Gail Silverstein, Clinical Professor of Law

Professor Gail Silverstein graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, B.A. (1995); and UC Berkeley School of Law, J.D. (1999). After graduating from law school, where she was awarded the annual public service award for her public interest commitment and activities, Professor Silverstein was the proud recipient of a one-year post-law school public interest fellowship sponsored by the firm formerly known as Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro to work on a special project helping beneficiaries of federal disability benefits return to work.

After her fellowship, Professor Silverstein joined East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), a community-based clinic of Boalt Hall and the largest provider of free legal services in the East Bay. During her tenure at EBCLC, she was a staff attorney and clinical supervisor in the HIV/AIDS unit, specializing in legal services to women and children in a variety of civil matters including public benefits, housing, estate planning, consumer debt relief and confidentiality. In this position, she was also Chair of the Executive Committee of the Family Care Network, a multi-disciplinary group of AIDS service providers working with women and families. Moreover, she represented many clients who were Spanish-speaking as she is fluent speaker of the language.

At UC Hastings, Professor Silverstein teaches a number of clinical courses. When not supporting students in their litigation and mediation efforts, you can also find her working on scholarship regarding the attorney-client relationship, participating in regionwide clinician networking and education efforts, and sitting on the ABA’s ADR Legal Education Committee.

Professor Silverstein is the current Chair of the Board of Directors of Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Disease (WORLD), a women’s HIV/AIDS advocacy, education, and support organization headquartered in Oakland, California. She also is an honorary director of the UC Berkeley Law Foundation, a funder of post-law school public interest fellowships.

Professor Silverstein enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and son, practicing yoga, cooking and reading.

Courses Taught: Individual Representation Clinic, Mediation Clinic, and Roles and Ethics in Practice

Expertise: Public Interest Law and Clinical Teaching

My favorite part about teaching you is... witnessing students gain a new sense of confidence in themselves as lawyers, mediators and human beings as they take on powerful roles in a competent and effective way.