Thinkers & Doers Roundup: July 2018

THE FACULTY BUZZ: 

Professor Joan C. Williams (@joancwilliams) contributed an Op-Ed to the Wall Street Journal entitled “The Elites Feed Anti-Immigrant Bias.” https://on.wsj.com/2vatQZ1

— “There’s nothing inherent about the glamour work that makes it more valuable. It’s just very situational,” said Professor Williams in an article for CNN Money on why men get the glamour work assignments more than women. https://cnnmon.ie/2AI1SJB

— Professor Williams appeared on Slate’s “Trumpcast” to discuss liberal condescension towards the white working class. http://bit.ly/2AxKlTZ

— “Families on net are working much harder, in large part because more families have two earners instead of one,” said Professor Williams in an article for CNBC on how a strong GDP and jobs numbers don’t tell the whole story about America’s economic reality. https://cnb.cx/2AxQijX

“The internet has a lot of negative impact as far as privacy is concerned, but this is one area where we want transparency,” said Professor Richard Zitrin in an article for ABA Journal on the art and craftiness of cease-and-desist letters. http://bit.ly/2Meg8Lq

“That’s a shame because I think geographic diversity is as important as all sorts of other diversity concerns,” said Professor Rory Little (@rorylittle) in an article for the Recorder on how there are no Californians on President Donald Trump’s shortlist of potential nominees to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Kennedy. http://bit.ly/2OF137c

— Professor Little will be moderating a panel for the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section on a review of criminal law cases from the most recent Supreme Court term. http://bit.ly/2M7Bz0A

— “The fact that this (need for records) has been announced publicly is, in today’s world, an invitation to leak,” said Professor Little in an article for the San Francisco Chronicle on Senate Democrats planning to stall the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. http://bit.ly/2AxQwYl

Professor Dorit Rubinstein Reiss (@doritmi) co-authored an article for the Harvard Law Blog on the “Vaccine Resources Library for Expert Witnesses.” http://bit.ly/2n5Aawy

— Professor Reiss weighed-in on the case of pediatrician Bob Sears, who was given probation for allegedly writing improper medical exemptions for vaccines, in an article for Medscape. https://wb.md/2n1B25b

“Settling in mediation would probably be a cheaper and more efficient resolution to the high-profile case with so many moving pieces and parties,” said Professor Richard Marcus in an article for the San Francisco Chronicle on the civil suit filed by families of the deadly Ghost Ship warehouse fire victims. http://bit.ly/2AtLyf2

ARS Technica invited Professor Veena Dubal (@veenadubal) to their live program for a discussion on what the law has to say about the gig economy.  http://bit.ly/2O4yWNv

— “The decision means that New York Uber drivers can file for unemployment insurance and likely receive it,” said Professor Dubal in an article for ARS Technica on the decision by the New York labor board that considers Uber drivers ‘employees’ for unemployment purposes. http://bit.ly/2OCB9Rl

— “The court is saying, ‘We haven’t really drawn a line with regard to what is trivial and what is not trivial, but in this case, the time that the employee was not compensated was significant,’” said Professor Dubal for an Associated Press article on a California ruling requiring Starbucks and other employers to pay workers for minutes on tasks such as locking up or setting the store alarm. http://bit.ly/2KguJ6Z

— “Employers in California have to be very careful about the kind of work they ask employees to do off the clock now,” said Professor Dubal in an article for The Street on the California court’s ruling that employees are entitled to full compensation for all hours worked. http://bit.ly/2M16iQd

“The plaintiffs have to show by a preponderance of evidence it is more likely than not that Roundup caused this plaintiff this cancer. That may be a heavy lift,” said Professor David Levine in an interview for KCBS Radio on the Monsanto case filed by victims of a possible cancer-causing substance in Roundup pesticides. http://bit.ly/2vaYqBH

— Professor Levine was interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Company to discuss the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

— “The court’s most conservative justices seemed willing to consider more challenges to gun-control laws in California and other states, but apparently were uncertain whether Kennedy would go along,” said Professor Levine in an article for the San Francisco Chronicle on how the Supreme Court nominee could impact California. http://bit.ly/2vb6r9T

— Professor Levine appeared on KCBS Radio to talk about the next possible SCOTUS pick.

— “I thought it was interesting in what both he said and what he didn’t say,” noted Professor Levine, live on KTVU Fox 2 News, in his analysis of Brett Kavanaugh’s speech after his announcement as President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court. http://bit.ly/2LO1zC8

— Professor Levine appeared on KTVU to discuss the sanctuary state legislation recently upheld by the Eastern District of California.

