Advancement

Gee has made quarterly gifts to Berkeley Law’s Clinical Program Fund and Summer Public Interest Fellowship Fund. She began contributing to those in February 2021 — after making other donations as a student — because many classmates’ job offers were put on hold due to the pandemic.

“Fortunately, I had a job I only secured because of the law school’s multifaceted support for public interest work,” Gee says. “Both summers in law school I’d benefited from the Summer Public Interest Fellowship Fund, which enabled me to focus on developing as a practitioner and advocate at my preferred organizations.”

One was her current employer, the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. The other was EBCLC, Alameda County’s largest provider of free legal services and a training ground for over 100 Berkeley Law students each year, where she worked in two clinics and became “fully equipped” to step into legal practice.

“Before graduating, I’d already learned how to manage a caseload, balance direct services and high-impact projects, empathetically and effectively interview clients, brief and argue dispositive motions, negotiate settlements, and work collaboratively among teams of lawyers and non-lawyers,” she says. “For someone who’d had limited — and negative — experiences with lawyers for most of my life, the immersive training I received at EBCLC was invaluable.”

Noting that many public interest organizations don’t pay summer law clerks, Gee has supported summer grants so public service–focused students can work in their chosen sub-fields and jurisdictions more easily. Her own summer funding from Berkeley Law let her accept an internship she otherwise couldn’t have taken, which she says offered “unparalleled training” in the work she hoped to do after graduating.

Assessing the numbers

Kurt Kurzenhauser ’19, a corporate associate at Skadden in Palo Alto, understands the importance of data. With state support dropping to under 10% of Berkeley Law’s operating budget, he sees alumni support as crucial to preserving the school’s excellence and public mission.

“It’s shocking how little Berkeley Law receives from the state, especially compared to a generation or two ago,” he says. “I know tuition increases are a direct method to raise necessary funds. However, rising tuition makes law school unaffordable to many who would be great lawyers. To continue to serve the public, other financing is needed.”

Kurzenhauser recognizes the debt burden for many recent graduates, but also that their connection to the school is the most recent and strongest. He says “establishing a philanthropic mindset early will create alumni that will for years give back to Berkeley Law — whether through funding, volunteering, or providing opportunities to students.”

Kurzenhauser credits Berkeley Law for changing his life “in many great ways,” from professors who advanced his interest in mergers and acquisitions to classmates who gave him a global perspective to staff who opened career doors. He recently helped a Skadden team represent Activision Blizzard in its sale to Microsoft.

A winner of Berkeley Law’s 2018 Halloum Business Competition, he is now a Skadden co-captain for the Alumni Workplace Challenge (AWC), an annual fundraising effort where alums encourage Berkeley Law colleagues at their organizations to donate before the end of the fiscal year (June 30).

“I give back to Berkeley Law because of its profoundly positive impact on my life,” he says. “Serving as an AWC captain isn’t a huge commitment for me, but I feel it magnifies my contribution to the school and encourages others to consider giving as well.”

Katherine Vessels LL.M. ’21, a former Army transportation officer who served in Afghanistan, is no stranger to adapting. For over a decade, she and her husband lived on a boat in Hawaii. So even though her LL.M. year came during the pandemic, Vessels embraced Berkeley Law’s “Zoom school,” generous community spirit, and pragmatic training.

“Berkeley Law helped get me where I am today, and so I want to give back to help others on their journeys,” she says. “That’s why I always give to the Human Rights Center. I was blown away by the impact they’re having in the world, and excited to support the leadership team that always prioritizes their students’ holistic growth and development.”

During her J.D. studies at the University of Hawaii, Vessels formed close mentoring relationships with Professors Eric Yamamoto ’78 and former Berkeley Law Professor David Cohen. They helped guide her path toward international criminal law, which included internship and fellowship work in Cambodia, Senegal, and the Philippines.

Now with King & Spalding’s international trade practice in Washington, D.C., Vessels marvels at Berkeley Law’s impact.

“Learning from the top minds in various fields helped me figure out which area of law would be the best for my long-term happiness,” she says. “And getting to work with International Trade Commission litigators sealed the deal for me and got me to where I am now.” — Andrew Cohen

“With your law license, you can make a meaningful difference in your community and in the world,” Dean Erwin Chemerinsky said. “When you hear, ‘Somebody should do something about that,’ now you are the ones who can do it.”

California Court of Appeal Associate Justice Jon Streeter ’81, who administered the state bar oath, told the new lawyers to surge rather than saunter into their careers.

“Every graduate emerges from this school with a set of tools that can be put in place in ways you can’t even imagine,” he said. “I urge you to be bold about what you do with those tools … There have been no greater challenges facing a generation in the law as those that challenge your generation. I know you can live up to them.”

Berkeley Law Alumni Association President Cara Sandberg ’12 introduced Streeter and federal Judge Trina Thompson ’86, who administered the oath for the Northern District of California.

“It’s a privilege to welcome you to this robust and dedicated alumni community,” Sandberg said. “This is a community I know will sustain and support you — not only in times of joy and celebration like today, but whenever you find yourself in a position where you may need encouragement or assistance … The friendships you formed here will continue to grow, just as you will as young lawyers.”

Thompson emphasized honoring values that support the legal profession’s ability to uphold the law — and humanity itself.

“In a world where ethical boundaries are often blurred, your commitment to unwavering integrity will be the compass that guides you and guides every decision you’ll make,” she said. “Civility is the bridge that connects us all. As lawyers you’ll inevitably find yourself in adversarial situations advocating passionately for your client’s interests, but never forget that behind every opposing counsel is a fellow human being. Treat them with respect, even in the heat of battle.”

Thompson echoed Streeter’s call to honor Berkeley Law’s public mission, telling the recent alums to “seek out opportunities to champion the rights of marginalized communities, amplify voices that have been silent, and dismantle the barriers that perpetuate inequality.”

For Aatos Solhagen LL.M. ’18, legal counsel at the multinational food company Nestlé in Copenhagen, Denmark, the ceremony sparked memories of how Berkeley Law developed his legal thinking, equipped him to practice in an international setting, and forged key relationships.

“I never had the chance to participate in the swearing-in ceremony when I passed the California Bar, and I thought it would be a nice thing to experience and also a great reason — or perhaps an excuse — to make a holiday trip with my family to California,” Solhagen says. “The event was well organized and the wise speeches were great reminders about the importance of the work attorneys do and the responsibility that comes with it.” — Andrew Cohen