Many law alumni returned to campus to enjoy the Grand Reunion Weekend festivities.
Grand Reunion Welcomes Law Alumni Back to Campus
As part of Santa Clara University’s Grand Reunion Weekend, Santa Clara University School of Law welcomed more than 100 alumni, along with family and friends, back to campus for a Friday evening reception on Panetta Plaza in front of Charney Hall. With the entire Mission Campus aglow for reunion celebrations, Santa Clara Law reconnected with alumni from all class years, celebrating especially those in a reunion year ending in 0, 1, 5, and 6. “It was a festive evening and a wonderful opportunity to reunite classmates, colleagues, and contemporaries after over a year of social distancing,” says Steve O’Brien ’98, senior assistant dean for external relations. “It also presented alumni with a great opportunity to meet the new Dean of the School of Law, Michael Kaufman,” he added.
During the event, the Law School recognized the newest inductees to the Ruffo Society, commemorating their 50th reunion and five decades of involvement as Santa Clara Law alumni. Graduates Thomas Schneck J.D. ’71 and Ben Reese J.D. ’71 represented an incoming Ruffo Society class of 26 strong. Each of their life stories and experiences are testaments to the lifelong relationships so commonly forged at Santa Clara Law.
—STEVE O’BRIEN ’98 Senior Assistant Dean for External Relations
BY THE NUMBERS
92%
California State Bar passage rate
for Santa Clara Law graduates more than two years out.
INCOMING CLASS OF 2021*
58%
Identify as a member of a minority community
Santa Clara Law was the first law school in the nation to offer a Privacy Law Certificate. Santa Clara Law’s grade for its law study abroad program as ranked by PreLaw Magazine in 2021, one of only 10 law schools in the nation to earn this grade.
In 2019, the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) ranked Santa Clara Law’s privacy law program in the top 5% nationally.
23%
Identify as first generation
56%
Identify as Women
*Numbers as of 8/16/21
4th
Santa Clara Law’s intellectual property program ranking among U.S. law schools, according to the 2021 U.S. News.
#4
Best schools for legal technology PreLaw Magazine Winter 2021
TOP 5%
Paying Back an Act of Kindness
“We received an excellent legal
education at Santa Clara Law infused with core human values,” says Katayoun “Katy” Gronowski J.D./MBA ’87. “The Law School awarded me a full scholarship even though I was a recent immigrant to this country. It was time to pay back this enormous act of kindness, generosity, and humanity,” she adds.
Katy and her husband and fellow Santa Clara Law alumnus, Stephen Gronowski J.D. ’86, chose to pay back this act of kindness in the form of a generous gift, which has enabled Santa Clara Law to create the Gronowski Family Law Endowed Scholarship, an endowed scholarship to support law students of Middle Eastern descent.
This is the first-ever scholarship for law students of Middle Eastern descent at Santa Clara Law, and among the first of its kind at a US law school.
“The cost of a legal education is staggering nowadays,” says Katy. “We want to be able to help young people on their career path at a time when they need help the most.”
The Gronowski’s both practice law in Walnut Creek, where Stephen specializes in transactional real estate and Katy is a certified specialist in family law. Katy From left: Katy J.D./MBA ’87, Stephen J.D. ’86, and Caitlin Gronowski, has also taught law Dean Michael Kaufman, Senior Assistant Dean Steve O’Brien ’98. school courses in family law and community property. to the Gronowski family for making
The Gronowski’s have deep ties to this generous leadership gift that will SCU, in addition to earning their degrees create more opportunities for students of from Santa Clara Law. Both of their Middle Eastern descent to attend Santa children are Broncos as well—Madeline Clara Law,” says Steve O’Brien ’98, graduated from SCU in 2021, and Caitlin senior assistant dean for external relations. is a member of the SCU class of 2025. “Scholarships are critical to the success
Endowed scholarships such as the of our students and our school because Gronowski Scholarship are a central they enable us to attract and retain top focus of the Law School during Santa students while simultaneously building Clara University’s Innovating with a a student body that is reflective of the Mission Campaign. “We are so grateful communities our graduates serve.”
Inspired by a Friend: Giving the Gift of Education
Longtime local legal practitioner and San Jose resident Gary Giannini J.D. ’64
and his wife, Sue, recently established the Gary V. and Susan M. Giannini Law Scholarship Fund to improve access and affordability to Santa Clara Law for students from Catholic colleges and universities.
Raised in San Jose and a graduate of Bellarmine College Preparatory, Gary says his upbringing and exposure to Jesuit education had a profound impact on him and created a desire in him to help others. Although his family was of modest means, his parents were incredibly active volunteers at his grammar school, high school, parish, and in their local community. “They instilled in me the importance of giving back to one’s community, and so, too, did my Jesuit and lay teachers at Bellarmine and Santa Clara Law,” says Gary.
Gary J.D. ’64 and Sue Giannini
COURTESY OF GARY AND SUE GIANNINI
A few years earlier, Gary’s lifelong friend, Bob Peters ’61 (1940-2020) established a scholarship for undergraduates at Santa Clara University, and this inspired the Giannini’s to establish something similar at the Law School. “We are now in a place in our lives where we can help others in the same way we were helped with our own education,” says Sue. “The Santa Clara community and the Law School, in particular, have provided us with so much, from Gary’s career to many of our friends. It truly is a family,” she added.
Dean Michael Kaufman says he was moved by their gift, especially since affordability and accessibility are two critical areas where Santa Clara Law seeks to lead in the competitive legal education landscape. “Our Jesuit, Catholic mission calls us to serve others, and the Giannini’s are living our mission by making this impactful gift,” says Kaufman.
