King Hall Expands Its Reach across the Nation, World

UC Davis School of Law is expanding its reach across the country and internationally, with new outreach programs for alumni around the United States and expanding international connections with legal institutions abroad.

Recognizing the importance of uniting a King Hall community that includes alumni working in 49 states, the Office of Development and Alumni Relations has sponsored an ongoing series of alumni receptions with Dean Kevin R. Johnson and other current faculty and staff in major cities all over the country.  Over the course of the past year, events have taken place not only in California cities such as Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Fresno, but also Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Phoenix, Portland, Houston, Anchorage, Seattle, and New York City.

Dean Johnson said the receptions are an important part of King Hall's alumni outreach.  "It is important to make connections at a personal level, and our alumns enjoy reconnecting with the Law School and with each other," he said.  "Very often, they meet fellow alums who they did not know were UC Davis School of Law graduates.  Our loyal alums across the United States often ask me what they can do to help the Law School, and volunteer to help the Law School out, financially and otherwise.  Many have offered to assist recent graduates in finding employment in their areas or help recruit talented applicants."

The Law School's Career Services Office also has increased outreach efforts to areas outside of California.  Mindy A. Baggish, Director of Career Services at King Hall, said that even while California's economy has been slow, she has had success connecting recent graduates with employers in other states.  While a majority of UC Davis School of Law graduates continue to find employment in California, outreach to other states is a critical component of Career Services' annual strategic plan, she said.

On one recent trip, Baggish went to Washington, D.C. and New York City to meet with more than 20 hiring representatives from legal employers in all sectors (private, public interest, government, and judicial).  As a result, 11 new employers will actively participate in King Hall's recruiting programs by utilizing its résumé collection program, electronic job posting system, and/or conducting formal interviews during one of the on-campus interview programs or co-sponsored job fairs.  The Human Rights Campaign, the Federal Trade Commission, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York City Law Department, the New York County District Attorney's Office, the New York County Defender Services, and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network are among the institutions that have indicated such an interest.

King Hall's International Law programs are also expanding.  UC Davis School of Law Summer International Law Programs (including the Summer L.LM. in International Commerical Law) were the first of their kind of when they started in 1991.  The more than 2,100 judges and attorneys from around the world who have come to King Hall to study international law, transnational law, and the U.S. legal system now form a vital international network of connections for UC Davis School of Law.  The summer program operates in complement with an exchange program offering students opportunities to study in China, Denmark, and Ireland, and the California International Law Center at King Hall (CILC), which opened in 2009 to coordinate, strengthen, and promote studies of international, comparative, and transnational law.

"Speaking conservatively, I would say we have direct connections with legal professionals and institutions in about 35 countries.  The institutional linkages include top universities in China, Ireland, Denmark, and Chile, as well as Supreme Courts in Japan, Korea, and Mexico, and we have close relationships with several international corporations such as Brazil's Petrobas," said Beth Greenwood, Executive Director of International Programs.  "At the same time, our activities are expanding, and we expect to be able to announce new international partnerships soon."