UCLA School of Law

10/19/2026

Meet Mariana Salles Andrade ’27, a UCLA Law LL.M. student passionate about labor and employment law and building her legal career in Los Angeles. Read her Q&A below.

Q: What initially drew you to the LL.M. program at UCLA Law?
A: When choosing an LL.M. program, I looked for where I could see myself building a long-term career. UCLA Law and Los Angeles offered the exact combination I wanted: an excellent academic environment, a vibrant legal market, and opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. A highlight so far has been the UCLA Law Women LEAD Summit, where I was surrounded by women supporting and learning from one another. The Honorable Jennifer Madden Ragland encouraged me to pursue my career goals, and I am especially grateful to Nancy Abell ’79 for organizing it all and connecting us with the L.A. legal community.

Q: What area of law are you most passionate about?
A: I am most passionate about labor and employment law, which was my area of focus before UCLA. One of the main things that drew me to UCLA Law was the flexibility to shape my LL.M. around my own interests, allowing me to specialize in this field. I’ve especially loved my Employment Discrimination class because the discussions are so fascinating.

Q: What do you plan on doing after graduating from UCLA Law?
A: My plans changed quite a bit after moving to Los Angeles. Before the LL.M., I thought I might explore opportunities outside California after graduation, but I’ve loved living here so much and unexpectedly found the love of my life here at UCLA! Los Angeles has become much more than the city where I came to study, and I now plan to stay. Professionally, I will sit for the California Bar and continue working in labor and employment law.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of your studies?
A: Outside of law school, I really enjoy spending time with friends and experiencing Los Angeles. We go to the beach, host barbecues, and explore different parts of the city. Some of my favorite moments are the simplest ones, like going to the grocery store. Through it all, I’ve found a wonderful sense of community and happiness here.

10/15/2026

UCLA School of Law has launched the UCLA Tech Law Network, an alliance of law firms, legal technology and content companies, and practitioners that will connect the law school with leaders in law and innovation across Southern California’s technology law ecosystem.

The network will convene expertise from across the region’s law and technology community, expand UCLA Institute for Technology, Law & Policy’s flagship events for students and practitioners, and create a mechanism for dynamic industry-academic exchange on pressing questions in AI, intellectual property, and technology law.

“As AI and other developments become more central to our daily experience, lawyers and lawyers-to-be will need to be ready to confront new challenges, guide their clients, and thrive in the new landscape,” says Dean Waterstone. “We see the UCLA Tech Law Network as a vital alliance of thought-leaders navigating the future of legal practice and education.”

Learn more about the UCLA Tech Law Network:

UCLA School of Law has launched the UCLA Tech Law Network, an alliance of law firms, legal technology and content companies, and practitioners that will connect the law school with leaders in law and innovation across Southern California’s technology law ecosystem.

10/14/2026

Another W for UCLA Law 🏆

Congratulations to UCLA Law students Ria Debnath ‘27 and Natalie Penn ‘27, who took first place and each earned an Outstanding Advocate award at the 5th Annual National Flash Trial Competition, where twenty top law students from leading law schools competed!

Unlike traditional moot court and trial competitions, competitors receive their case files just 45 to 60 minutes before each round. They must rapidly analyze the facts, develop a theory of the case, prepare witnesses and exhibits, and then walk into the courtroom ready to argue. Backed by trial team coach Aidan Welsh ‘19, Ria and Natalie rose to the challenge and excelled. 👏

10/13/2026

officially (light) sweater weather at UCLA law

10/08/2026

UCLA School of Law students are playing a critical role in bringing global attention to the nearly 3.4 billion people who lack access to essential sanitation services worldwide. Students contributed research to “Making the Human Right to Sanitation a Reality for All,” a report published by Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Throughout the last academic year, 11 UCLA Law students helped in the effort as part of the Judge Rand Schrader Pro Bono Program and The Promise Institute for Human Rights (Europe), which organizes and oversees projects that connect UCLA Law students with international partners. For the sanitation report, students researched sanitation rights by studying national constitutions around the world, cataloging which countries define the right in legislation and policy. They also analyzed how sanitation as a human right has been discussed in academia, civil society and the United Nations ecosystem.

"Pro bono work gives you a sense of what the law looks like when it touches real lives in real time,” says Kateryna Onyshchenko, a 2026 graduate of the UCLA School of Law Graduate Studies. “You learn things in a pro bono project that no casebook can teach you: how to work in a team under time pressure and how to communicate complex findings to people with no legal background. You might influence how the international community addresses modern challenges or become part of a solution to someone’s problem – all while you are still in law school.”