“The impact of the Giannini’s gift goes well beyond the financial support it will provide to future law students,” adds Steve O’Brien ’98, senior assistant dean for external relations. “By making this gift and remaining so connected to the Law School, the Giannini’s are offering a powerful example that will inspire others to give, and they are demonstrating just how rewarding a lifelong relationship with Santa Clara can be.”
Santa Clara Law Breaks Day of Giving Fundraising Records with New Endowed Scholarship
At the annual Day of Giving on April 6, donors to Santa Clara University School of Law raised more than $500,000 in support of the new Lisa A. Kloppenberg and Mark R. Zunich Endowed Law Scholarship Fund. Donors also contributed more than $100,000 on this one day in support of other key Law School programs—for a record Santa Clara Law Day of Giving total of more than $600,000 given by almost 300 donors.
On the Panetta Plaza in front of Charney Hall, during a special Day of Giving reception, Dean Michael Kaufman announced that, thanks to the generosity of the nearly 200 donors as of 2 pm, the endowed scholarship challenge was unlocked. During the afternoon event, Andy Kryder ’74, J.D./MBA ’77, chair of the Law Advisory Board, and Judge Risë Jones Pichon ’73, J.D. ’76, chair of the SCU Board of Regents, informed Acting President Kloppenberg that supporters from these two groups had already contributed more than $325,000 to the new endowed scholarship, including a match of $150,000 by alumna and Oracle general counsel Dorian Daley J.D. ’86, and her husband, Michael Krautkramer. By midnight on April 6, the total raised toward the scholarship exceeded $500,000.
A tearful Acting President Kloppenberg was visibly surprised and grateful on hearing the news. “An endowment is a permanent source of funds—it will always be here to support students who are in financial need,” said Kloppenberg, who shared that both her own mother and her husband’s mother lacked the ability to access higher education. “Law school is hard enough. If we can make the burden a little bit easier for them, all the better.”
From left: Andy Kryder ’74, J.D./MBA ’77; Michael Krautkramer and his wife, Dorian Daley J.D. ’86; SCU Acting President Lisa Kloppenberg and her husband, Mark Zunich; Judge Risë Jones Pichon ’73, J.D. ’76; Michael Kaufman; and Steve O’Brien ’98.
“We are inspired by Lisa and Mark’s leadership and generosity in creating a new endowed scholarship for the Law School,” said Kaufman. “Their contribution, along with those from our Law Advisory Board, the University’s Board of Regents, law alumni, and other friends of Santa Clara Law, will make it possible for us to make legal education and our profession accessible to students from all walks of life for generations to come.”
To learn more about supporting scholarship opportunities at Santa Clara Law, contact Ash Farrington, director of development, (408) 554-5496, afarrington@scu.edu.
Santa Clara Law Welcomes Outstanding New Faculty Members
The Santa Clara Law Community will be joined by four
new faculty members starting this fall. Sean Bland is currently a senior associate with the Infectious Disease Initiative at the O’Neill Institute at Georgetown University, where he focuses on health policy, implementation, and equity. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown. Taylor Dalton is completing a doctorate in political science and international relations at the University of Southern California. He earned his J.D. and LL.M. in international and comparative law from Cornell University. His research interests include the legal issues surrounding international political economy and security. Fiona McKenna comes to us from Golden Gate University Law, where she directed the Legal Writing and Research program and served as associate professor of law. An expert in complex litigation, advocacy, and professional responsibility, Professor McKenna graduated from American University, Washington College of Law. Melody Sequoia will join the law school’s faculty to teach legal research, analysis, and writing, among other courses. An acclaimed teacher, Professor Sequoia began her legal career as a trial lawyer focusing on complex litigation. She graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
In Fall 2020, Santa Clara Law also welcomed beloved professors, Mary Procaccio-Flowers, Sue Guan, and Nick Serafin to the Law School’s faculty.
“The School of Law has long been blessed to have a renowned faculty of diverse and dedicated educators and impactful scholars,” says Dean Michael Kaufman. “We are thrilled to have these incredible new teachers and scholars join our community.”
“We are thrilled to welcome our new colleagues,” said Michelle Oberman, Katharine and George Alexander Professor of Law. “Each of them brings a passionate commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service to our students, our institution, and our community at large.”
LEADING WITH KINDNESS
& EMPATHY
BY ELIZABETH KELLEY GILLOGLY ’93
“My mantra is: There’s no learning
without love,” says Santa Clara Law’s new dean, Michael J. Kaufman, a nationally renowned educator, scholar, and expert on civil procedure and education law. Kaufman joined Santa Clara Law in July after serving for 35 years at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, including 11 years as associate dean for academic affairs, and five years as dean, as well as other key roles such as Loyola University Chicago’s acting provost and chief academic officer.
Kaufman is an award-winning teacher, public servant, beloved teacher, and distinguished scholar, who has published more than 30 books and numerous law review articles in three key areas: education law, equity, policy, and pedagogy; securities regulation and litigation; and civil procedure and dispute resolution. He also teaches courses and workshops on the application of design thinking to complex legal issues and organizational growth. Kaufman graduated from Kenyon College magna cum laude and earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, where he won the Law School’s American Judicature Society Award. After law school, Kaufman clerked for the Honorable Nathanial R. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and then he practiced securities and civil rights litigation in one of the world’s largest law firms. “When I think of Michael Kaufman, five words come to mind: energy, enthusiasm, encouragement, empathy, and excellence,” says Barry Sullivan, Cooney & Conway Chair in Advocacy and George Anastaplo Professor of Constitutional Law and History, Loyola Chicago School of Law. “As dean [at Loyola], he has truly led by example— both epitomizing and encouraging excellence in faculty scholarship and teaching, while also improving the student experience and calling us all to do our part in building a more just and equitable law school, university, profession, and society.”
