Center for Social Justice
What We Do
The Center for Social Justice provides strategic leadership of social justice activities at the law school and promotes a strong public interest campus culture. The Center’s goal is to help all students find meaningful ways to incorporate justice work into their professional identity and future practice.
UC Law SF has a myriad of opportunities for students to be engaged in work with and for the community—there are so many offerings it can be overwhelming! The Center consolidates, coordinates and communicates about these opportunities, so students can more easily learn about and engage in social justice work and be connected to faculty, staff and other students who engage in social justice programming and education. Key features of the Center are: a Social Justice Speaker Series, a peer mentor program, a wide range of pro bono and community service opportunities, a catalogue of related course offerings, and direction on where to seek academic & career counseling for public interest summer and post-graduate employment and funding.
Social Justice Center Annual Report
Pro Bono Annual Report
What is Social Justice
Social Justice is a value; those acting to further social justice promote access to resources, equity, participation, and human rights. Social Justice lawyers advocate for these concepts in partnership with people and communities that have less structural and political power. There are many means that lawyers use to work towards social justice, including litigation, community organizing, public education and outreach and policy advocacy.
Our College’s motto is Fiat Justicia, translated as Let Justice Be Done. At the Center for Social Justice, we believe that all lawyers can and should participate in the cause of social justice and that law schools play an important role in helping students discover how to integrate this value into their professional identities. We hope to empower and support all students to seek out opportunities to aid the cause of justice. While some lawyers will choose to dedicate the whole or a substantial part of their professional lives to social justice, others will contribute to social justice in other ways, such as contributing resources and/or taking on pro bono clients.
Social Justice on Campus
Events
No upcoming events.
Affiliated Faculty and Staff
Blaine Bookey
Adjunct Professor of Law and Legal Director, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies
View Blaine Bookey’s Profile
Kyla Burke-Lazarus
Associate Director of Public Interest Public Service Programs
View Kyla Burke-Lazarus’s Profile
Ming H. Chen
Professor and Harry & Lillian Hastings Research Chair, Director of the Center on Race, Immigration, Citizenship and Equality
View Ming H. Chen’s Profile
Brittany Glidden
Clinical Professor & Faculty Co-Director of Public Interest and the Social Justice Center
View Brittany Glidden’s Profile
Thalia González
Professor of Law and Harry & Lillian Hastings Research Chair, Co-Director of the Center for Racial and Economic Justice
View Thalia González’s Profile
Dorit Reiss
Professor of Law and the James Edgar Hervey ’50 Chair of Litigation
View Dorit Reiss’s Profile
Gail Silverstein
Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Co-Director of Public Interest and the Social Justice Center, and Clinical Professor of Law
View Gail Silverstein’s Profile
