Welcome to College of California School of the Regulation, San Francisco | UC Regulation
It is with great pride that Chancellor and Dean David Faigman officially announces that the former UC Hastings College of the Law will have a new name effective January 1, 2023:College of the Law at the University of California, San Francisco.
“Our new name accurately reflects our law school through its geographic location and recognizes it as an anchor institution in the city of San Francisco, where we have proudly found our home since its founding in 1878,” said Faigman.
From January 1st, the Faculty of Law will be called UC College of the Law, San Franciscoor UC Law SF. With the beginning of the new year, signs, official seals and other branding materials will bear the new name. A full transition for all building signs and additional renaming requirements is expected to be completed within six months.
On September 23, 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation amending the state Education Act to accept the college’s new name.
On December 30, 2022, State Superior Court Judge Richard Ulmer ruled that a lawsuit filed by a small group of alumni and descendants of the law school’s founder could not bar the law school from using its new name.
Since 2017, the college has been investigating the actions of its founder, Serranus Hastings, and the damage he caused to the Round Valley tribes and the Yuki people. As a result of the findings and multiple hearings with affected Indigenous peoples, alumni, students, staff and faculty, the college board voted to rebrand the school in the fall of 2021. In July 2022, the board unanimously selected UC College of the Law, San Francisco as the new name. This was followed by a vote by the state legislature, which overwhelmingly approved Assembly Bill 1936, which amended the state Education Act to accept the college’s new name.
Chancellor and Dean David Faigman has shared with the law school community that the law school’s renaming is an integral part of restorative justice efforts, which have included opening an Indigenous legal center and providing legal assistance to California tribes through law school grants. He said, “The renaming of our school is an important part of the college’s efforts to address the impact of our founder and first dean, particularly the harm done to the Yuki people.”
UC College of the Law, San Francisco remains a law school dedicated to academic excellence, experiential learning, and social justice, and its students continue to thrive as attorneys and in all areas of public service, private law firms, government, leadership, and education. We are proud of our many notable alumni, including Vice President Kamala Harris and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.
If you have any questions about the new name or photos of our new seal or wordmark, please contact Chief Communications Officer Elizabeth Moore at: mooreelizabeth@uchastings.edu or 415-703-8266.