At Santa Clara Law, Kaufman succeeded Anna Han, who had served as interim dean of the School of Law since March 2019.
“I am overjoyed and honored to join the Santa Clara University community,” says Kaufman. “The School of Law is a transformative learning community with tremendous distinctive strengths. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work together with the entire Santa Clara community to build on those strengths, to harmonize the Law School’s core social justice mission with its signature high tech programs, to achieve our shared vision of educational excellence, and to shape the future of the practice of law and the future of justice. Together, we can grow a law school community that embodies our vital Jesuit, Catholic mission and promotes student access, formation, and success.”
A VISION FOR SANTA CLARA LAW’S FUTURE
In his first several months, Kaufman has already impressed the Santa Clara Law community with his leadership and his kindness. “From his first day, Michael has brought an infectiously positive attitude to our community,” says Bradley Joondeph, Jerry A. Kasner Professor of Law and former dean of academic affairs from 2013-18. “The first thing you notice is his care for others: his empathy, his compassion, his ability to listen. He is exceptionally qualified as a scholar and academic administrator, to be sure, but his warmth as a person is truly remarkable.”
“Michael is a brilliant and warm leader for Santa Clara Law,” says Acting SCU President Lisa Kloppenberg, who served as dean of Santa Clara Law from 2013-20. “He is steeped in our Jesuit traditions and puts academic excellence, care for the whole person, and building a more just, humane, and sustainable world at the forefront of his work. We are blessed to have him on our leadership team at Santa Clara University.”
One key focus for Kaufman as he begins his tenure as dean of Santa Clara Law is creating a long-range strategic plan. “The first step in building a shared vision of educational excellence is to identify, articulate, and make visible Santa Clara Law’s distinctive strengths,” says Dean Kaufman (See sidebar, page 11). “If we are true to who we are, if we can build on our distinctive strengths, we can make more visible to the world outside Santa Clara that we offer a truly unique, valuable law school experience for our students and for our surrounding community,” he says. “I think there’s a real public service aspect to elevating our profile. We are doing great work… The more that we can spread that word and make sure everyone knows that, the more valued that work becomes for the communities we serve, and that will help direct more resources to the communities that we serve as well.”
KAUFMAN IN THE CLASSROOM
Beyond his work as leader and administrator, Kaufman is a dedicated and award-winning educator, and he lights up when he talks about his work with students. “I have the absolute joy and pleasure of teaching the first-year required course in Civil Procedure,” he says. “The best part of my week is when I’m in the classroom with my students. My class is a very interactive, engaging, and hopeful experience for our students, where they’re comfortable taking risks and it’s okay to be wrong. There’s a lot of laughter and joy in the class. And when a student has this moment of a-ha, when I can see the light go on in their eyes, I get goosebumps. It makes my life worth living.”
“My mantra is: There’s no learning without love,” he adds. “In the classroom, I see my students learn to love each other while they also learn to love the law, learn to love a cause, learn to love a case they read about, and learn to love the community that they’re going to serve.”
In his role as teacher and administrator, Kaufman highlights the importance of interpersonal relationships for all members of the law school community. “The education here at Santa Clara University School of Law is relational,” he says. “We have built an ethic of relations, which are in turn built on an ethic of love and kindness. I don’t mean to tout relationships or love and kindness in some kind of a pablum way or Hallmark-greeting-card kind of way. Instead, I believe it means that we care deeply about fostering relationships: that we build relationships with our students and each other, not just for visibility’s sake, but because that’s the way in which we actually learn. That’s the way in which we impact lives around us for our research. That’s the way in which we actually advance the global Jesuit mission.”
For Kaufman, empathy is an essential component of his own humanity as well as his leadership and lawyering. “In my own life, I try to believe in what I would call perspective-taking as the key to being a really good human being and a really good lawyer,” he says. “The idea is that a person takes a big cognitive leap and tries very hard to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, to see the world through their perspective. That’s vital to being a good human, but also actually quintessential to lawyering, because the best lawyers, in my experience, are those who can see the world from their client’s point of view,
Dean Kaufman talks with students in Charney Hall.
KEITH SUTTER
from the judge’s point of view, and most importantly, from the adversary’s point of view,” he explains.
HIS LOYOLA LEGACY
In his 35 years at Loyola, including five successful years as dean, Kaufman demonstrated a proven track record of powerful leadership built on kindness, strategic partnerships, and innovative programs. “Too often in life, success is associated with hard-charging, abrasive individuals,” says Christian Mitchell, Loyola Chicago School of Law class of 2019, and deputy governor of Illinois. “During his time running Loyola Law, bar passage rates increased, academic prestige improved, and the school’s prominence increased, all while Dean Kaufman remained the kind and wonderful man that he is.”
During his tenure as dean, Kaufman helped strengthen several critical areas, including the diversity of students, faculty, and the administrative team; bar exam passage rates; employment outcomes; student academic credentials; academic reputation; and national rankings. In addition, he expanded access to educational opportunities for students and developed a law school curriculum around experiential learning, relationshipbuilding skills, professional-identity formation, implicit-bias prevention, and perspectives on law and justice. Kaufman also developed Loyola Chicago Law School’s innovative and popular hybrid Weekend J.D. program.
Dean Kaufman built relationships with many external partners, including alumni, law firms, legal services organizations, bar associations, philanthropic organizations, entrepreneurs, and local businesses. He led fundraising initiatives resulting in greater financial support for incoming and continuing students, the exponential growth of endowed chairs and named professorships, the expansion of law school clinics, and the establishment of high-impact law school programs such as the Rodin Center for Social Justice, the Rule of Law Institute, the Health Justice Project, and the Institute for Investor Protection.
