University of California College of the Law, San Francisco

UC Hastings Is Getting A New Name 

The University of California Hastings College of Law will soon be renamed to the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.

The law school’s board of directors unanimously approved the new name which, if approved by California legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom, will become official in January 2023, Reuters reports.

“It best embodies the college’s core identity and is the overwhelming preference of students, staff, faculty, and alumni,” law dean David Faigman says in a statement.

DARK HISTORY OF HASTINGS NAME

Historians say Serranus Hastings, a former California Supreme Court justice who founded the law school in 1878, orchestrated the killings of Native Americans to remove them from his purchased ranch land in Northern California—a dark history that many felt the Hastings name represented. 78% of the letters the school received supported a name change.

“The Board’s decision on the name is the result of an extensive process that considered the viewpoints of all of the law school’s constituencies, including students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the University of California Office of the President,” Faigman says. “It also included numerous consultative meetings with members of RVIT [Round Valley Indian Tribe], their Yuki Committee, and others.”

The board of directors has stated that it is open to naming a prominent campus space with an Indigenous-language name—a recommendation that Faigman says he supports.

“The College will continue to work on restorative justice measures and seek to maintain our collaborative relationship with the affected tribes,” he says. “I am excited about the pending name change, which comes at an exciting time in our law school’s history. The foundation of the College, the heart, the spirit, and the excellence will remain. Thank you for being part of this exciting and important chapter in our school’s history.”

Sources: Reuters, UC Hastings