UCI Law Talks

Summer Kim and Grace Lee on building the bridge between UC Irvine and Korea through the Korea Law Center

Dean Austen Parrish interviews Professor of Law and inaugural Faculty Director of the Korea Law Center (KLC) Sung Eun (Summer) Kim and Grace Lee, Program Director for the KLC, about the mission, goals and ambitious programs of the Korea Law Center since its inception at UC Irvine Law in 2009.

Mei Tsang on Leadership, Service, and Building Community with the Orange County Bar Association

Dean Austen Parrish interviews Mei Tsang, President of the Orange County Bar Association and Partner at Umberg/Zipser LLP, on her vision for the OCBA, the importance of curiosity and connection in the legal profession, and her inspiring journey as an immigrant, lawyer, and leader in the Orange County legal community.  

Kelly Lucinda Galligan ’15 on living her dream as a go-to corporate lawyer and making community service a meaningful part of her personal and professional life

Dean Austen Parrish interviews Kelly Lucinda Galligan ’15, Partner at Rutan & Tucker, LLP, about charting her path to corporate mergers and acquisitions work, prioritizing community involvement especially as President of Orange County’s Project Youth OCBF, and her fondest memories and people of UC Irvine Law. 

Joe DiMento reflects on his half century career at UCI, his indelible impact on the Law School and his extraordinary scholarly achievements

Dean Austen Parrish interviews UCI Law Distinguished Professor Joseph F.C. DiMento, who has been an integral part of UCI for 50 years and a founding faculty member of the Law School, about his leadership and early days at the Law School, his impact at UCI in Planning, Criminology, Law & Society, the former Program in Social Ecology, and the Newkirk Center for Science and Society, as well as his many scholarly achievements. 

In Memoriam: Honoring Professor Dan Burk (1962-2024)

This episode of UCI Law Talks was recorded with Professor Dan Burk on January 17, 2024, and sadly, less than three weeks later, on February 4, Dan passed away. As you will hear in this episode, and as profoundly poignant as it is, Dan spoke warmly about his 15 years in Irvine, the wonderful colleagues and students at UCI, his career and the early days of the founding of UCI Law. 

Honoring Fred T. Korematsu Day with Professor Robert Chang

Dean Austen Parrish interviews Professor Robert Chang, executive director of the renowned Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality (Center), and discusses our exciting news that he and the Center will be joining UCI Law this summer.  Professor Chang details the iconic civil rights leader's story, his fight for justice and outlines the goals and ambitions for the Center at UCI Law. 

The Presidents Episode

Dean Austen Parrish interviews four powerhouse UCI Law Alums who are now Presidents of Bar Associations: Mimi Ahn ’14 (Orange County Korean American Bar Association), Shirley Diaz ’18 (Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia), Cinthia Flores ’14 (Latina Lawyers Association), and Honieh Udenka ’17 (Thurgood Marshall Bar Association).  They share some classic UCI Law folklore, discuss their leadership and thriving legal practices, how public service became part of their DNA at UCI Law, and how they wouldn’t trade the UCI Law experience for anything. 

Ann Southworth on her new book, “Big Money Unleashed,” UCI Law’s Unique Legal Profession Course, and the Role of Lawyers in a Democratic Society

Dean Austen Parrish interviews UCI Law Professor Ann Southworth, who teaches and writes on the legal profession (and was instrumental in designing UCI Law’s required first-year course on the American legal profession) about her new book, “Big Money Unleashed: The Campaign to Deregulate Election Spending,” on the roles that lawyers, advocacy organizations, and their patrons have played in the creation of U.S. Supreme Court doctrine invalidating campaign finance laws on First Amendment grounds. 

Michael Gregg on his longstanding leadership in Orange County with the OCBA and as a Founder of the Thurgood Marshall Bar Association

Dean Austen Parrish interviews Michael Gregg, President of the Orange County Bar Association and Shareholder at Littler Mendelson, on supporting the bench and the bar through the Orange County Bar Association, being part of the founding group of the Thurgood Marshall Bar Association and practicing law in Orange County. 

Hon. Maria D. Hernandez on her Judicial Career, UCI Days and Social Justice

Dean Austen Parrish interviews Hon. Maria D. Hernandez, Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of Orange County, about her public interest and judicial career, her experience as a first-generation undergraduate Social Ecology student-athlete at UCI, and her pro tips for new lawyers. 

Arnold Pinkston on Being a Business Leader, Lawyer and Philanthropist

Dean Austen Parrish interviews Arnold Pinkston, Corporate Vice President and General Counsel at Edwards Lifesciences, about his rewarding career focused on changing the lives of people fighting cardiovascular disease through innovative and patient-first strategies in the GC office, his views on philanthropy and corporate responsibility, and about how teamwork is key to being a successful lawyer. 