His research in education law, policy, equity, and pedagogy inspired him to found Loyola’s Education Law and Policy Institute, which conducts research, conferences, comprehensive academic programs, direct representation, and advocacy, dedicated to enhancing educational access and equity. The Institute developed particular expertise and experience in special education, school discipline reform, early childhood education, and anti-bullying.
“Dean Kaufman imparted his belief that the study of law was a noble calling that empowered students to become agents of change for the common and collective good of society,” says Jacqueline Collins, Loyola Chicago School of Law class of 2020, state senator for Illinois. “He gifted both his students and his faculty with a profound sense of purpose.”
SETTLING IN AT SANTA CLARA LAW
In his first year, Dean Kaufman has shown himself to be an inspiring leader for the Santa Clara Law community— successfully guiding the school through the latest stages of the pandemic while leading the planning for the future. “I was impressed when I interviewed Michael by his innovative mindset, grounded in design thinking principles, starting with extreme empathy. In his first year as dean, he has embodied those principles by engaging in meaningful conversations with faculty and staff to identify challenges and opportunities for growth,” says Laura Lee Norris J.D. ’97, associate clinical professor; director, Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic and Tech Edge J.D. Program; and co-director, High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara Law. “I look forward to working with him in developing and implementing a strategic plan to ensure Santa Clara Law’s future success.”
To learn more about Dean Michael Kaufman, including links to his writing and video series, visit law.scu.edu/dean.
Santa Clara Law’s Distinctive Strengths
Dean Kaufman has worked to identify Santa Clara Law’s distinctive strengths, and these are also a key part of his strategic plan, Building the Future of Justice, which he will share in more detail in the coming months.
Vital Jesuit, Catholic mission, under the guidance of the Universal Apostolic Preferences, which inspires ethical leadership and service to others
Caring, diverse, and inclusive student-centered community
Renowned faculty scholars and teachers, and dedicated staff educators
Transdisciplinary centers, clinics, and programs devoted to solving complex problems for clients and communities, including in the field of intellectual property, high tech, social justice, and international relations
Leadership in educational innovation, state-of-the-art facilities, next practices, assessment, curriculum, pedagogies, practice-ready competencies, and experiential learning opportunities
Partnerships with loyal, engaged, and professionally accomplished alumni across practice areas throughout Silicon Valley, one of the most robust economic markets in the world
Presence within a beautiful and renowned University, and relationships with the global Jesuit community
Serendipity
BY NICOLE POIROT, 1L
Serendipity. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it means “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.” I rarely used the word before moving to Santa Clara, but within the first few weeks of starting law school, I found it creeping into my vocabulary more and more.
How serendipitous was it that the very first person I met after moving in was not only in my section, ensuring that we have the majority of our 1L classes together, but we also both happen to be vegetarian, have a love for musical theater, and live directly across from each other. I met her the day before orientation, and by the end of the week, we each met at least a dozen other people and had a get together planned for the night before the first day of class.
I spent a large portion of my undergraduate career struggling to find a community, and feeling like an outsider. I majored in electrical engineering, but never felt like I saw myself pursuing a career in engineering, and thus spent a lot of time stressed about my future. As I entered law school, one of my biggest fears was going through all of that again.
But as I sat among my new friends during our pre-first day of school gathering, participating in traditional get-to-knowyou conversations, I thought about how this experience already drastically contrasted that of my undergrad. Classes hadn’t started yet and I already felt like I belonged to a community of people who would push each other to persevere through what is known as the toughest, most mentally draining semester of law school. Wasn’t it serendipitous that I happened to meet such great people during orientation?
The rest of the semester, I found myself thinking about serendipity quite often. The moments in class when I thought I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been but still got a nod of approval from my professor after properly defining the holding of a case. The day I met with my faculty mentor for the Tech Edge J.D. program and we instantly bonded over our background in engineering and our interests in weightlifting and singing. Studying for finals in the clinic suite and being invited by the director of the Northern California Innocence Project to join in celebrating the recent release of four men who were in prison for years after being wrongfully convicted. I attributed instances like these to chance and being in the “right place at the right time.”
Eventually, after I experienced many “serendipitous” moments throughout the semester, I’ve come to realize these might not be “occurring by chance,” but perhaps because Santa Clara is exactly where I am supposed to be.
Is it considered serendipity if you’ve spent years succeeding and failing and learning, over and over again, to get yourself to a certain point? My journey to Santa Clara Law wasn’t an easy one. Like most of my peers, I spent my undergraduate career pivoting from one dream to another until I finally realized that law school was the next step. A lot of what I thought to be “mere coincidence” was really the result of hard work combined with fitting in with the culture of Santa Clara.
Poet Katori Hall wrote: “serendipity always rewards the prepared,” and this describes my experience at Santa Clara perfectly. Everything—hard work, exceptional professors, dedicated administrators—has been a beautiful series of serendipitous moments, and I’m hopeful for more in the future.
1L of a Time
BY REBECA KINSLOW, 1L
I began my journey at Santa Clara University in 2016, unloading boxes into what would become my beloved Swig dorm room. The next four years were characterized by incredible friendships, insightful professors, and immersive internships. I graduated summa cum laude with a double major in political science and communication. When Santa Clara Law offered me a place in the incoming 2024 class, it was easy to turn down offers from other universities, as I knew Santa Clara Law was the only place I wanted to be.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t think having a Bronco background would give me an insider’s advantage at Santa Clara Law; after all, I had already spent time in Charney as an office assistant and was co-president of the Pre-Law Fraternity. But the unimaginable happened: I went to the wrong classroom on the first day of classes! Realizing my mistake with just a minute to spare, I frantically found the right room, sat down, and tried to calm my nerves. Seconds later Professor Streseman was calling on me to answer the very first question of the semester: “What is the meaning of Civil Procedure?” I stumbled over what I’m sure was a painfully awkward answer. And truth be told, there were many points in my first semester where I felt like I was breathlessly trying to sprint an entire marathon. However, as I take a moment to reflect, I see three things that empowered me and helped me gain my stride.
