“I ran into Justice Sotomayor at Trader Joe’s the day before I got into Berkeley Law. Looking back, it feels like such a sign." Who’s coming to law school, and why? Welcome back to our series meeting Berkeley Law students! Our 1L class comes from all walks of life and all corners of the world, including Jehieli Luevanos. Jehieli is a native of Boise, Idaho, who spent the last four years working in civil rights litigation and election law in Washington, D.C. Most notably, she was part of the landmark Supreme Court case Trump v. Barbara, where she successfully recruited plaintiffs and filed the initial litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire. She is now part of the Berkeley Law Leadership Academy. Q: Why law school, and why now? A: Attacks on the rule of law have made our democracy incredibly fragile. I believe there is an urgent need for diligent and informed attorneys to challenge laws that undermine our electoral system and try to block voters from the ballot box. I plan to be one of these attorneys. Q: Why Berkeley Law? A: I chose Berkeley Law because of its commitment to protecting and advancing democracy through the Edley Center on Law & Democracy. I also love the Bay Area! Having attended undergrad in San Francisco, returning to the Bay for law school felt like coming home. #BerkeleyLaw

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What happens when a voting law affects one racial group more than others? This episode features Professor Emily Rong Zhang as part of a special 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘸 series on key election topics. #ItsTheLaw #BerkeleyLaw #Election [Video Description: Berkeley Law professor Emily Rong Zhang sits at a wooden conference table in front of a wood-paneled wall, speaking directly to the camera. Text overlay on the video reads: 'What happens when a voting law affects one racial group more than others? ]

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Meet Alex Hunter From investigative journalism to First Amendment advocacy, Alex came to Berkeley Law to stand for the stories that matter most. After minoring in journalism and working as an investigative reporter—uncovering lead-contaminated drinking water in New Jersey public schools—Alex witnessed firsthand how legal support is crucial to protecting journalists and public information. Now, inspired by Berkeley’s deep roots in the Free Speech Movement, Alex is pursuing First Amendment litigation to empower the press. “I’ve known a lot of people who are staying in that field... and I’d like to support it in the best way that I can, and I think for me that’s through the legal profession,” Hunter says. Q&A with Alex Hunter: Q: Why Berkeley Law? A: I was really interested because of the strong connections that the law school has with the Free Speech Movement, and I myself am interested in First Amendment litigation and in working with journalists in order to help them get their stories out. Q: What made you want to work with journalists through the law? A: As an undergrad, I did my minor in journalism, and I worked as an investigative reporter for about eight months on a contract after my undergrad, and it’s work that I loved doing. I’ve known a lot of people who are staying in that field and continuing in it, and I’ve just been so impressed by the work that they do that I’d like to support it in the best way that I can, and I think for me, that’s through the legal profession. #BerkeleyLaw #FirstAmendment #PublicInterest Q: What was one of your most memorable journalism experiences? A: The investigation that I was on was focused on lead in drinking water in New Jersey schools. It started as a student project that I was doing for a class in my senior year, and then sort of grew out of that until a newspaper picked it up. What we found was that dozens of schools and school districts in New Jersey had lead in their drinking water that hadn’t been reported to parents, and hadn’t been reported to the state, and that the state itself had promised $100 million to fix this issue, but had only released $5 million of it. So there was this huge gap, and people weren

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