Read more about the full scope this work.
https://law.ucla.edu/news/sanitation-human-right-ucla-law-students-help-make-case-un

10/05/2026

Meet Meredith McCabe ’27, one of UCLA Law’s J.D. student ambassadors. Meredith is passionate about helping prospective students navigate the admissions process and discover the incredible academic resources and community waiting for them here. We asked Meredith a few questions about her experience and advice for 1Ls in the Q&A below. ⬇️

Q: Why did you want to be a student ambassador?
A: I wanted to be a student ambassador because there’s so much I love about UCLA Law that I didn’t know about when applying that I want to share with prospective students to help them make an informed decision about where to go to law school. For example, the law school provides a variety of academic success resources and programming during 1L such as Law 101, Graduate Assistant Tutor (G*T) sessions, and Academic Success Workshops. These programs were so crucial to my law school success as someone who came into law school with only a bare bones understanding of what to expect. I’m still in touch with my G*T to this day!

Q: Do you have any advice for 1Ls?
A: Take every piece of advice with a grain of salt! Everyone at UCLA Law, from professors to fellow students to alumni, are eager to help. While you should certainly seek out their advice and mentorship, remember that what works for someone else may not work for you.

Q: What has been your favorite memory while at UCLA Law so far?
A: Professor Cary Franklin’s Constitutional Law class was one of the most profound learning experiences of my academic career. I loved debriefing with some of my closest friends in my 1L section after every class about how our perspectives on certain core foundations of the law had shifted. My friends and I joked that we felt like we should’ve been applauding after every lecture because of how engaging Professor Franklin was.

Q: Can you share a fun fact about yourself?
A: I’ve been able to speak backwards (any words, sentences, the alphabet etc.) since I was about six years old, and I have no idea how it happened!

10/02/2026

The newest addition to UCLA Law’s renowned clinical and experiential education program, the Housing Justice Clinic gives students hands-on experience in putting a stop to questionable evictions.

Students spend roughly 18 hours weekly on their cases, and they attend a seminar taught by clinic director Matt Nickell, a housing and civil rights attorney formerly with the U.S. Department of Justice, where they study housing law and the broader history of housing justice in Los Angeles. Experienced lawyers also visit the seminars, giving students the chance to learn from people who have worked in the field. It’s an education that they can then apply in real time during their work in the communities where people are at risk of losing their homes.

“A key feature of our clinic is that it gives students significant ownership over the cases,” Nickell says. “They’re not just doing a piece of a case, and they’re not just helping with a pleading. They’re appearing in court, arguing, and doing trials if necessary. Students also learn how individual cases fit into the broader housing picture. It’s an invaluable opportunity to experience what it’s like to do public interest lawyering work.”

Learn more about the work students are doing with the Housing Justice Clinic:

The newest addition to UCLA Law’s renowned clinical and experiential education program, the Housing Justice Clinic gives students hands-on experience in putting a stop to questionable evictions.

09/30/2026

UCLA School of Law faculty and experts continue to lead national conversations on today’s most critical legal, economic, and policy issues. From judicial integrity and autonomous vehicle safety to corporate governance, immigration history, and tax policy, our scholars are bringing expert analysis to major outlets nationwide. See some of September's highlights below:

Rick Hasen appears on NPR's "Morning Edition" to discuss the Safeguarding Democracy Project's new guide for judges navigating search warrants over voting processes.

Ann Carlson is quoted in the New York Times about the safety of self-driving cars.

Scott Cummings is quoted by Bloomberg Law about an attorney who is disbarred in one jurisdiction trying to practice elsewhere.

Hiroshi Motomura speaks with El País about immigration and the creation of ICE after 9/11.

Shirin Bakhshay speaks with the Guardian about the Tupac Shakur murder case.

Stephen Bainbridge speaks with Bloomberg about DExit and corporate moves to Texas.

Jon Michaels' scholarship on how anti-Jewish animus plays out in the courts is cited by JNS.

Andrew Verstein appears on LAist's "Air Talk" to discuss the law of prediction markets.

Alejandro Camacho appears on the New Books Network podcast to talk about his book "Lessons for a Warming Planet."

Ellen Aprill is quoted in the New York Times about the tax-exempt status of universities.

Michael Asimow is quoted in the New York Times about the Clancy trial and lone-holdout jurors.

Want to see more? Explore our full media coverage. 🔽

UCLA Law produces an annual magazine, numerous law journals, and news articles and newsletters about students, faculty and alumni.