#1: FINDING LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE
Getting involved in student organizations has been the greatest way to find my people at Santa Clara Law. Early on in the semester, I joined the Latinx Law Student Association (LLSA), Immigration Law Society (ILS), and Women in Law. I became the 1L representative for both LLSA and ILS. Through ILS, I helped host an on-campus attorney panel and made personal connections with several visiting attorneys. With LLSA I signed up for a student-mentor, and was paired with Gilbert Benavidez J.D. ’22. Since our first lunch together, he has been my go-to for resources, advice, and encouragement. His guidance has been pivotal for me, and absolutely the type of mentorship that I hope to give to future 1Ls. In LLSA, I knew I found “mi gente” when we all broke out singing “Las Manañitas” to celebrate a birthday in the Charney Hall atrium. Joining these societies gave me the gift of people who cheer me on, and who I can cheer on in return.
#2: TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OFFICE HOURS
One of the reasons I felt law school would be a good fit was because I love writing. My Legal Reading and Writing course challenged that love. The first memo I was assigned was on the viability of a negligence liability claim; it was a humbling experience to say the least. My professors all encouraged students to stop by their office hours, and I quickly became a regular at Professor Schunks’. Each week I walked through potential arguments and structure choices, and eventually I saw my areas for growth. I put in the extra hours so I could turn in each memo with pride, and I was reassured by the continual improvement I saw in my work.
While I’m sure future semesters will bring new challenges, I will continue to take advantage of the knowledge and expertise that Santa Clara Law professors have to offer.
#3: LEANING ON MY LOVED ONES
If there’s one thing law students can agree on, it’s that law school is extremely time consuming. There were many times I felt there were not enough hours in the day for all I needed to get done. But Santa Clara Law is special in that its professors genuinely want students to prioritize their well-being. I can still hear Professor Flynn calling to us as we filed out of class one day, reminding us to reach out to someone we loved that weekend.
Having support from my family felt more necessary than ever my first semester. They know I’ve always set very high expectations for myself, and as the start of finals season collided with Thanksgiving, they reminded me of how capable I was.
Finally, I have to give a shoutout to my two incredible roommates who immediately felt like family, Caley Falcocchia 2L and Madison Soltesz 1L. We live two doors down from our best friends, Spencer Gavin 2L, Kevin Lowe 2L, and Andrew San Jose J.D. ’21. Our walks around the neighborhood, spaghetti dinners, and game nights were the highlights of my first semester. The constant comedic relief in our group chat was also very necessary.
I imagine that these next two years will go by quickly. I’m happy to look back now and say that I believe the opportunities I took advantage of and the struggles I endured in my first semester have set me up well to make the most of my time in Charney Hall.
From the abstract to “America’s Paper Prisons: The Second Chance Gap” (119 MICH. L. REV. 519, (2020)) by Santa Clara Law Professor Colleen Chien, founder of the Paper Prisons Initiative
CLOSING THE SECOND CHANCE GAP
The Paper Prisons Initiative is a groundbreaking program founded by Santa Clara Law Professor Colleen Chien that helps people get relief after a history with the criminal justice system.
BY ELIZABETH KELLEY GILLOGLY ’93
In 2015, Santa Clara Law Professor
Colleen Chien met “Leticia” (not her real name). An inmate in federal prison, Leticia had served half of a 20-year sentence for being a drug mule. Chien helped Leticia apply for relief under President Obama’s Clemency Initiative and, even though Leticia met all of the requirements, her petition was one of more than 8,000 that were never reviewed. “There was simply too much bureaucracy and too little coordination,” said Chien in a 2018 speech to the American Law Institute, where she received the Early Career Scholar Medal. “Letitia never got her second chance.”
Though Chien returned to her work as an empirical patent scholar, Leticia’s experience haunted her. “How many people that are entitled to second chance relief under the law aren’t getting it, not because of steel bars, but because of red tape?” Chien asked.
PAPER PRISONS INITIATIVE
In the U.S., 80 million people—one out of every three adults—have a criminal record. Across the country, dozens of states have enacted “second chance” legislation, designed to help individuals like Leticia shorten or downgrade their past convictions, clean their criminal records, and/or regain the right to vote, while legislatures have passed laws meant to outlaw discrimination in the criminal justice system. In theory, these laws should operate to give individuals their second chance and make the US criminal justice system more fair and just. Criminal record expungement laws, which clear old convictions and non-convicted charges, in particular, are intended to remove barriers to work and unlock opportunities for tens of millions of people. However, while new laws have expanded the bases for clearance, only a small fraction of those eligible for relief have received it. Second chance gaps also include a number of other rules on the books, including shortening sentences and restoring the vote to persons with felony convictions.
Supported by a seed grant for high-performance computers from the BiaEcho Foundation, which is founded and directed by entrepreneur and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan J.D. ’14, and followed by later grants from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, New Venture Fund, and others, Chien established the Paper Prisons Initiative at Santa Clara Law in 2020 in order to research and address the “second chance gap,” which she defines as “the difference between eligibility and delivery of a person’s second chance” (see sidebar on page 16). By conducting rigorous empirical research about the size and consequences of the gap, Chien hopes to improve outcomes for individuals that are entitled to a second chance and for society in general.
The initiative is the outgrowth of Chien’s groundbreaking paper: “America’s Paper Prisons: The Second Chance Gap” (119 Michigan Law Review 519, 2020). David Schlussel, deputy director of the Collateral Consequences Resource Center, a preeminent nonprofit that promotes public engagement on criminal records issues, was one of many that praised Chien’s work, writing that it “makes wide-ranging contributions to the field of criminal record relief, bringing to the fore the urgency and challenges of narrowing the second chance gap.”
