UC Law San Francisco (Formerly UC Hastings)

VITA Tax Clinic
2025-04-14 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
During the 2024 tax filing season, the UC Law SF Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinic provide free tax assistance to people who generally make $67,000 or less annually, or people with disabilities who need assistance in preparing their own CA and Federal tax returns. The assistance sessions will be in-person, located at 200 McAllister Street at Hyde in San Francisco. The clinic will run on Mondays from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, beginning February 3, 2025, through April 14, 2025, excluding February 17 and March 3. The VITA clinic is drop-in only and does not take appointments.
Please bring with you:

Photo ID & Social Security Card or ITIN for each person on your tax return
W-2 for all jobs
All 1099s, 1098s, and any other tax forms
Your household’s health coverage information, including Forms 1095-A, B, or C, if applicable
If you received the Advanced Child Tax Credit in 2023, Letter 6419
Last year’s tax return
Savings/ checking account and routing numbers for direct deposit
Clients are encouraged to wear a well-fitting mask (N95, KN95, or equivalent) on site

For more information about the VITA clinic, including what to bring with you to have your taxes prepared, please see this flyer. If you have questions, you can email us at vita@uclawsf.edu or call us at 628-207-1956.

Advanced Mediation Certificate Series: Psychology of Negotiation
2025-05-15 08:30 - 13:00 | 333-309
UC Law San Francisco’s Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) offers high-quality dispute resolution training on in-depth topics for practitioners. This Certificate is designed to engage participants in advanced discussion and practice on specific topics that are essential in any mediator’s toolkit. A specially selected team of our adjunct professors and experienced professionals will be teaching and coaching this series for a variety of perspectives and expertise. Some sessions will be virtual. Registration will be limited to keep class size small, so register now!
Learn more about the Certificate series and register for other sessions on our website here.

Join us for the eleventh session in this Certificate:

Using Psychology to Improve Negotiation and Mediation Outcomes
In this dynamic, interactive training session, participants will discover how to harness the power of psychological principles to achieve more effective negotiation results. Explore key psychological strategies that influence decision-making, persuasion, and conflict resolution. Topics include cognitive biases, trust, and effective communication techniques—all designed to improve your negotiation and mediation skills and boost your ability to influence outcomes positively.
Instructors: Rishi Batra and Mattie Robertson
Date: Thursday May 15, 2025
Time: 8:30am – 1:00pm
Location: In-person on the UC Law SF Campus at 333 Golden Gate Avenue, 3rd floor – Room 309, San Francisco, CA 94102 (in-person only)
4 hours MCLE credit available (please select the “add on” at checkout to register for credit). Session includes 4 hours of instruction and plus breaks.

REGISTER HERE

DC Alumni Happy Hour & Book Talk with Prof. Joan C. Williams
2025-06-06 14:00 - 17:00 | Canopy Central Café & Bar, 975 7th St SW, Washington D.C., DC, 20024, United States
Join fellow UC Law SF alumni in Washington, DC for a special evening of connection and conversation on Friday, June 6. We’ll start with happy hour from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at Canopy Central Café & Bar, located on the second floor of the Canopy by Hilton at The Wharf. Appetizers are hosted by the chapter, and tickets are $5 for all alumni. All proceeds go directly to the UC Law Scholarships.

📍 Canopy Central Café & Bar975 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20024Venue Info

Following happy hour, alumni are welcome to walk together to Politics and Prose at The Wharf (just six minutes away) to attend Professor Joan C. Williams’ book talk, beginning at 7:00 PM. Event Details

🎟 Ticket Price: $5 per person🍴 Appetizers included

We look forward to seeing you there RSVP HERE!

Questions? Contact Charles Wollin at wollincharles@uclawsf.edu

Denver Alumni Chapter: Rockies vs. Giants at Coors Field – June 10
2025-06-10 18:45 - 21:00 | Coors Field, 2001 Blake St, Denver, CO, 80205
Join us for a Night at Coors Field with the Denver Alumni Chapter!

The UC Law SF Alumni Association is heading to the ballpark! Join fellow alumni on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, as the Colorado Rockies take on the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field. First pitch is at 6:40 PM, and we’ll be watching the action in style from a private suite with food, drinks, and fantastic company.

Reconnect with alumni in the Denver area and root for the Rockies (or for the Giants) in one of the best ballparks in baseball. Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot soon!

Please note that all tickets are non-refundable.

Hope to see you there. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Finally, a big thank you and shoutout to our beverage sponsor, Haynes Boone and to our suite sponsor, Spencer Fane for making this event possible!

Questions? Feel free to reach out to Charles Wollin at wollincharles@uclawsf.edu.

