Prof. Radhika Rao shapes the study of law and bioscience at UC Law SF

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• Professor Radhika Rao marks 33 years at UC Law SF as a leading scholar of law, science and the human body.
• Former students credit her with changing how they think, practice law and see their own potential.
• Donor support has helped Rao pursue emerging questions in reproductive rights, genetic privacy, biotechnology and more.

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For more than 30 years, Professor Radhika Rao has tackled some of the law’s thorniest questions, particularly where the Constitution meets the human body. Her writing on abortion, assisted reproduction, stem cell research, genetic privacy and bodily autonomy has helped influence how the legal system addresses these issues.

To examine these questions, Rao draws on a strong background in law and science. Before joining UC Law SF’s faculty in 1993, she clerked for two U.S. Supreme Court justices — Thurgood Marshall and Harry Blackmun — and earned degrees in physics, chemistry and law from Harvard.

At UC Law SF, she has taught generations of students in courses including Constitutional Law II, Comparative Constitutional Law, Property, and a seminar on law and the human body. Former students say she challenged them to think more critically, showed them the power of language and ideas, and inspired them to pursue their ambitions.

Below, Rao discusses how her teaching and scholarship influence one another and the strong bond she has formed with the College over 33 years.

What do you like most about teaching law students?

I love the energy and insight students bring into the classroom. Even after three decades, they still surprise me and push my thinking in new directions. One example came from my Con Law class, when I asked, “What could be more private than the marital bedroom?” thinking it was a rhetorical question. One student answered, “The bathroom?” The whole class burst out laughing. But then I thought about it and realized he was right. That year, the Supreme Court was considering a case involving transgender bathrooms, so I put it on the exam. That sparked my research interest in transgender rights, which share many of the same principles of bodily autonomy and equality that have long informed my research on reproductive rights.

I also find it rewarding to help students master foundational doctrine and then use it to build a bridge to the law of the future. I try to instill in them a sense of their own power and responsibility as future litigators, advisors, legislators and judges — knowing that they will help shape what the law becomes.

What makes UC Law SF a special place, and what’s kept you teaching here for decades?

UC Law SF is special because of its people and its sense of community. I feel incredibly lucky to come to work each day and engage with brilliant students and inspiring colleagues. Being in San Francisco, close to UC San Francisco and Silicon Valley, means we are constantly confronting cutting-edge questions at the intersection of law, technology and biology.

Despite the immense change and growth of our campus over the years, particularly under the leadership of Chancellor & Dean David Faigman, the institution has remained deeply committed to public service and intellectual rigor.

I’ve now been on the faculty for more than 30 years — over half my life. This school truly has been my second home. I enjoy the dynamic interplay between teaching and research. My teaching informs my scholarship, and my research keeps my teaching fresh and exciting.

What experiences have made your time at UC Law SF especially meaningful?

Seeing my former students become successful professionals and leaders is incredibly rewarding. Another highlight has been writing and publishing scholarly work that addresses pressing constitutional questions — particularly around privacy, reproductive rights and transgender rights. After three decades at UC Law SF, I still genuinely love this work. Sustaining that intellectual curiosity and commitment to students is something I value deeply.

How has donor support made a difference in your work?

Donor support has allowed me to pursue research on urgent, real-world problems and bring those insights directly into the classroom. For example, as constitutional privacy faces new challenges in the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health (2022), I’ve been able to explore how we might protect privacy and reproductive rights in new ways.

I’ve also been examining cutting-edge issues at the intersection of law and technology — including questions about genetic information and biotechnology. Support from alumni and donors gives me the freedom to tackle these complex topics and to prepare students to engage with them thoughtfully and rigorously.

 

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Alumni share how Rao influenced their lives and careers

 

“Professor Rao taught me that to practice law is to love the law. She fully embraced the power of the written word to persuade minds and hearts in our profession, and inspired her students to do the same. I was forever changed after taking her courses, and approach the way I practice law differently, more thoughtfully, because of her. I’m a better lawyer (and, I think, person) because of Professor Rao.”

—  David C. Casarrubias-González ’18, partner and San Francisco market leader at Hanson Bridgett

 

“Professor Radhika Rao is brilliant and deeply accomplished, but what stood out most to me as a student was her kindness and generosity. She took the time to answer questions, review outlines, and truly invest in our learning, all while challenging us to think more critically. In the classroom, she guided us through close readings of cases and illuminated the power of language and how the words of majority, dissent, and concurrence opinions can themselves serve as tools of persuasion. 

Now, I am honored to call her a colleague and work alongside her. The semesters I have taught skills lessons in her courses have been full-circle, dream-come-true experiences.”

—  Jennifer Freeland ’14, associate dean for teaching at UC Law San Francisco

 

“Professor Rao is an inspiring professor who can captivate an entire room while discussing topics that might otherwise seem mundane, such as prescriptive easements and the rule against perpetuities. I especially appreciated how she consistently incorporated policy into her teaching — it helped me see the bigger picture, even when those concepts might not be ’bar tested.’

Most importantly, as a first-generation student, it was deeply meaningful to see a woman of color like me achieve such success as clerking at the Supreme Court and becoming a renowned scholar. Professor Rao reminded me that I, too, am capable of reaching those heights.”

—  Nina Mirzai ’25, associate at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

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Decades in the Making highlights the contributions of faculty members who have spent 20 or more years at UC Law SF, recognizing their enduring impact on students’ lives and careers.