— “The decision overall is a big victory for opponents of the executive order, but Trump could try to enforce it against jurisdictions outside the 10 Western states covered by the 9th Circuit,” said Professor Levine in an article for the Associated Press on the Court declaring President Trump’s ‘sanctuary cities’ order illegal. http://bit.ly/2n4Fq3z

— Professor Levine commented in the San Francisco Chronicle on the possible legal problems facing the Dalí Museum in Monterey for its use of the name and image of the famous artist in its promotion. http://bit.ly/2LMPcWI

— “In a personal injury situation, you let the plaintiffs go first. They get to pick the time and place of the lawsuits initially,” said Professor Levine in an article for the Las Vegas Review-Journal on civil lawsuit filed by Mandalay Bay against more than a thousand Las Vegas mass shooting victims in an attempt to pre-emptively consolidate all potential claims. http://bit.ly/2LIw24m

“It would not surprise me if the court took this off the ballot,” said Professor Michael Salerno in an article for the Associated Press on a lawsuit to nix the proposed ballot measure to split California into 3 states. http://bit.ly/2OBYlPM

“The Daily Journal’s decision to publish Kozinski in the manner that it did on July 9 speaks to how easily victims and their stories are cast aside in favor of their charismatic harassers,” said Professor Emily Murphy in a co-signed letter to the Editor. http://bit.ly/2LMsSMT

Professor Jaime King testified on “Examining State Efforts to Improve Transparency in Healthcare Costs for Consumers” before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. http://bit.ly/2KiD6PJ

Professor Chimène Keitner (@KeitnerLaw) reviewed Ronan Farrow’s “War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence” and James F. Dobbins’s “Foreign Service: Five Decades on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy” for Lawfare. http://bit.ly/2OxWcV4

Professor David Takacs was in Glasgow, Scotland to speak at the 2018 International Union for the Conservation of Nature Academy of Environmental Law Colloquium on “Biodiversity Offsetting, REDD+, and Rewilding: How Can Laws that Promote Biodiversity and Ecological Democracy Coexist?” http://bit.ly/2OCjyJt

Professor Clark Freshman commented for the San Francisco Chronicle on the legal issues surrounding the dispute between the agency that manages Oakland’s Oracle Arena and the Golden State Warriors over whether the team will still be obligated to pay a portion of renovation bonds after their move to San Francisco. http://bit.ly/2n4kSIc

Professor Shanin Specter appeared on CNN to discuss the legal ramifications of the tape of Michael Cohen speaking with then-candidate Trump about making a payment to a Playmate. https://cnn.it/2LFesOt

Judge Plager of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit cited Professor Jeffrey A. Lefstin’s work on the history of the patent-eligible subject matter doctrine, in his decision in Interval Licensing LLC v. AOL, Inc., (Fed. Cir. 2018). http://bit.ly/2Md9u7U

“Trade secret cases like this are akin to divorces. A joining of interests, begun with great hope and promise, disintegrates into bitter recrimination. And the parties know enough about each other to know where to aim,” said Professor Robin Feldman (@RobinCFeldman) in an article for MedCity News on a genomic sequencing legend accused of stealing trade secrets and attempting to poach employees from the company he founded. http://bit.ly/2vs2zAO

— Professor Feldman was interviewed by Bloomberg News to give commentary on Senate’s bipartisan effort to require drug prices in ads. http://bit.ly/2LO2yCk

“It’s almost like they are trying to criminalize everybody and the ultimate goal is to scare as many people as possible so that some people say, ‘I don’t want to be here’ or ‘I can’t afford all this stuff, I’m going home,'” said Professor Richard Boswell in an article for the North Coast Journal on immigration detention. http://bit.ly/2AlWQlH

Professor Jodi Short contributed an article to The Regulatory Review on “Cutting Through the Rhetoric of Cutting Red Tape.” http://bit.ly/2AxS9VX

Professor Jared Ellias’ paper, “Bankruptcy Claims Trading” (forthcoming, Journal of Empirical Legal Studies), has posted to SSRN and is the first empirical study of trading in the financial claims of Chapter 11 debtors. http://bit.ly/2LNb5Fx

