School of Law News

As labor and employment law Professor Maria Linda Ontiveros considers retirement in May, she points to her Mexican grandparents, Houston-born parents, and icons including farmworker advocates Dolores Huerta and Monica Ramirez as seminal influences leading her to hone in on immigrant workers' rights.

The ink is barely dry on paperwork to ensconce the Blockchain Law for Social Good Center within USF, and founder Professor Michele Neitz’s Spring 2023 class on Blockchain Technology and the Law is already at capacity, with 8 students on a waitlist.

As a young lawyer feeling the stress of competing client and senior attorneys’ demands, Professor Rhonda Magee recalls getting calls on a Thursday night with new deadlines that would upend her weekend. Add the fact she was one of only a handful of women and the only Black lawyer in the law office, plus the demands of a relationship. In this storm’s eye, Magee found mindfulness essential in prioritizing obligations, acknowledging when to demand more time or seek assistance.

There are law professors who identify as scholars first. Other professors identify as practitioners first. I identify as a teacher first. For me, teaching is the greatest job in the world. Nothing could have been more exhilarating.

The six USF Law alumni serving as chief public defenders in California are changing the system from the inside out.

What do you do when your dreams are big but your budget is small?

In a new program, USF Law brings better writing to the field of tax law.

Growing up, Sophia Abebe didn’t know a single lawyer. Raised in Northern Virginia by parents who immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia, she believes her self-discipline has helped her achieve many goals, including becoming a law student.

On October 18, the School of Law, together with the San Francisco League of Women Voters, hosted a debate for the four candidates running to become San Francisco's next top prosecutor. Following the historic recall of former District Attorney Chesa Boudin, the debate presented voters with an opportunity to learn about each candidate's unique vision for criminal justice and accountability.

Monica Valencia JD ’17 credits “rebellious lawyering” for her successful representation of a young woman who fled gender-based violence in Guatemala with her two young children.