By the Numbers

30

Research institutes and centers

15

Clinics offering hands-on learning

41

Student-initiated legal services projects

90%

Students engaged in pro bono work

26,600

Pro Bono hours logged by the Class of 2025

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“So, I had to come to the unfortunate conclusion that my mom was right.” Who’s coming to law school, and why? Welcome back to our series meeting new Berkeley Law students! Our incoming class comes from all walks of life and all corners of the world, including Dani Richardson. She grew up traveling the world and attending schools her mom taught at (including Hawaii, Thailand, and Switzerland). Dani has worked for a variety of NGOs, law firms, international organizations, and criminal justice agencies. She was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Timor-Leste, a speechwriter for the President of Timor-Leste, and a consultant for USAID and the United Nations. During this time, she also earned her Master’s in Criminology from the University of Cambridge, and wrote her dissertation about California Three Strikers’ experiences of fairness and legitimacy in the criminal legal system. Dani is also an avid snowboarder and volunteered with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Events Team in 2025. Q: Why law school? Why now? A: Growing up, I was always the kid into speech and debate, Model UN and all those types of things that might lead to law naturally. But one of the big things that really prompted me to want to dedicate myself to this profession was being called to testify in a court hearing. I went in completely overconfident, thinking that all my debate experience had prepared me and then I took the stand, and found myself overwhelmed and just really uncharacteristically unable to express myself. If I’m feeling that way as someone who has done all these different extracurriculars and who is coming from a privileged educational background, and I’m feeling this overwhelmed and confused, it just made me realize how terrifying and disempowering this experience can be even as a witness. And that has stayed with me. It’s a big part in why I want to be a lawyer, and it’s driven me to seek out all of these opportunities to work with people going through trial or resentencing, and to try to make that experience better for them at every stage of the process. Q: Why Berkeley Law? A: There are a lot of different reasons why I ended up coming here.… #BerkeleyLaw

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“So, I had to come to the unfortunate conclusion that my mom was right.” Who’s coming to law school, and why? Welcome back to our series meeting new Berkeley Law students! Our incoming class comes from all walks of life and all corners of the world, including Dani Richardson. She grew up traveling the world and attending schools her mom taught …

“So, I had to come to the unfortunate conclusion that my mom was right.”

Who’s coming to law school, and why? Welcome back to our series meeting new Berkeley Law students! Our incoming class comes from all walks of life and all corners of the world, including Dani Richardson. She grew up traveling the world and attending schools her mom taught at (including Hawaii, Thailand, and Switzerland). Dani has worked for a variety of NGOs, law firms, international organizations, and criminal justice agencies. She was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Timor-Leste, a speechwriter for the President of Timor-Leste, and a consultant for USAID and the United Nations. During this time, she also earned her Master’s in Criminology from the University of Cambridge, and wrote her dissertation about California Three Strikers’ experiences of fairness and legitimacy in the criminal legal system. Dani is also an avid snowboarder and volunteered with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Events Team in 2025.

Q: Why law school? Why now?
A: Growing up, I was always the kid into speech and debate, Model UN and all those types of things that might lead to law naturally. But one of the big things that really prompted me to want to dedicate myself to this profession was being called to testify in a court hearing. I went in completely overconfident, thinking that all my debate experience had prepared me and then I took the stand, and found myself overwhelmed and just really uncharacteristically unable to express myself. If I’m feeling that way as someone who has done all these different extracurriculars and who is coming from a privileged educational background, and I’m feeling this overwhelmed and confused, it just made me realize how terrifying and disempowering this experience can be even as a witness. And that has stayed with me. It’s a big part in why I want to be a lawyer, and it’s driven me to seek out all of these opportunities to work with people going through trial or resentencing, and to try to make that experience better for them at every stage of the process.

Q: Why Berkeley Law?
A: There are a lot of different reasons why I ended up coming here.…

#BerkeleyLaw

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How did the Supreme Court’s latest term affect presidential power and its limits? #ItsTheLaw #BerkeleyLaw Video Description: Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky sits at a wooden conference table in front of a wood-paneled wall, speaking directly to the camera. Text overlay on the video reads: 'How did the Supreme Court’s latest term affect presidential power and its limits?'

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How did the Supreme Court’s latest term affect presidential power and its limits?

#ItsTheLaw #BerkeleyLaw

Video Description: Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky sits at a wooden conference table in front of a wood-paneled wall, speaking directly to the camera. Text overlay on the video reads: 'How did the Supreme Court’s latest term affect presidential power and its limits?'

Instagram berkeleylaw

Nine world championships — and counting. 🚴‍♀️ Berkeley Law Professor Molly Van Houweling has won her ninth cycling world championship, taking first in the 16-kilometer time trial in the Women 50-54 division at the 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Japan. She completed her time trial in just over 21 minutes. Tap the link in bio to learn more. #BerkeleyLaw #LawProfessor

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Nine world championships — and counting. 🚴‍♀️

Berkeley Law Professor Molly Van Houweling has won her ninth cycling world championship, taking first in the 16-kilometer time trial in the Women 50-54 division at the 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Japan.

She completed her time trial in just over 21 minutes.

Tap the link in bio to learn more.

#BerkeleyLaw #LawProfessor

UC Berkeley Law is unmatched in our combination of comprehensive excellence, vibrant and warm community, and public mission — the law school of choice for the next generation of lawyers and leaders who want to have an impact.