“At least twenty to thirty million American adults, or 30 to 40 percent of those with criminal records, fall into the ‘second chance expungement gap,’ living burdened with criminal records that persist despite appearing to be partially or fully clearable under existing law,” wrote Chien in the paper.
“The Paper Prisons Initiative is about fairness but also about failing to tap into talent and human capital due to flaws in making and implementing law,” says Chien. “Despite having served their time, people with criminal records too often find themselves stuck in ‘paper prisons,’ of low economic and social opportunity. The individual loses out but so does the broader economy as people are shut out of higher-wage, higher-skill work.” A PPI paper forthcoming in the Arizona Law Review documents the lost yearly
earnings impact of a conviction as $5,100 to $6,400 per person. Collectively, “the lost earnings associated with paper prisons may approach or exceed the out of pocket costs to taxpayers of physical prisons,” the paper reads.
PPI uses algorithms and empirical analysis to measure this gap—the low share of people who actually access the relief available under the law, also known as the “uptake” rate—and how the time states would need to process the thousands of applications is completely unreasonable. Following Chien’s initial paper, the PPI team of student and faculty researchers has studied and published reports on the second chance gap expungement in states across the county, and among the 10+ state reports the initiative has released, “uptake rates of less than 10 percent are common.”
“As lawyers we are used to evaluating each case on its own merits. But addressing mass incarceration and mass criminalization requires mass, scalable the second chance gap, including in Connecticut, Delaware, and Colorado. Over one million Coloradans, who collectively lose $4.5 billion in earnings per year due to records, stand to benefit from the law just passed in 2022.
PPI also works with nonprofit and industry partners to evaluate the impact of solutions to the second chance gap, including the Ethical, Pragmatic, and Intelligent Computing Laboratory at SCU, the Clean Slate Initiative, and the Collateral Consequences Resource Center, among others. Last June, PPI began a collaboration to evaluate the impact of expungements in partnership with Checkr, a company in the background check industry. For low or no cost, Checkr offers people in the “second chance gap”(people who could clear their record but haven’t) an opportunity to complete expungements and clear their criminal records. Chien and her team, together with students in Chien’s Artificial Intelligence class, are currently evaluating the impact of both having a record as well as the impact of removing a record. The Checkr initiative received coverage in Fast Company.
PPI’S DIVERSE, PASSIONATE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
To carry out the work of the PPI, Chien has assembled a stellar and diverse team of law, data science, and computer science students who build models to assess eligibility and oversee the website (paperprisons. org), including the development of automated tools. The tech team leader is SCU computer science lecturer and researcher Navid Shaghaghi. “I couldn’t not get involved with this project,” says Shaghaghi. “It is very alarming that so many human beings are in lifelong paper prisons even after serving their time.”
The many SCU students on the PPI team have brought the same combination of legal and technical expertise and a passion for helping others, and they say PPI gives them the opportunity to gain valuable experience, skills, mentorship, and the satisfaction of making a difference.
solutions,” says Chien. “Our research informs legislative efforts to automate expungements at scale and bring a ‘Clean Slate’ to states across the country.”
PPI’s PROJECTS AND NATIONAL IMPACT
One recent example is the work PPI did around Connecticut’s Clean Slate Bill, SB 1091. Chien and PPI advisor Adam Osmond co-authored a paper with three SCU students using data to tell the story of Connecticut’s Second Chance Pardon Gap. “The State pardoned 626 cases in the last year of available data,” the report reads. “At this rate, it would take…425 years to clear the backlog of those eligible for relief under Clean Slate.” The PPI report, which also documented the bill’s opportunity to address the yawning racial disparities in Connecticut’s criminal justice system, was widely cited in many news articles.
Out of the reports PPI released, several have been instrumental in supporting the passage of significant laws to narrow
WHAT IS THE “SECOND CHANCE GAP”?
The “second chance gap” is the difference between eligibility and delivery of a person’s second chance. The causes are often administrative failures such as lack of awareness, complicated criteria, informational deficiencies, inconsistent application of the rules and calculation mistakes; financial barriers and obligations also contribute to the gap. Clear criteria, delivery-informed legislation and automation are all ways to close the gap. Examples of second-chance gaps include: • Prison overstays: In some instances, software bugs and other issues keep prisoners longer than required. • Clemency not granted: Only 3% of people the US Sentencing Commission identified as eligible for relief under the Obama Clemency Initiative received relief. • Compassionate release: Only 4% of federal compassionate release applications result in releases, due to eligibility criteria that are “unclear” and
“difficult to apply.” • Reclassification and Resentencing: 10% uptake of CA Prop 47 and 64 resentencing and reclassification. • Felony Reinfranchisement: 0-15% restoration of voting rights to people with felony records in most states that do not automatically restore the vote • Expungement of Conviction Records: >10% uptake of convictions expungement in most studied states. • Expungement of Non-Conviction Records: 20-30 million people have non-conviction records they could clear but not have done so.
This text originates at paperprisons.org/SecondChanceGap.html
Navid Shaghaghi
ADAM HAYS
The Paper Prisons team, from left: Ju Park, Obie Reynolds, Ellen Kreitzberg, Colleen Chien, Max Calcoen, Jay Kanakiya.
Ju Young Park, a part-time SCU 2L and a full-time front-end engineer at Google, joined PPI in 2021 to develop a tool that helps address the “identification gap” created by the lack of identification experienced by many people leaving prison, following on a project that originated at a previous Empathy Hackathon (see sidebar). Affiliate researchers from economics and criminology are also collaborating with PPI on a number of projects. As a graduate fellow for the Paper Prisons Initiative, Evan Hastings J.D. ’19 led a team, worked with student researchers, and interfaced with state governments and local advocates. “It was gratifying to feel that our work made an impact,” says Hastings, now an IP attorney working in public service.