“We have a jury system and the jury will seldom give reasons why they decide to convict or acquit,” said Professor Hadar Aviram (@aviramh) in an interview with CBS News on the appeal by the attorney for a former Stanford student’s sexual assault case looking for the conviction to be overturned based on the longshot claim of ‘sexual outercourse.’ https://cbsn.ws/2O0Z4J6

Professor Frank H. Wu (@frankhwu) continues his regular column in the Daily Journal with an article on understanding the Chinese as they understand Americans. http://bit.ly/2von3Ks

— Professor Wu was a Visiting Professor at Peking University School of Transnational Law. http://bit.ly/2LSAvAM

— Professor Wu contributed an article to Diverse Education entitled, “Being a Tourist Is Not the Same as Being a Minority.” http://bit.ly/2LQ42uX

— “Institutions have to assess risk and decide how aggressive they want to be on the one hand, and also how much or little diversity they are willing to accept on the other hand,” said Professor Wu in an article for Diverse Education on affirmative action. http://bit.ly/2LUgCZT

— Professor Wu discusses the potential trade war with China in an Op-Ed for the Detroit Free Press. https://on.freep.com/2LQ48Tl

— “Read Every Day While You Can,” is the latest contribution by Professor Wu to Inside Higher Ed. http://bit.ly/2Mbn4sD

— Professor Wu, Committee of 100 president, highlights “bridging role” for Chinese-Americans at the invitation of China and the Globalization Think Tank (CCG), also written about in the Chinese Financial Times. http://bit.ly/2KjxODo

Professor Dave Owen discusses Professor John Leshy’s work on the constitutionality of public lands for the Scholarship Blog. http://bit.ly/2NiL3X2

The New York Times mentioned the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) in its article about a federal court blocking the systematic detention of migrants who have shown credible evidence that they were fleeing persecution in their home countries. https://nyti.ms/2AyWsjK

— “It will take months if not years for any affected cases to reach the federal appeals level,” said Blaine Bookey, co-legal director at the CGRS, in an article for the Sacramento Bee on new U.S. asylum rules that could bring confusion, fear and few options for immigrants. http://bit.ly/2KjZhVp

Professor Lothar Determann was interviewed by Tech Privacy about California Privacy Law. http://bit.ly/2vtCSQf

 IT’S AUGUST:

 — Got a tip? Feedback? News to share? Let us know. By email: ER@UCHastings.edu

LET’S SOCIALIZE:

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:

Check out San Francisco’s new epic rooftop park at its opening block party this August. http://bit.ly/2LyFXIR

IG POST OF THE MONTH:

Its been a long amazing week in San Fransisco! I want to thank Brian Grief for making this project happen and offering endless support. To UC Law SF University of Law for believing in my vision and understanding the importance of public art. To @montanacans_usa for sponsorship and to all those who came by to conversate -its so touching to know how we all effect eachother. You guys give me inspiration to keep going. And importantly @zanemeyer for always being a pillar of strength when i need it most. Will be sharing final photos soon. Also opening this up to SF photographers. Best photo of this new wall will get sent a screenprint gift. Send your submissions to Kassia bird@faith47.com Location Hyde and Golden Gate st @uchastingslaw

A post shared by FAITH XLVII (@faith47) on

ON CAMPUS:

Renowned South African artist, Faith XLVII, contributed a mural installation to UC Law SF entitled “The Unbound” on the rear of the 198 McAllister building. http://bit.ly/2JTFjAQ

Learn more about Andrew Scott, New Director of Human Resources at UC Law SF. http://bit.ly/2usc02r

QUIPS & CLIPS:

STUDENT MIXTAPE:

#summergig series continues with students participating in amazing ventures over the break.

— Rising 3L Christina Alvernaz interned in the policy department of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) in Oakland via the Peggy Browning Fund. http://bit.ly/2LMCxmy

— “Hey, Google!” says rising 2L Kenny Gutierrez about his time interning at the tech company. http://bit.ly/2KiGLgr

— Rising 2L Alex Sauerwein who is a legal clerk at the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment focusing on environmental justice issues facing the San Joaquin Valley. http://bit.ly/2M0Jwba

— It has been such an amazing experience so far & has confirmed that I am meant to be an environmental lawyer,” said rising 2L Rebecca Kim, who is interning at the Environmental Law Program for the Sierra Club. http://bit.ly/2Kkf7zp

— Rising 3L Elisa Vari spent her summer in D.C. as a Squire Patton Boggs Foundation Fellow at the UNHCR Caribbean Protection Unit. http://bit.ly/2n2N2U4