RSVP HERE

SF Alumni Happy Hour & Sake Tasting
2025-06-13 17:30 - 19:30 | Benesch Law SF, 100 Pine Street, Suite 3100, San Francisco, 94111, United States
The UC Law SF Alumni Association, Foundation Board of Trustees, and the San Francisco Alumni Chapter invite you to a special happy hour reception and exclusive sake tasting hosted by Benesch Law!

Join us for an evening of conversation and connection with fellow graduates and members of the UC Law SF community. It’s a great chance to reconnect, build new relationships, and hear more about the exciting momentum and impact happening at UC Law SF.

📅 Date: Friday, June 13, 2025
🕠 Time: 5:30 to 7:30 PM
📍 Location:

Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
100 Pine Street, Suite 3100
San Francisco, CA 94111

Enjoy complimentary drinks and appetizers, with an exclusive sake tasting, while taking in the views from Benesch’s 30th floor offices.

🎟 RSVP BELOW – all tickets support student scholarships:
https://give.uclawsf.edu/e/san-francisco-happy-hour/

We look forward to seeing you there.
Questions? Contact us at alumni@uclawsf.edu

Mastering the Fundamentals of Mediation Certificate Training 2025
2025-07-14 08:30 - 2025-07-18 18:00 | The Academe at 198 McAllister St.
Registration for the July 2025 training is closed. We will update our website with dates for 2026 when they are confirmed.
A 40-hour basic mediation training program, including certificate of completion and optional MCLE credit.

The UC Law SF Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) presents its’ annual 40-hour comprehensive mediation practitioner training. This program provides a unique blend of mediation theory, hands-on mediation skills training, and an exploration of the sensibilities and personal qualities required to be an effective mediator.
This in-person program is useful for a range of professionals who deal with people in conflict, and any attorney who represents clients in mediation, to understand the process and to be more effective in representing clients in mediation. We also encourage participation of international attorneys, notaries and Hastings LL.M. students. No prior training or experience required.
In this highly interactive and dynamic training, participants from around the world learn the theory and practice of mediation. The methodology consists of a mixture of discussion, skill building exercises and role play. All participants will have the opportunity to practice multiple times in the client, advocate and mediator roles and will receive personalized feedback and coaching from professional mediators.
We start with the psychology and behavior of people in conflict and the different process choices parties can make when seeking to resolve conflict. We examine the different styles or models of mediation and the implications of those models for the client experience. We then explore and practice every phase of a mediation, from opening and setting the stage, to exploration of interests and issues, negotiating agreements, preparation of settlement documents and closure.

Combined with the practice of these phases, participants build critical communication and process management skills including how to:

Maintain neutrality
Balance power
Select appropriate influencing strategies
Decide whether, when and how to use private sessions (“caucus”)
Facilitate the “money dance”
Conduct a methodical alternatives analysis
Employ techniques for overcoming impasse
Convey “difficult” messages
Use active listening
Ask questions to move the clients in helpful directions
Handle difficult behavior and “reframe” problematic statements

Finally, we cover mediator ethics, process confidentiality, working with representatives and co-mediation.
What participants have to say:
“Fantastic! So happy I chose this program, it blew away my expectations. The role playing was especially valuable to measure progress and enforce the teaching.” – BT 2022
“I quit my job as a teacher to work in the Office of Civil Rights doing in-house dispute resolution and mediation. I could not have gotten this position without taking CNDR’s Fundamentals of Mediation Training, and I am so grateful for all of the skills I gained. I re-read Prof. Ford’s Peace at Work and feel even more prepared to take on this next challenge.” – BL, 2024

Format
All 40 hours will take place in-person during a live class, including small group role plays with individualized coaching. Each day includes 1.5 hours of total breaks.
Dates
Monday, July 14 – Friday, July 18, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. each day (PST)
Location
UC Law SF, 198 McAllister, San Francisco, CA 94102 (in-person training only)
MCLE
40 hours of California MCLE credits available, including 1.5 hrs Elimination of Bias and 2 hrs Legal Ethics. Be sure to select the “add on” for MCLE credit at checkout. MCLE Provider #9545.
Registration

Standard Registration Fee – $1,800
Early Bird Registration (ends one month prior) – $1,600
Alumni, Government, and Nonprofit Rate – $1,600

Questions to CNDR@uclawsf.edu.
Instructor

Adjunct Professor John Ford, BA LLB (UCT) is an experienced workplace mediator and soft-skills trainer. John studied law at the University of Cape Town before moving to Namibia, where he practiced from 1988 to 1995. Initially, he focused on representing survivors of human-rights abuses. After Namibian independence in 1990, his focus shifted to labor and employment law. John moved to California in 1996 and trained as a mediator. He has since successfully mediated hundreds of workplace disputes, and has worked with numerous teams to help them deal successfully with conflict.
John has provided training to thousands of employees at all levels in the workplace, across a wide range of industries. His workshops focus on the development of soft skills, such as communication, negotiation, facilitation, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, customer service and mediation. He is a past president of the Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California (ADRNC), and was the managing editor of www.mediate.com from 2000 to 2011.