Amy Laurendeau on the Historical Roots of Legal Markets in Orange County and Los Angeles, and Her Journey as a Product Liability Trial Lawyer

UCI Law Dean Austen Parrish interviews Amy Laurendeau, Managing Partner of O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s Newport Beach office, about the historical roots of the legal markets in Orange County and Los Angeles, being a trial lawyer in product liability litigation, her robust pro bono practice, and inspiring advice for law students.

Monica Eav Glicken on Public Law Center, UCI Law Collaboration, and the Unique Legal Community of Orange County

UCI Law Dean Austen Parrish interviews Monica Eav Glicken, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Public Law Center (PLC), on how the PLC is fighting for justice in Orange County, her career in immigration law and public interest work, plus more!

Mónica Ramírez Almadani, Viridiana Chabolla '20 and Stephen Lee on the Supreme Court DACA decision

Prof. Stephen Lee interviews Prof. Mónica Ramírez Almadani and Viridiana Chabolla '20 on their role in protecting DACA and the Supreme Court's recent decision blocking the Trump Administration from ending the program.

Bob Solomon on Affordable Housing

UCI Law Board of Visitors Member Mitch Kamin interviews Professor of Law Bob Solomon on affordable housing policy, social justice, and COVID-19.

Mehrsa Baradaran on Lessons from the CARES Act: Banking for All in the Time of COVID-19 - COVID-19 & the Law Series

UCI Law Board of Visitors member Michelle Jordan interviews Professor of Law Mehrsa Baradaran on the CARES Act, banking for all in the time of COVID-19, and the racial wealth gap.

Rick Hasen on Voting Rights and Election Integrity at the Time of COVID-19 - COVID-19 & the Law Series

Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science Rick Hasen discusses voting rights and election integrity at the time of COVID-19 with Professor of Lawyering Skills Henry Weinstein.

David Kaye on Freedom of Expression, Disinformation & COVID-19 - COVID-19 & the Law Series

Clinical Professor of Law David Kaye discusses freedom of expression, disinformation and COVID-19 in this installment of UCI Law’s COVID-19 & the Law lecture series.

Michele Goodwin on Quarantine and the Limits of Government Action - COVID-19 & the Law Series

Julie Hill, UCI Foundation Chair and UCI Law Board of Visitors member interviews Chancellor’s Professor of Law Michele Goodwin on the limits of governmental action and constitutional rights during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mehrsa Baradaran on “The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap”

John Gibson of Crowell & Moring LLP interviews Prof. Mehrsa Baradaran about her latest book analyzing the racial wealth gap and the history of financial inequity in the United States.

Rick Hasen on “Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy”

Prof. Henry Weinstein interviews Prof. Rick Hasen about his latest book analyzing key threats to the integrity of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Recorded April 1, 2020 via Zoom virtual presentation.

Joan Biskupic on U.S. Supreme Court nomination hearings, including Gorsuch

Visiting Prof. Joan Biskupic discusses U.S. Supreme Court nomination hearings, including Judge Neil Gorsuch. Moderated by Prof. Henry Weinstein.

Dean Chemerinsky on "Closing the Courthouse Door: How Your Constitutional Rights Became Unenforceable"

Dean Chemerinsky discusses his latest book, interviewed by UCI Law Prof. Rick Hasen.

Jennifer Chacón & Stephen Lee discuss immigration 30 days into Trump administration

Profs. Jennifer Chacón and Stephen Lee analyze the travel ban and subsequent 9th Circuit decision, DACA, the DHS’s most recent memos on immigration enforcement, and other immigration issues that have arisen in the past 30 days since the inauguration of President Trump.

UCI Chancellor Gillman and Dean Chemerinsky on Free Speech on Campus

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman recently spoke to law students about their upcoming book Free Speech on Campus, in which they explore the tension between the psychological harms of hateful speech and bullying, and the social harms of censorship or the punishment of dissent.

Erwin Chemerinsky and Joan Biskupic on Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and Joan Biskupic discuss the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, including the judge’s originalism philosophy, whether Senate Democrats will filibuster the nomination, and if and when the judge will ultimately take a seat on the bench of the country’s highest court.

Mobilizing for Justice in the Post-Election Era

On Saturday Jan. 14, 2017, more than 100 UC Irvine School of Law faculty, staff, students, alumni, and attorneys came together at UCI Law to discuss the potential effects of a new presidential administration on a variety of legal practices. The opening plenary featured Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and attorneys, law professors and leaders of community organizations.

Jennifer Chacón & Stephen Lee on changes to immigration enforcement under a Trump administration

Jennifer Chacón and Stephen Lee break down the numerous and complex uncertainties in immigration law, including protection for immigrant communities, sanctuaries, and where to find reliable resources.

Erwin Chemerinsky & Joan Biskupic on Donald Trump & the Supreme Court

Erwin Chemerinsky and Joan Biskupic, Visiting Professor at UCI Law and CNN legal analyst, discuss the uncertainty surrounding the Supreme Court as Trump’s inauguration approaches.

