Sandoval Confirmed to National Board

In December 2022, the U.S. Senate confirmed Santa Clara Law Professor Catherine Sandoval as a member of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). A member of the Santa Clara Law faculty since 2004, Sandoval is a widely respected expert in energy, telecommunications, antitrust, and contract law. President Biden nominated her to this esteemed position.

The CSB investigates industrial chemical accidents and is charged with issuing safety recommendations to plants, standard-setting organizations, or regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). “I am deeply honored by the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of my nomination by President Biden to serve as a CSB member,” said Sandoval. “The CSB’s work is critical to the safety of America’s workers, our communities, our environment, and the economy.”

Sandoval has previously served as a commissioner on the California Public Utilities Commission which regulates energy, water, rail services, and telecommunications for the state. In the Spring 2022 issue of this magazine, she wrote an op-ed arguing that PG&E’s board, executives, employees, and

“These many generous contributions will help to make it possible for us to reach our shared goal of ensuring that every one of our admitted students will be able to enroll and successfully graduate from Santa Clara University School of Law, regardless of their financial circumstances,” said Dean Kaufman. “Together, we are making our extraordinary Santa Clara legal education more affordable and accessible to students from all walks of life.” contractors should be required to undergo training to prevent “criminal thought patterns.” The work, which included research by Santa Clara Law students, referred to consistent patterns of distorted thinking that foster dangerous conduct.

To learn more about supporting students and programs at Santa Clara Law, contact Jolee David, assistant dean of advancement, (408) 554 5496, jmdavid@scu.edu.

She also served as director of Santa Clara Law’s Insurance Law Institute, where she represented pro bono ratepayers in PG&E’s federal criminal probation proceeding.

“I am beyond pleased that the Chemical Safety Board now has a new chair to conduct its business,” said Senator Tom Carper, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, who added that Sandoval’s confirmation comes “at a time when the CSB desperately needs leadership that can help the agency deliver on its important mission for the American people.”

Sandoval was sworn in on February 2, 2023 and immediately began her five-year term on the CSB. She has taken a leave of absence from Santa Clara Law to fulfill her term.

“I appreciate Santa Clara University’s support for my research into safety practices and SCU’s support for and commitment to community service,” Sandoval said.

Santa Clara Law Hosts Swearing-In Ceremony

On December 5, surrounded by holiday decor in Mission Santa Clara, Santa Clara Law and the Santa Clara Bar Association hosted a swearing-in ceremony for the newest members of the California Bar.

In his welcome, Dean Michael Kaufman invited those gathered to reflect. “Your loving relationships have nourished you, kept you afloat, sustained you, and inspired you,” he said. “They have helped you to embrace the challenges of a global pandemic, an awakening to racial injustice, and stark reminders of the fragility of the rule of law and our democracy.”

“Scripture compels us: Justice, justice you shall pursue!,” added Kaufman. “It is not enough to learn about justice, or even be a lawyer admitted to the Bar. We must all pursue justice. Justice is not a noun; it is a verb. It is not a status; it’s a calling. It requires action. It demands small acts of loving kindness, which

“Justice is not a noun; it is a verb. It is not a status; it’s a calling. It requires action. It demands small acts of loving kindness, which are the foundation for greater acts to make our world more just, humane, and sustainable, to care for our common home and our common good.”

—MICHAEL J. KAUFMAN Dean, Santa Clara

Law are the foundation for greater acts to make our world more just, humane, and sustainable, and to care for our common home and our common good.”

BY THE NUMBERS A+

57% Identify as a member of a minority community

25% Identify as first generation

53% Identify as Women

Intellectual Property Law grade from PreLaw Magazine

A

Law grade by PreLaw magazine, Fall 2022

2023 ranking for Part-time J.D. program in Northern California by U.S. News & World Report (#19 in the nation)