Legal History Expert Gains Tenure

UC Law SF faculty voted in June to promote Associate Professor Binyamin Blum, an expert in legal history, to the role of full professor with tenure.

“The vote of confidence is reassuring,” Blum said. “This makes it possible to engage in more daring projects.”

Blum joined the UC Law SF faculty in spring 2018. Prior to UC Law SF, he served on the faculty of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

A specialist in the relationship between law and colonialism during the 19th and 20th centuries, Blum is currently researching the history and origins of forensic science. Blum also writes on issues of evidence and proof, such as the exclusion of unlawfully obtained evidence, spousal privilege among same-sex partners, rape shield statutes, and character evidence. His scholarly work has appeared in Din Udvarim, Law & History and Review, and Southwestern Journal of International Law.

“What sets UC Law SF faculty apart from other institutions is how supportive we all are and how invested we all are in each other’s success,” Blum said. “There is this joint sense of purpose and mission that I really enjoy. This is an institution that dedicates resources to ensuring quality education for its students and pedagogy for its faculty.”

Professors Zach Price, Alina Ball, and Jared Ellias.

Blum joins Alina Ball, Jared Ellias, and Zach Price as UC Law SF’ 2018-19 tenured faculty. The new crop of tenured faculty have been described as “brilliant teachers and accomplished scholars.”

In December, Academic Dean Morris Ratner said the tenured group represents the best of UC Law SF. He added that they all “seamlessly meld theory and practice.”

“This is a very energetic cohort. We’re all hungry for change and are excited to make it happen,” Blum said. “Being around that kind of energy has been great. And beyond being brilliant academics, they are all great colleagues and friends.”