Cancellation Policy
For all CNDR events, cancellations on or before 30 days prior to the event will receive a full refund, minus an administrative fee of 7% of ticket price. Cancellations after 30 days prior to the event will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations on or after 5 days prior to the event will not receive a refund.
ADA Accommodations Statement
The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco is committed to making its facilities and events accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need reasonable accommodations, please contact CNDR at 415-581-8941 or CNDR@uclawsf.edu, or the Disability Access Hotline at 415-581-4848 or DAH@uclawsf.edu at least two weeks before the event.
Use of Materials Notice
The UC Law SF Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) hereby irrevocably grants registrants/participants a limited, nonexclusive, non-transferable, royalty-free right and license to use materials provided and distributed by CNDR and/or UC Law SF in the course of the training herein for purposes of participation and personal/internal, non-commercial reference purposes.
Code of Conduct
The UC Law SF Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) is dedicated to ensuring that its events and gatherings are an inclusive, respectful, productive, and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, alienage or citizenship status, physical or mental ability, color, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, national origin, marital status or partnership status, pregnancy or lactation status, religion or creed, status as a veteran or active military service member or any other basis protected by U.S. federal, state, or local laws.
When participating in or attending a CNDR event, the following behaviors are expected:

Be present, timely, open-minded, and participate actively.
Act with respect and dignity towards everyone you encounter, including participants, staff, instructors, and coaches.
Be considerate and collegial in your speech and actions, valuing a diversity of views and opinions.
To support a participatory learning environment for everyone, be mindful of how much time you use (e.g. in discussions or Q&A sessions).
Behave in accordance with professional standards (such as your employer’s policies, or applicable law).
Alert on-premises security personnel and staff if you notice a dangerous situation or someone clearly in distress, or call 911 in case of an emergency.

Harassment, bullying, non-consensual physical contact, threats, microaggressions, intimidation, and/or insinuations that are hurtful or interfere with any other attendee’s experience or participation are examples of behaviors which are unacceptable and could be cause for removal from a CNDR event.

CREJ – Logged In, Left Out: Racial Inequality in Remote Work (Zoom Webinar)
2025-08-26 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom, San Francisco, CA, United States
Join us for a 1-hour webinar where experts will discuss changing remote work norms, examine racial disparities in remote work access and provide insight into courts’ views on remote work discrimination.

Please Register Here

FALL 2025 ADR SPEAKER SERIES What Makes People Tick: A Mediator’s Introduction to Internal Family Systems
2025-09-03 12:30 - 13:30 | Zoom, San Francisco, CA, United States
FALL 2025 ADR SPEAKER SERIES
What Makes People Tick: A Mediator’s Introduction to Internal Family Systems
David Hoffman
John H. Watson, Jr. Lecturer on Law
Harvard Law School

Wednesday, September 3, 2025
12:30 – 1:30 P.M. PST
Via Zoom

RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/dLJXnkQTRyxUrgaK8
The Zoom link will be emailed approximately 24 hours prior to the presentation.

David A. Hoffman is the John H. Watson, Jr. Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he teaches three courses: Mediation; Legal Profession: Collaborative Law; and Diversity and Dispute Resolution. David includes in each of those courses a discussion of the IFS model. David is also an attorney, mediator, arbitrator, and founding member of Boston Law Collaborative, LLC, where he handles cases involving family, business, employment, and other disputes.
Prior to founding BLC in 2003, David was a litigation partner at the Boston firm Hill & Barlow, where he practiced family law, employment law, and general litigation for 17 years. He is past-chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution and a recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American College of Civil Trial Mediators and the Academy of Professional Family Mediators. David has published three books (including “Bringing Peace into the Room”) and more than 100 articles on law and dispute resolution.
David is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B. 1970, summa cum laude), Cornell University (M.A. 1974, American Studies), and Harvard Law School (J.D. 1984, magna cum laude), where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. David’s TEDx talk about “Lawyers as Peacemakers” can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKXv1_Sqe_4. David lives in a cohousing community in Acton, Massachusetts with his wife, Leslie Warner, who is a career coach. Together they have five adult children, an adolescent cat, and a rescued Golden Retriever from Serbia. Links to his publications can be found here: https://blc.law/team/david-hoffman.

