The University of California, Davis School of Law is the professional graduate

law school A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for b ...

of the

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...

. The school received ABA approval in 1968. It joined the

Association of American Law Schools The Association of American Law Schools (AALS), formed in 1900, is a non-profit organization of 175 law schools in the United States. An additional 19 schools pay a fee to receive services but are not members. AALS incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non- ...

(AALS) in 1968. UC Davis School of Law is the smallest of the five law schools in the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

system, with a total enrollment of around 600 students. The school is located in a building named for Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

, and commonly referred to as King Hall.

History

During the late 1940s, the rapid expansion of what is now known as the

University of California College of the Law, San Francisco The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (abbreviated as UC Law SF or UC Law) is a public law school in San Francisco, California, United States. It was known as the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (a ...

(then known as Hastings College of the Law) partially relieved some of the political pressure on

UC Berkeley School of Law The University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Berkeley Law) is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of California, Berkeley. The school was commonly referred to as "Boalt Hall" for many years, although it was ...

to compromise on its rigid standards for student admissions and faculty hiring. Berkeley was able to hold the line on its standards and thereby ascended to the top tier of American law schools by the 1990s. To further protect Berkeley Law (then also known as Boalt Hall), the university appointed a committee in 1960 to prepare recommendations for the establishment of additional law schools in the UC system. The committee recommended that law schools should be established at Davis,

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, and Santa Barbara, but Davis was identified as the highest priority because of its proximity to the

California State Capitol The California State Capitol is the seat of the California state government, located in Sacramento, the state capital of California. The building houses the chambers of the California State Legislature, made up of the Assembly and the Senat ...

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

. Formal planning for the law school at Davis began in 1962. The law faculty at Berkeley actively supported and worked on the development of the new law school at Davis because they knew it would relieve the pressure on themselves to ease up on admissions standards. It helped that one of their own, Edward L. Barrett, Jr., was appointed as Davis's first dean in 1964. UC Davis School of Law opened in a temporary space in 1966 and moved to a permanent building in fall 1968. The first class of 69 students graduated in June 1969. Apart from Barrett, no one else went from Berkeley to Davis. Barrett was exceedingly careful to not compete against Berkeley in hiring the first law professors at Davis. He knew Berkeley Law regarded

Stanford Law School Stanford Law School (SLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Stanford University, a Private university, private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, Stanford Law had an acceptance rate of 6.28% i ...

as its only equal within California, and was "sensitive to the somewhat elitist stance of the Boalt Hall faculty and their skepticism that a first-rate law school could be built on an agricultural campus".

Rankings and academics

In 2025, '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked UC Davis 50th among all law schools in the United States. For

diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...

among the five law schools in the UC system, UC Davis was named the second-most diverse after UC Hastings by ''U.S. News & World Report''. Princeton Review placed UC Davis Law tenth in the nation for faculty diversity in the 2009 version of its annual law ranking. It is listed as an "A−" in the March 2011 "Diversity Honor Roll" by ''The National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students''. It is listed as an "A" (#16) in the January 2011 "Best Public Interest Law Schools" ratings by ''The National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students''. UC Davis Law has the smallest student body of the UC law schools. It has a slightly higher student/faculty ratio than

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California *George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer to ...

. UC Davis has been ranked as the fifth most-expensive public law school in the nation by ''U.S. News & World Report''. It is also ranked first for providing the most financial aid. Main Entrance of King Hall

UC Davis grants the second-most in financial aid in the country. UC Davis Law's King Hall Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), founded in 1990 to help alumni working in relatively low-income public-service law careers to repay student loans, was the first loan repayment assistance program established at any UC law school. According to

Brian Leiter Brian Leiter (; born 1963) is an American philosopher and legal scholar who is Karl N. Llewellyn Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Chicago Law School and founder and Director of Chicago's Center for Law, Philosophy & Human Values ...

's Law School rankings, Davis ranks 23rd in the nation for scholarly impact as measured by total academic

citation A citation is a reference to a source. More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression embedded in the body of an intellectual work that denotes an entry in the bibliographic references section of the work for the purpose o ...

s of tenure-stream faculty. On November 28, 2022, UC Davis Law withdrew from U.S. News & World Report rankings and will no longer provide data to contribute to those rankings.

Bar passage rates

Based on a 2001-2007 6 year average, 79.4% of UC Davis Law graduates passed the California State Bar exam. In 2009, 89% of first-time test takers passed the California bar. For July 2012, 78.9% of first-time test takers passed the California bar exam. For July 2013, 85.0% of first-time test takers passed the California Bar Exam. For July 2014, 86% of first-time test takers passed the California bar exam.

