History

UC Hastings has a rather unusual and unique relationship with the University of California. When he gave $100,000 to UC to start the law school named after him, Justice Hastings imposed two conditions: (1) the school must be in San Francisco near the courts, and (2) it could not be governed by the Regents of the University of California. Thus, the school's leader (who holds the dual titles of Chancellor and Dean) must directly obtain funds from the California Legislature and not the UC Regents (as other UC chancellors must do). Throughout much of the 20th century, Hastings' reputation as one of the best law schools in the United States was due largely to its shrewd tactic of hiring faculty who had been forced into mandatory retirement (due to age) from other elite institutions. While these "65 Club" faculty would often only give a few years of service to the school, the culture and climate of San Francisco kept a steady stream of graying law professors coming through Hastings' doors. When laws against age discrimination came into existence in the 1970s, however, most universities abandoned their mandatory retirement policies, eliminating Hastings' major advantage.

Hastings ranked 43rd among the nation's "Top 100 Law Schools" by U.S. News & World Report in its 2007 publication.

Hastings also has the distinction of having supplied a plurality of actively practicing California lawyers. According to the State Bar of California, Hastings alumni form the largest proportion of the Bar's members. Hastings has also supplied more of California's current judges than any other law school (about a tenth of the state judiciary are Hastings alumni). Also, as of 2005, the school's large size means that more Hastings graduates (about 340) take the California bar exam than graduates of any other law school.

Academics

Hastings offers a three-year Juris Doctor program with concentrated studies available in five areas: civil litigation, international law, public interest law, taxation, and family law. The college also offers a one-year LL.M. degree in U.S. legal studies for students holding law degrees from foreign law programs.

Publications

Inaugurated in 1997 as the publishing department at UC Hastings College of the Law, the O'Brien Center publishes seven journals on various aspects of the law. The oldest journal out of the seven is The Hastings Law Journal, which was founded in 1949. The O'Brien Center also has published two books: Forgive Us Our Press Passes, by nationally acclaimed journalist Daniel Schorr and The Traynor Reader, Essays by the Honorable Roger J. Traynor.

Journals:

• Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal
• Hastings Consitutional Law Quarterly
• Hastings International and Comparative Law Review
• Hastings Law Journal
• Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal
• West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy
• Hastings Women's Law Journal

Notable alumni

• Carol Corrigan (1975) - California Supreme Court Justice
• Dick Ackerman (1967) - California State Senate Republican Leader
• Jeff Adachi (1985) - The Public Defender of San Francisco
• Nestor Barrero (1984) - Vice President and Employment Counsel for Universal Studios
• Marvin Baxter (1966) - Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
• Michael D. Bradbury (1967) - District Attorney of Ventura County, California
• Willie Brown (1958) - former Speaker of the California State Assembly and Mayor of San Francisco
• Melvin Brunetti (1964) - Senior Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Cynthia Bryant (1995) - Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chief Legislative Affairs Deputy
• Ed Case (1981) - U.S. Congressman from Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District
• Bill Dannemeyer (1952) - U.S. Congressman from California's 39th Congressional District (Orange County)