PPI also benefits from community advisors including Jessica Jackson J.D. ’11, a human rights attorney who serves as the chief advocacy officer for REFORM Alliance and the recipient of the 2019 Alexander Law Prize from Santa Clara Law.
According to Chien, the Initiative benefits from the direct personal or familial experience with the criminal justice system of its members, including through Paper Prisons Fellowships offered to justice-impacted law students. “Those who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system have important insight into how it works and how it is broken,” she says. “Their lived experiences and talents enrich our research.”
BROAD SUPPORT AT SCU AND BEYOND
Chien and her project have received broad and enthusiastic support from within the SCU community and beyond. “The Paper Prisons Initiative led by Colleen Chien represents the highest ideals of our faculty,” says Chien’s Santa Clara Law colleague Pratheepan Gulasekaram, professor of law. “Colleen has translated her research, scholarship, and technical skills into profound, real-life effects for those struggling to reintegrate into society. This type of work is what legal scholarship should aspire to.”
In addition to support at SCU, PPI has received praise, support, and funding from numerous organizations, including the Clean Slate Initiative, a national bipartisan coalition advancing policies to automatically clear all eligible criminal records across the United States. “Professor Chien’s work on the Paper Prisons Project has already emerged as an invaluable resource to Clean Slate campaigns across the country,” says Sheena Meade, national criminal justice reform leader and managing director of the Clean Slate Initiative. “We look forward to the final outcomes of this research and utilizing it to inform our work to ensure that a criminal record is not a lifelong barrier to a better future.”
SECOND CHANCES EMPATHY HACKATHON
A key project of the Paper Prisons Initiative is the Second Chances Empathy Hackathon, an annual event Colleen Chien conceived and launched with collaborators in 2019 to harness the creativity, empathy, and problem-solving skills of the SCU and Silicon Valley communities. At each day-long event, held at SCU, teams of data scientists, engineers, guest judges, mentors, and law students gather to create technology and legal solutions to support county public defender offices and nonprofit re-entry and criminal justice organizations. Projects in 2021 included creating a fillable decisiontree form for immigrants seeking to ameliorate convictions through postconviction relief, compiling reentry resources for online user-friendliness, creating machine-learning classifiers to help address racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and creating an online tool to educate users about expungement resources and how to access them. The Hackathon was one of the reasons Chien was named a “Tech Law Trailblazer” by both the National Law Journal and the California Recorder. Learn more about the event at paperprisons.org.
BY ELIZABETH KELLEY GILLOGLY ’93
For many years, Santa Clara University School of Law, one of
the oldest law schools in California, has been ranked among the most diverse law schools in the nation. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, one of the most diverse regions of the United States, Santa Clara Law has numerous initiatives focused on the critical goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion, including admissions pipeline programs, academic success programs, clinical opportunities, faculty scholarship, and student engagement.
“Santa Clara Law is built on enduring values, a supportive culture, and an authentic commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging,” says Santa Clara Law Dean Michael J. Kaufman. “Rooted in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition of serving others and dedicated to forging leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion, Santa Clara Law emphasizes collaboration, encourages experiential learning, and celebrates diversity, while cultivating a student-centered law school culture that is cooperative and produces practice-ready lawyers. In addition, Santa Clara Law’s curriculum reinforces the school’s commitment to racial and social justice, and our alumni apply their legal skills in service with and for others.”
“For many years, the students, faculty, staff, administrative team, and alumni have worked hard to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive law school,” adds Kaufman. “The diversity of the Santa Clara Law community is one of our greatest distinctive strengths. We celebrate the progress we have made creating a more inclusive culture and a more diverse community of students, staff, and faculty, while always striving to do more. We acknowledge that our work will forever be unfinished. We aspire for our Law School to reflect the rich diversity of the Silicon Valley region in which we are located, and to contribute to the formation of a more just, humane, and sustainable world.”
BEYOND DIVERSITY: STRIVING FOR EQUITY AND INCLUSION
“Santa Clara Law is a leader in diversity among US law schools. Yes, that is true, and we should be very proud about that fact. But diversity, without equity, may lead to injustice,” says Francisco Rivera Juaristi, associate clinical professor, director, International Human Rights Clinic, and chair of the Equity, Justice, and Engagement Committee (EJEC) at Santa Clara Law. “For example, we could have a very diverse group of students, staff, and faculty, but if the different groups do not integrate as a single community and learn from each other, we run the risk of falling into complacency and maintaining a ‘separate but equal’ mentality. Diversity itself cannot be the only goal. We need to strive towards equity. And we need to engage as a community to work towards justice on so many fronts: racial justice, gender equity, and creating a safe environment in which all members feel that they belong, regardless of color, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, economic status, and other diverse backgrounds,” he says. “That’s why our Equity, Justice, and Engagement Committee has worked with faculty, staff, students and deans to collectively modify our institutional practices to meet our diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. This is a shared task that is central to our identity at Santa Clara.”
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND EVENTS
“We have very engaged students, particularly from the identitybased law student organizations, who bring issues to the EJEC’s attention and who actively participate in finding ways to address our collective responses,” says Rivera Juaristi. “The Black Law Students Association, for example, has been stellar in giving the Law School a blueprint of what we need to do to become a more inclusive, equitable, just, and engaged community.” Santa
—AKILAH LANE J.D. ’09 STAFF ATTORNEY FOR THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION IN HELENA, MONTANA
HIGHLIGHTS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION EFFORTS AT SANTA CLARA LAW
Santa Clara Law offers practical skills training that supports the underserved through our Center for Social Justice & Public Service, Northern California Innocence Project, Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center, International Human Rights Clinic, and Immigration Appellate Practice Clinic.