Employment

According to King Hall's official 2019 ABA-required disclosures, 85% of the Class of 2019 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation. King Hall's

Law School Transparency Law School Transparency (LST) is a nonprofit consumer advocacy and education organization concerning the legal profession in the United States. LST was founded by Vanderbilt Law School graduates Kyle McEntee and Patrick Lynch. LST describes its ...

under-employment score is 6.5%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2019 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.

Costs

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at King Hall for the 2024-2025 academic year is $83,011 for California residents and $95,256 for non-residents.

California International Law Center

The California International Law Center is a research center at the Davis School of Law (Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall) that focuses on international, comparative, and transnational law. It works to promote scholarship, curricular and career development, and partnerships with organizations such as the

American Society of International Law American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. It was founded in 2009. CILC's co-directors are Associate Dean Beth Greenwood and Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law Afra Afsharipour. The acronym "CILC" is pronounced as "silk." CILC sponsors the Asylum and Refugee Law National Moot Court Competition.

Darfur Project

CILC has partnered with the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights for special project focused on the crisis in

Darfur Darfur ( ; ) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju () while ruled by the Daju, who migrated from Meroë , and it was renamed Dartunjur () when the Tunjur ruled the area. ...

. RFK's 2007 Human Rights Laureate Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah, academic faculty from throughout California, and CILC's fellow, students, and alumni will participate in creating a report of past reconciliation efforts.

Global Council

CILC's Global Council consists of leaders in international legal and policy advocacy. Current members of the council include Prof. Clayborne Carson, Prof. Mireille Delmas-Marty, Prof. William A. Schabas, former ambassador Derek Shearer, and Judge Patricia M. Wald.

Expansion

The law school completed a $30 million expansion project in 2011. The project has added an additional wing to the law school's current building, increasing assignable space by nearly 30 percent to provide for additional classrooms, offices, and a new courtroom, named the Paul and Lydia Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom in honor of a $1 million gift to the project from the Kalmanovitz Charitable Foundation. The courtroom is used by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, California Supreme Court, and California Court of Appeal.

Noted people

Faculty

* Alan Brownstein, professor of law emeritus * Gabriel "Jack" Chin, professor of law, specialist in fields of immigration law and criminal procedure * Joel Dobris, professor of law emeritus, scholar of

trusts A trust is a legal relationship in which the owner of property, or any transferable right, gives it to another to manage and use solely for the benefit of a designated person. In the English common law, the party who entrusts the property is k ...

, wills, and estates * Angela P. Harris, professor of law emerita, critical legal theory scholar * Robert W. Hillman, professor of law emeritus, fair business practices and investor advocacy chair *

Edward Imwinkelried Edward John Imwinkelried (born September 19, 1945) is an American educator and law scholar. the Edward L. Barrett, Jr. Professor of Law Emeritus at the UC Davis School of Law (King Hall). Imwinkelried is the most cited legal academic in the coun ...

, professor of law emeritus * Kevin Johnson, distinguished professor, Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies, specialist in civil rights, immigration, and Chicano/a rights law * Miguel Méndez, professor of law emeritus, evidence law scholar (dec.) * Terry O'Neill, former president,

National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

, acting professor of law 1988–1989. * Rex R. Perschbacher, Daniel J. Dykstra Endowed Chair, lecturer (1981–2016), dean of the law school (1998–2008), professor emeritus (2016–2018). Professor of law, civil procedure, professional responsibility, legal ethics and clinical application of legal education. (dec.) *

Cruz Reynoso Cruz Reynoso (May 2, 1931 – May 7, 2021) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist. Reynoso was the first Chicano Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, serving from 1982 to 1987. He also served on the California Third D ...

, associate justice of the

California Supreme Court The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sac ...

1982–1987, professor emeritus. (dec.) * Martha West, former associate dean; professor of law emerita * William S. Dodge, professor of law emeritus, international law, international transactions, and international dispute resolution.

Alumni

* Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the 28th chief justice of the

Supreme Court of California The Supreme Court of California is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the judiciary of California, courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly ...

* Craig F. Stowers, associate justice (and 18th chief justice) of the Supreme Court of Alaska (dec.) * Kristina Pickering, associate justice of the

Supreme Court of Nevada The Supreme Court of Nevada is the highest state court of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the head of the Nevada Judiciary. The main constitutional function of the Supreme Court is to review appeals made directly from the decisions of the distri ...

Clint Bolick Clint Bolick (born December 26, 1957) is a justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. Previously, he served as Vice President of Litigation at the conservative/libertarian Goldwater Institute. He co-founded the libertarian Institute for Justice, where ...

