SF Public Defender Keynotes UC Hastings Law Commencement

The University of California Hastings College of the Law Class of 2012 Commencement ceremony will take place Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove Street, San Francisco, California 94102. San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi '85, will present the keynote speech.

Admission to the UC Hastings commencement ceremony is by ticket only. A limited number of tickets are provided free of charge to each graduate participating in the ceremony.

Jeff Adachi is the Public Defender of the City and County of San Francisco. Before being elected as Public Defender in March 2002, Adachi worked as a deputy public defender in San Francisco for 15 years and in private practice for two years. From 1998-2001, he served as the Chief Attorney of the office. He has tried over 100 jury trials, including numerous serious felony and homicide cases, and has handled over 3,000 criminal matters throughout his career, including some of the Bay Area's highest profile cases.

As the only elected Public Defender in the state of California, and one of few elected public defenders in the United States, Adachi oversees an office of 93 lawyers and 60 support staff. The office represents over 23,000 people each year who are charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses. The office has a $24 million dollar budget, and provides a panoply of innovative programs to its clients, including Drug Court, Clean Slate expungement services, and a full-service juvenile division. The office also has one of the country's top intern programs for law students and graduates.

Adachi is a graduate of UC Hastings College of the Law and UC Berkeley. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Mutsuko, and daughter, Lauren.

More about Jeff Adachi: http://sfpublicdefender.org/about/leadership/

Commencement Speaker Selection Process

Each year, UC Hastings selects its official Commencement Speaker through an inclusive process. The Chancellor and Dean invites the Board of Directors, the Foundation Trustees, the Faculty Executive Committee, and the Associated Students of UC Hastings (ASUCH) to designate one to three individuals to serve as equal members on a Commencement Committee. The Director of Student Services also serves on this important body. The committee compiles a confidential potential list of speakers, discusses them, and recommends a "short list" to the Chancellor and Dean for selection.

Media Contact

Alex A.G. Shapiro, (415) 581-8842, shapiroa@uchastings.edu