Seth Davis & Leah Litman on civil rights under a Trump administration

UCI Law Profs. Seth Davis and Leah Litman unpack the serious civil rights issues presented after the election of Donald Trump, including effects on reproductive rights, voting rights, policing, immigration and transgender rights.

Rick Hasen on Election 2016: Rigged, Hacked or Stolen?

UCI Law Profs. Rick Hasen and Henry Weinstein discuss myths and realities about Election 2016: Rigged, Hacked or Stolen?

Erwin Chemerinsky & Joan Biskupic on Supreme Court Term Preview

UCI Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and Joan Biskupic, Visiting Professor at UCI Law and CNN legal analyst, preview the unusual upcoming SCOTUS term and discuss cases of race, religion and the death penalty.

Joan Biskupic on reporting about the U.S. Supreme Court

Joan Biskupic, distinguished journalist, CNN legal analyst and Visiting Professor at UCI Law (2016-17) shares her observations at a UCI Law event on the Supreme Court justices, the changing demographics of the Court and her quest to answer “Is personal biography judicial destiny?”

6th Annual Supreme Court Term in Review

UCI Law's 6th Annual Supreme Court Term in Review drew a record crowd in person (more than 800 RSVPs!), and hundreds more online via the live webcast, as distinguished panelists reviewed key cases decided in the historic October 2015 term. The event was held July 14, 2016 at UC Irvine.

Erwin Chemerinsky & Howard Gillman on freedom of speech on college campuses

UCI Chancellor and Professor of Law Howard Gillman and UCI Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discuss what they learned in teaching a freshman seminar on freedom of speech on college campuses.

Stephen Lee & José Padilla (CRLA) on the Complex Issues Facing Farmworkers in Our Food System

UCI Law Prof. Stephen Lee & José Padilla, Executive Director, California Rural Legal Assistance, explore the plight of farmworkers in the U.S., the challenges of educating the public about this plight, and how public service work can become a lifelong commitment.

Rick Hasen and Ed Whelan (EPPC) on the future of the Supreme Court and the 2016 Elections

UCI Law Prof. Henry Weinstein moderates an exchange of views between Prof. Rick Hasen and Ed Whelan, former law clerk to Justice Scalia and president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), on the future of the Supreme Court and the 2016 elections.

Erwin Chemerinsky & Rick Hasen on the Passing of Supreme Court Justice Scalia, Future of SCOTUS

Dean Chemerinsky and Prof. Hasen discuss the impact of Justice Scalia’s sudden death on the Supreme Court and the presidential election.

Rick Hasen on Money in Politics

Prof. Rick Hasen discusses his new book, Plutocrats United: Campaign Money, the Supreme Court, and the Distortion of American Elections, with commentary by Dean Chemerinsky.

Erwin Chemerinsky on SCOTUS ’15-16 Term

Dean Chemerinsky discusses the potentially blockbuster cases to watch in the 2015-16 Supreme Court term now that the docket is set, including cases on immigration, abortion and contraception.

Jonathan Glater on Access to Higher Education and Student Loans

Prof. Glater unpacks the nuances of student debt and effects on higher education. He argues that talking about student loans in terms of a “crisis” may be missing the true challenge.

Annie Lai on Translating Law on the Books to Law at Work in People’s Lives

Prof. Lai explains how the Immigrant Rights Clinic is transforming lives and teaching students the skills necessary for modern legal practice.

Shauhin Talesh on Problems with the Civil Legal System and Arbitration

Prof. Talesh examines how procedural rules in litigation have morphed in ways that undermine plaintiffs’ substantive civil rights, tilting the playing field in favor of defendants.

David Kaye on Protecting Free Expression Around the World

Prof. Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, explains how he and students in the International Justice Clinic work with governments across the world to monitor these freedoms.

Catherine Fisk on Friedrichs v. CTA

Prof. Fisk breaks down the Supreme Court case that has the potential to weaken the role of public employee unions nationwide.

Sarah Lawsky on Law School Faculty Entry-Level Hiring

Prof. Lawsky unpacks what has happened in the law teaching market and identifies characteristics associated with obtaining an entry-level job.

Kaaryn Gustafson on the History and Impact of Bastardy Laws

Prof. Gustafson elaborates on her groundbreaking research into the history of bastardy laws in America which have shaped U.S. law and policy in many surprising ways.

Michele Goodwin on Incarceration of Women

Prof. Goodwin warns of the serious, inadequately recognized challenges posed by the rising number of women in prison.

Rick Hasen on ‘One Person, One Vote’

Prof. Hasen discusses the dynamic challenges posed by battles to reshape election law. Find out what he dubs a potential “political earthquake.”

Erwin Chemerinsky Supreme Court Preview

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky analyzes significant cases in the upcoming 2015-16 Supreme Court term, including cases deciding affirmative action, election law and union dues.