UC Law San Francisco

Susmita Nanda LLM '26 didn't just learn to use AI. She built GroundCheck, a tool that tests whether legal citations hold up under scrutiny. Through UC Law SF's AI Bootcamp, she's graduating with the skills to evaluate AI legal tools from the inside out.

https://www.uclawsf.edu/2026/06/04/ready-for-tomorrow-susmita-nanda-llm-26-uses-ai-to-analyze-strength-of-support-for-legal-arguments/

Professor Dorit Reiss, an expert on vaccine law and policy, spoke to The Washington Post about litigation across the country that seeks to require states with vaccine mandates to allow for religious exemptions. Reiss signed an amicus brief in a West Virginia case on the topic, arguing that exemptions could be abused, effectively weakening vaccine participation and risking public health.

Courts may deliver the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest win Groups demanding exemptions from vaccines on religious grounds are gaining steam, even as health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dials back his efforts.

Professor Zachary Price, an expert on constitutional and administrative law, commented to The Christian Science Monitor about the Trump Administration’s methods of controlling government spending without seeking approval from Congress. Under presidential pressure, Congress is circumventing normal procedures and granting broader leeway to the executive branch.

In Washington, a profound shift in how taxpayer money is spent. Will it last? President Donald Trump has worked to control more government spending, as Congress has ceded some of its power of the purse. The change could create a new normal.

UC Law SF rising 3Ls Julie de Vaulx and Riley Sanders have been awarded Employee Justice Fellowships from the Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion and Resources (FAIR), in collaboration with the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA).

The fellowships support law students from diverse backgrounds who have demonstrated interest in employment law and social justice issues. Once hired for summer positions by CELA member law firms, fellows are eligible to receive funding from FAIR in addition to the salary from their hiring firm. This year’s fellows will receive a $5,800 fellowship. De Vaulx is taking a summer position with Matern Law Group in San Francisco, and Saunders is doing so at Avloni Law, with offices on Northern and Southern California.

UC Law SF students and alumni who have devoted thousands of hours to working with disadvantaged people who lack access to legal services were honored by peers, mentors, friends and family at the school’s annual Social Justice Celebration.

This academic year, 300 students participated in a variety of clinics and externships, assisting more than 200 clients in the in-house clinical program alone. https://www.uclawsf.edu/2026/05/26/students-alumni-honored-for-social-justice-work/

Professor Benjamin Barsky, an expert in health law and policy, was cited in a letter signed by five U.S. senators and 16 members of the House of Representatives urging the administration to reinstate lifesaving policies for people grappling with substance use. In the journal Psychiatric Services, Barsky and his co-authors assert that policies that turn away from harm-reduction interventions will likely worsen the problems these policies claim to address and generate new ones of their own.

https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.20250505

Another round of applause for the UC Law SF Trial Team! This spring, 3L Samuel Styles won the best overall closing argument at the Capitol City Challenge in Washinton, D.C., and 3L Adil Raniwala won best overall advocate at the Trials and Tribulations Competition in South Carolina.

The team competed hard, and their sharp skills and hours of preparation were on full display. Special thanks to the coaches and team members for their support in achieving such a great result!

UC Law SF ranks 10th in the nation for number of 2025 graduates working in public interest law, according to law.com. The keys are our robust clinics and social justice programs, public interest summer grants and proximity to federal, state, and city legal offices where students can extern and build connections.

Read more: https://www.law.com/2026/05/13/law-schools-sent-fewer-grads-to-government-public-interest-roles-in-2025/?slreturn=20260521145441

Ming Chen, an expert on immigration law and director of the Center for Race, Immigration, Citizenship and Equality, commented in The New York Times on the effort by the Justice Department to strip the citizenship of Nicholas Eshun, a former Marine born in Ghana who has pled guilty to attempted sexual assault of a child. Eshun became a citizen through a program rewarding immigrants willing to serve. Chen said that while Eshun is a “highly unsympathetic” subject of a denaturalization effort, the case has broad implications. “What really matters is it opens the door to this idea of conditional citizenship,” she said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/us/denaturalization-citizen-sex-crime.html

Justice Dept. Aims to Denaturalize Ex-Marine for S*x Crime In recent decades, the federal authorities have generally revoked U.S. citizenship from people accused of wrongdoing on their citizenship applications. A new case focuses on a crime committed later.

We're thrilled to announce this year's 3L recipients of the Roger A. Dreyer Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy — selected for their outstanding leadership, performance in competition, and dedication to the team: Chloe Koehler, Maya Lescano, and Hannah Park. These three extraordinary advocates have shaped the heart and future of the UC Law SF Trial Team through their passion, resilience, and courtroom excellence.

Each recipient received a $5,000 award, generously sponsored by Roger A. Dreyer '80 and Carol Wieckowski Dreyer '79. We extend our deepest gratitude to them for their unwavering support of student advocacy and for championing the next generation of trial lawyers. Roger Dreyer, founding partner of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, LLP, continues to inspire our community with his commitment to outstanding trial advocacy and alumni mentorship.

Additionally, 3L Samuel Styles received the coaches award with a scholarship, and Jake Glenn was awarded the Montgomery Cup as an outstanding 2L advocate. Congratulations to all!