— “I can’t imagine a more rewarding job than helping save the planet,” said rising 3L Kimberly Willis, who is working in the Natural Resources Defense Council’s litigation program in San Francisco. http://bit.ly/2M7GEWI

TWEET OF THE MONTH:

 

ALUMNI-LAND: 

Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Congresswoman Val Demings (FL-10), and Congressman Darren Soto (FL-9) announced the introduction of The Jeanette Acosta Invest in Women’s Health Act, a bill named after the late UC Law SF alumna, that would increase availability of preventive, life-saving cancer screenings at safety net health care providers like Planned Parenthood health centers and other reproductive health care providers. http://bit.ly/2OwY5Bs

Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Freedman ’11 successfully prosecuted a case whereby a Long Beach Man was sentenced to over 26 years in prison for leading a counterfeit opioid scheme. http://bit.ly/2M7gpzw

A Q&A with Andrew Elefant ‘15, Kittyhawk’s new director of policy. http://bit.ly/2LIz3lc

Joe Veith ’08 defends parents separated from their children at the U.S. border. http://bit.ly/joe-veith-border-separation

Lynne Hermle ‘81, and her co-counsel Jessica Perry, were named American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week” for her recent back-to-back wins for Microsoft and Twitter in major gender discrimination cases. http://bit.ly/2OzFYec

Michael Hunter Schwartz ‘87, dean of the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, was featured in an article for the Sacramento Business Journal. http://bit.ly/2NXK5Q0

Gabriel Bellman ’05, Director of Graduate Advising at UC Law SF, continued his participation in the San Francisco Frozen Film Festival. http://bit.ly/2v9667A

Senator Kamala Harris ’89 tweets back at President Trump after his attacks through his favorite communication hub, “I Went After Gangs and Transnational Criminal Organizations.” http://bit.ly/2LXgU2c

Drew Holmes ’08 was named a “Top Attorney Under 40” for intellectual property law by Law360. http://bit.ly/2KkNvdA

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the 21 youth plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States, the constitutional climate lawsuit filed against the federal government by Julia Olson ’97, denying the Trump administration’s application for a stay and preserving the U.S. District Court’s trial start date of October 29, 2018. http://bit.ly/2Kk1u39

Stephen R. Miller ’06 was promoted to full professor of law and named Associate Dean for Faculty at the University of Idaho, College of Law in Boise. http://bit.ly/2LNcnAn

Yardena Zwang-Weissman ’06 was named a “Top Attorney Under 40” for environmental law by Law360. http://bit.ly/2AxTRql

CONDOLENCES:

The UC Law SF community extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of Judge John G. Whiteside ’67, Count Jan Lewenhaupt, Edward S. Levinson ’73, June Emerson Moroney ’75, Michael J. Wong ‘77, and Robert Steven Butler ’66.

 — Judge John G. Whiteside ’67 was a fixture at the Stanislaus Superior Court for over 30 years and continued his service even after retirement. “One of the most endearing qualities he possessed is that he was always genuine,” said his colleague Judge Roger Beauchesne. http://bit.ly/2LEpIqm

— Count Jan Lewenhaupt was a great grandson of the first Chief Justice of California, Serranus Hastings who founded UC Law SF, and in 1939 volunteered to serve in the Swedish forces that helped defend Finland from the invasion of Russia. After moving to the Bay Area, Jan opened a sporting goods business, first in San Francisco, then down to the Peninsula. http://bit.ly/2Mdax7Q

— Edward S. Levinson ’73 was born in New York City and earned his bachelor’s degree from the UC Berkeley before receiving his juris doctor from UC Law SF. http://bit.ly/2v6HCvK

— June Emerson Moroney ’75 was the first female attorney hired by the prominent San Francisco law firm, Bledsoe, Boyd, Smith, Cathcart and Elliott. http://bit.ly/2MaKE8E

— Michael J. Wong ’77 was a staff attorney/managing attorney with the Asian Law Caucus, a civil rights organization serving the Asian Pacific American community, before shifting his focus to anti-hate violence efforts, including co-authoring a hate violence prevention plan for Alameda County that became a model statewide. http://bit.ly/2MeoAu8

— Robert Steven Butler ’66 had legal career spanning over 40 years, which included working as an Assistant District Attorney of San Diego, a partner at Butler, Ruff, and Smith, and finally his own private practice as an estate attorney. http://bit.ly/2O5n7qy

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