A Message from Chancellor and Dean David Faigman: The Time is Coming to Flip the Switch on Our New Name

Dear UC Law SF Community,

It’s been a busy fall regarding our upcoming name change to UC Law San Francisco. I want to thank all of my colleagues for the immense amount of preparatory work that has gone into the logistics of the name change. I am also grateful to our legal team that is counseling us through the lawsuit filed by a few of Serranus Hastings’ descendants and a small group of alumni of the College opposed to the name change. I am confident that we will prevail in the litigation, and we are moving forward with plans for the renaming. It is important to note that the College remains committed to restorative justice measures addressing the impact of our founder and the harms committed against the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Yuki People by the State of California.

Our name change goes into effect on New Year’s Day, which is when we will begin using our new name: University of California College of the Law, San Francisco; UC Law San Francisco; and UC Law SF.

It is impossible to change every version of our old name by then, so I am announcing a six-month name transition period from January 1 to June 30, 2023. Starting January 1, we will use UC Law San Francisco/UC Law SF on all of our communications and begin phasing out the use of UC Law SF across our campus. This means converting all external, internal, physical, and virtual uses of our name to UC Law SF. During this transition period, building signs will be replaced, the school will have a new suite of logos and branding assets for fliers, letterhead, PPTs, etc. Student organizations, journals, and centers will announce updated names. And our website domain and email addresses will switch over seamlessly. You will receive tips on changing your email signatures, resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and so forth.

By the end of this year, the Communications Department (under the guidance of Liz Moore) will share with all school departments a new branding guide with access to the College’s new seal, wordmarks, and branded templates, as well as tips on how to use them appropriately. We will launch a new online campus store where you will be able to buy and order all kinds of UC Law SF merchandise and swag for your needs. Information, including a link to the store, will be sent early in the new year.

This six-month transition period means that departments have until June 30 to finish using/giving away their branded Hastings merchandise or swag. After that, the College will exclusively be using merchandise with our new logos, so departments should not order any additional Hastings merchandise during the transition.

Look out for more details to come and check the name change website for the latest information and FAQs. If you have questions or would like any clarification, please reach out to Chief Communications Officer, Liz Moore (mooreelizabeth@uclawsf.edu).

Best Regards,

David