, associate justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona * Kelli Evans, associate justice of the

* F. Philip Carbullido, associate justice of the

Supreme Court of Guam The Supreme Court of Guam is the highest judicial body of the United States territory of Guam. The Court hears all appeals from the Superior Court of Guam and exercises original jurisdiction only in cases where a certified question is submitted ...

; chief justice 2003-2008 * Luis Alejo, California State Assemblymember and Monterey County supervisor *

Charles Calderon Charles Michael Calderon (born March 12, 1950) is an American attorney and politician who served in both chambers of the California State Legislature. Early life and education Calderon was born on March 12, 1950, in Montebello, California. H ...

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...

member, former majority leader of the California State Senate * Sharon L. Gleason, chief judge,

United States District Court for the District of Alaska The United States District Court for the District of Alaska (in case citations, D. Alaska) is a federal court that appeals to the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are ap ...

Elihu Harris Elihu Mason Harris (born August 15, 1947) is a retired American politician and college administrator. A member of the Democratic Party, Harris served as the 46th Mayor of Oakland, California from 1991 to 1999; he previously served for 12 years ...

, former mayor of

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

* Ryan T. Holte, judge,

United States Court of Federal Claims The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal courts, United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government. It ...

* Paul Igasaki, chief judge and chair of the U.S.

Department of Labor A ministry of labour (''British English, UK''), or labor (''American English, US''), also known as a department of labour, or labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workfor ...

Administrative Review Board The Administrative Review Board is a United States military body that conducts an annual review of the detainees held by the United States in Camp Delta at the United States Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The purpose o ...

; deputy chief executive officer of

Equal Justice Works Equal Justice Works is a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit organization that focuses on careers in public service for lawyers. Equal Justice Works' stated mission is "to create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed ...

; former chair of the U.S.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...

(EEOC), appointed by President Clinton * Gus Lee, American author and ethicist * Laura Liswood, co-founder of the Council of Women World Leaders; senior advisor,

Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...

* George Miller, Democratic congressman; Ranking Member,

United States House Committee on Education and Labor United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

* Angela E. Oh, activist, former chair of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer's Federal Judicial Nominations Committee * Dean D. Pregerson, judge,

United States District Court for the Central District of California The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) is a United States district court, federal trial court that serves over 19 million people in South ...

; son of Judge

Harry Pregerson Harry Pregerson (October 13, 1923 – November 25, 2017) was a United States circuit judge appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Early life and education Pregerson was born a ...

* Jane A. Restani, chief judge,

United States Court of International Trade The United States Court of International Trade (case citations: Ct. Int'l Trade), or CIT, is a U.S. federal court that adjudicates civil actions arising out of U.S. customs and international trade laws. Seated in Lower Manhattan, New York City, ...

Jim Rogers James Beeland Rogers Jr. (born October 19, 1942) is an American investor and financial commentator based in Singapore. He is the chairman of Beeland Interests, Inc. He was the co-founder of the Quantum Fund and Soros Fund Management. He was a ...

, city councilman, City of

Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 3, 1905, and has a Richmond, California, City Council, city council.

* Jon Sands, chief federal public defender for the District of Arizona * Anna Slotky, actress * Gary D. Solis, adjunct professor of law,

Georgetown University Law Center Georgetown University Law Center is the Law school in the United States, law school of Georgetown University, a Private university, private research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law ...

Darrell Steinberg Darrell Steven Steinberg (born October 15, 1959) is an American politician and attorney who was the 56th mayor of Sacramento, California from 2016 to 2024. He was elected to be mayor on June 7, 2016 (avoiding a runoff). Before that, he was Calif ...

, mayor of Sacramento, California State Senate President Pro Tem, (D-Sacramento) * Arthur Torres, California State Senator; former chairman of the

California Democratic Party The California Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in Sacramento, the state capital. With 46.59% of the state's registered voters as of February 2024, the Democratic ...

* Monika Kalra Varma, director, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights (RFK Center) * Steve White, former presiding judge, Sacramento County Superior Court; former inspector general of the

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the penal law enforcement agency of the government of California responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. Its headquarters are in Sacra ...

* Christopher Zoukis – Founder of Zoukis Consulting Group, a federal prison consulting and criminal defense firm; author of ''Federal Prison Handbook'' and ''Directory of Federal Prisons''; recognized expert on Federal Bureau of Prisons policies.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Uc Davis School Of Law

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

California, Davis Educational institutions established in 1965 Natural resources law 1965 establishments in California