As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest . . . – Nelson Mandela

Dear all,

What a year it has been! Even as the world remains in a seemingly constant state of uncertainty, we have been so inspired by our law school community. In more ways than one, our community has grounded us. Whether it was discussing students’ goals at our job search workshops, hearing observations during our PI-FAMM check-in, or a record-breaking year for pro bono, we have been excited to partner with students and support them throughout the year.

We started off Spring Quarter with our jobs programming for rising 2Ls and 3Ls, but were also thrilled to welcome Baher Azmy, Legal Director at the Center for Constitutional Rights as our Spring Quarter Visiting Public Interest Practitioner series. Baher spoke at length about his litigation experience, drawing on specific examples to make the case for hope and patience about change through public interest lawyering. We are grateful to have had Baher at SLS.

A heartfelt thank you to Professors Paul Brest, Jennifer Chacon, George Fisher, Lucas Guttentag, Erik Jensen, Michael McConnell, and Allen Weiner for leading small group discussions with students this year. Topics ranged from immigration policy to international law, the rule of law, the performance of the judiciary, and restrictions on academic freedom. Some professors opened their homes, cooking dinner or ordering takeout, while others gathered with students on campus. These gatherings gave students a chance to ask questions, draw on faculty expertise to make sense of an uncertain time, and get to know one another and our faculty more personally.

The month of May brought lots of reasons to celebrate! We had the pleasure of welcoming the newest member of the Levin Center team, Stacy Townsend (JD ’17) as Director of Public Interest Career Development Program! See below for a full interview of Stacy. We also had a chance to gather as a public interest community and recognize our outstanding students, alumni, and faculty at our annual Spring Public Interest Awards Ceremony.

This year, more than 30 graduates begin their public interest journey across the country and the world, eager to make an impact, and we can’t wait to hear more about all the wonderful things they do! All the best from the Levin Center on this new chapter and please continue to be in touch.

As another year wraps up, I have been thinking about the uncertainty that colors the every day, and feel energized by the opportunities to gather with all of you. It is through discussions and interactions that go deeper and probe our understanding of the world, that we also make our understanding and ourselves more complete. These spaces to gather have never been more important and I hope that during law school and after, we take each opportunity to understand other perspectives, and often, change, even just a bit, with each interaction.

For the those of us who will be returning in the fall, have a wonderful, restful summer and please reach out if you have any questions. We can’t wait to see you next year!

Best,
Shafaq

The SLS community has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to public service over the past few months, weaving pro bono advocacy into the very fabric of the academic year. This collective dedication culminates each spring as the law school celebrates the remarkable achievements of our community members graduating with Pro Bono Distinction. The final numbers highlight the incredible scale of this service: 22 graduating students committed 300 or more hours to pro bono causes, 16 dedicated between 150 and 299 hours, and 90 contributed between 50 and 149 hours. In a powerful testament to an institution-wide culture of service, 58 faculty and staff members were also awarded Pro Bono Distinction this spring, all of whom will be celebrated alongside our exceptional students during the upcoming Diploma Ceremony.

A cornerstone of this recent success was the Alternative Spring Break program, organized by the Levin Center. This initiative empowers students to use their burgeoning legal skills to assist communities and organizations nationwide. This March, 43 dedicated law students traveled across the country to provide vital legal assistance to under-resourced communities. These cohorts immersed themselves in intensive advocacy, which included traveling to Klamath to draft last wills and testaments for Yurok Tribal Community members, assisting detained immigrants at the East Montana Immigration Detention Center in El Paso, and supporting the Orleans Public Defenders in representing indigent criminal defendants in New Orleans.

The incredible output from these spring break trips—where individual students contributed up to 40 hours of legal service in a single week—complements a vast network of student-led initiatives. From record clearance relief closer to home to complex litigation support across state lines, the global impact of our community relies heavily on the collaborative spirit of the students, faculty, and staff who manage, mentor, and participate in these vital programs. As we look toward the future, the lasting legacy of these experiences continues to inspire both our current students and our alumni network, reinforcing SLS’s enduring commitment to public service and systemic change. -Mike Winn