UC Hastings Law is the oldest law school west of the Rockies.

We take pride in that history, but have no intention to rest on our laurels. That history provides the foundation for our future. And that future starts now.

In 2020 we adopted a strategic plan for the college that articulates a vitalizing vision for the years ahead and establishes a blueprint for achieving it. Already, progress is evident in every arena of activity.

The most tangible evidence of our momentum is our fast-rising Academic Village: a billion-dollar capital initiative that will transform our campus and give us the space to partner with major universities from around the state and country. With one state-of-the-art building completed in March 2020 and a second begun in October, we are literally constructing our future now, in real time.

The buildings, however, are mere physical manifestations of the substance of our strategic plan. They will allow us to build collaborations that will catapult our existing academic program to new heights. Our professors are second to none in their commitment to teaching and scholarly excellence. Our many clinics and centers are deeply respected for their cutting-edge work in areas ranging from racial and economic justice to tax law to the health sciences. These areas of excellence, and so many more, are the foundation on which the Academic Village will build.

UC Hastings’ pivot to the future is all happening during a time of considerable turmoil in the world. 2020 will long be remembered for the multitude of stressors it thrust on us, including a pandemic that killed hundreds of thousands of Americans and turned life upside down across the globe and an awakening nationwide to the deep-seated racial injustices plaguing our society.

Throughout this tumultuous year, the UC Hastings community demonstrated resilience and character. Students and faculty adjusted swiftly to an online teaching platform; staff provided herculean levels of support to the entire community; and alumni, facing their own professional and personal challenges, contributed time and money at unprecedented levels of generosity. Crises have the unintended consequence of revealing a person’s—and an institution’s—true character. The multiple crises of 2020 demonstrate beyond any doubt the integrity and cohesion of our community.

This website is one way of sharing our vision and values, our achievements and aspirations, and some of our most interesting people, programs and perspectives. It is but a glimpse into the future that is starting now. Welcome.