Santa Clara Law is the Northern California partner for the Legal Education Access Pipeline (LEAP), which aims to support more underrepresented students entering law school and the legal profession.
Santa Clara Law professors, students, and staff are supporting the research and studies ordered by the Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success (SUCCESS) Act of 2018, including submitting legislative comments, academic publications, development of independent studies, speaking engagements, and other activities.
Santa Clara Law was one of the first law schools to become a supporter of the Increasing Diversity in Innovation Diversity Pledge, a commitment by some of the world’s leading companies to working to understand and address the issue of underrepresented inventors.
In March 2021, a research team from Santa Clara Law’s High Tech Law Institute published a practical manual of best practices for increasing diversity in innovation, intended to be a valuable tool for in-house intellectual property and innovation managers.
Santa Clara Law graduates regularly affirm the presence of a supportive, student-centered culture throughout the Law School.
Santa Clara Law illustrates its commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging through other events, scholarships, clinics, and programming. on which EJEC and the Law School have been focusing this year. During 1L orientation, Professors Margalynne Armstrong, Marina Hsieh, and I spoke about the importance of belonging. The EJEC committee members and others will continue to emphasize and focus on this ‘You belong’ message during the spring semester by sending students a survey and discussing the responses in one of our ‘First-Year Fridays’ events,” he says.
LEAP PARTNERSHIP
Santa Clara Law is proud to partner with the Legal Education Access Pipeline (LEAP), which seeks to diversify the legal profession by preparing underrepresented students to become successful law school applicants, lawyers, and agents of social change. Founded by Cindy Lopez in 2020, LEAP facilitates a nine-month fellowship where prospective law school students are paired with a current law student and a practicing attorney, each of whom connect regularly with the fellow and share insights, resources, opportunities, and encouragement. Fellows also participate in workshops, skill development, and social justice programming. Bryan Hinkle, assistant dean for law enrollment management at Santa Clara Law, assisted Lopez with admissions and financial aid programming for the first cohort, and “when Cindy suggested expanding the program by creating a Northern California group hosted at Santa Clara Law, we jumped on the opportunity,” says Hinkle. The inaugural Northern California cohort has 19 fellows from underrepresented populations.
Clara Law student groups have organized dozens of events that have brought leading speakers to campus or online to discuss current events and find ways for Santa Clara Law to become a truly anti-racist institution, he explains. “For example, in January, law students and several faculty members, with support from EJEC, organized an inspiring event with Martin Luther King’s friend and attorney, Dr. Clarence B. Jones, where students read portions of MLK’s writings, asked questions about their meaning, and heard a wake-up call from Dr. Jones about the ‘fierce urgency of now,’” he says.
In addition, Rivera Juaristi, EJEC, and its student representatives have also helped organize several events to address issues of implicit bias in our own lives, in the Law School, in the justice system, and in the profession. EJEC has organized training sessions for students, staff, and faculty on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, and the committee also engages with broader university-wide efforts. “‘You belong’ is one of the key messages
FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS
Santa Clara Law has long collected detailed diversity information on applicants, but in 2016, in an effort to be more inclusive and supportive, the admissions team added a place in the application to allow first-generation students to self-identify. “This has allowed us to identify, early in the admissions cycle, those students who could benefit from additional programming before, during, and even after law school,” explains Hinkle. “We are fortunate to have a community of dedicated staff and faculty who understand the need to diversify the law school and the legal profession, but who also recognize that some students, especially those who are first generation, need additional resources,” he says. “These students need to know about those resources, and they need to know that it is okay to ask questions about things they may think they should know already. Imposter syndrome is a real issue for students. However, through the work we’ve done, we have helped build an awareness of issues affecting these students, we have created valuable programming to help them, and we have built a community that supports each other.”
“Plus, our own law students have now created a student group to help support other first-generation students,” adds Hinkle. “This builds on the other student groups we have at the School of Law that have historically supported each other and passed along traditions of mentorship from one class to the next. These students recognize the need to perpetuate these values, and they do a fantastic job of representing the school, and advocating for themselves and future generations of law students. And prospective students feel especially welcomed by these current students, who are our best ambassadors.”
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALUMNI
“We invite our alumni to engage with our students as mentors and help make students feel that they belong at SCU,” says Rivera Juaristi. “We are also always looking for speakers who can bring light to these issues for our Law School audience.” To become a mentor, contact Professor Francisco J. Rivera Juaristi at FJRivera@scu.edu.
Scholarship support is a critical component of Santa Clara Law’s efforts to diversify the legal profession. To learn more about supporting scholarship opportunities at Santa Clara Law, contact Ash Farrington, director of development, (408) 554-5496, afarrington@scu.edu.
BY THE NUMBERS
1st Law school in the nation to take the ABA Well-Being Pledge, establish a wellness task force, and work to integrate a comprehensive 8 Pillars of Wellness framework into our student-services work, continuing a longstanding commitment to the core Jesuit value of cura personalis or “care of the whole person.”
A-
Santa Clara Law’s grade in the Most Diverse Law Schools as ranked by PreLaw Magazine Winter 2021.
“At Santa Clara Law, we define diversity broadly by incorporating as many different interests, backgrounds, and experiences as possible,” says Lisa A. Kloppenberg, acting president, Santa Clara University.
Nearly 6 in 10
Current 1L’s identify as coming from diverse backgrounds.
Nearly 1 in 4
Current 1L’s identify as the first generation to attend college and law school.
2nd Law.com ranking of Santa Clara Law among all US law schools for LGBTQ+ faculty diversity.