UC Law SF Portland Alumni Mixer – September 4
2025-09-04 17:30 - 19:30 | K&L Gates, 1 SW Columbia St, Portland, Oregon, 97204
Portland Area Alumni, You're Invited!

Thursday, September 4, 2025
5:30 – 7:30 PM
K&L Gates LLP
1 SW Columbia Street, Suite 1900
Portland, OR 97204

We’re excited to invite you to our UC Law SF Portland Alumni Mixer, generously hosted by K&L Gates LLP.

Join fellow alumni for an evening of connection and conversation overlooking downtown Portland. Enjoy hosted appetizers, drinks, and city views from the 19th floor of K&L Gates’ beautiful space.

Tickets
$5 for recent alumni (Class of 2015–2025)
$10 for all other alumni
All proceeds support Student Scholarships

👉 RSVP here: https://give.uclawsf.edu/e/uc-law-sf-portland-alumni-mixer-september-4/

Questions? Contact Charles Wollin at wollincharles@uclawsf.edu

Special thanks to Brittany Vulcan ’17 and the team at K&L Gates for sponsoring this event and making it possible.

International Mediation Development and Leadership Institute (IMDLI) Wine & Appetizer Reception
2025-09-11 18:15 - 19:45 | 333 Deb Colloquium and Sky Deck, 5th Floor Cotchett Law Center, 333 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR)
International Mediation Development and Leadership Institute (IMDLI)
Wine & Appetizer Reception

Join us for a reception with the participants of CNDR’s annual training program, organized in collaboration with the JAMS Foundation and the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship Program.

Thursday, Sept 11, 2025
6:15 – 7:45 PM

UC Law San Francisco
Deb Colloquium Room & Skydeck
Cotchett Law Center
333 Golden Gate Ave, 5th Floor

RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/WTJWUVp4uW7BgzTS6

FALL 2025 ADR SPEAKER SERIES The Practical Realities of Seeking Disability Accommodations: Burdens, Backlashes, and Conflict Resolution Breakthroughs
2025-09-17 12:30 - 13:30 | Zoom, San Francisco, CA, United States
FALL 2025 ADR SPEAKER SERIES
The Practical Realities of Seeking Disability Accommodations: Burdens, Backlashes, and Conflict Resolution Breakthroughs
Dan Berstein, MHS
MH Mediate

Wednesday, September 17, 2025
12:30 – 1:30 P.M. PST
Via Zoom

RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/29h6gbfNh7HsHUvC9
The Zoom link will be emailed approximately 24 hours prior to the presentation.

Dan Berstein is a mediator living with bipolar disorder working to empower all mental health stakeholders using conflict resolution best practices that promote mental health empowerment and prevent mental illness discrimination. Dan’s book, Mental Health and Conflicts: A Handbook for Empowerment, was originally published by the ABA in 2022 and is being republished this year by DRI Press. Through Dan’s company, MH Mediate, Dan has helped thousands of organizations become more accessible, trauma-informed, and consistent when responding to challenges. In 2023, the AAA-ICDR foundation funded BiasResistantCourts.org, a free platform Dan developed in collaboration with the CUNY Dispute Resolution Center and court systems around the country, teaching court-connected professionals twelve core skills for becoming bias-resistant and trauma-informed. In 2024, Dan led the “Demystifying Distress” event co-sponsored by Mediate.com, ACR, APFM, NAFCM, and CPR. The free resources from this event have helped dispute resolution professionals to manage their own distress while reducing distress for the parties they serve. In 2025, Dan launched free resources to help people living with mental health conditions use conflict resolution best practices when seeking support, reorienting from rejection, and pursuing disability accommodations, all as part of projects funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health’s statewide stigma reduction efforts and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of Consumer Affairs. Recently, Dan has been celebrating twenty years since his first hospitalization and diagnosis of bipolar disorder as part of his 20 Years Embracing Bipolar project accessible at www.danberstein.com/20years

Sacramento Alumni Chapter Launch!
2025-09-18 17:30 - 19:30 | Alaro Craft Brewery, 2004 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, 95811, United States
We’re thrilled to officially launch the UC Law SF Sacramento Alumni Chapter — and we’re celebrating in style
on Thursday, September 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Alaro Craft Brewery in Midtown Sacramento!

Join Chancellor and Dean David Faigman and chapter leaders Niki (Anderson) Roman ’09, Erica Connolly ’12, and Steven Ward ’22
for a fun and meaningful evening of connection, community, and conversation.

🍻 First drink and appetizers hosted🎟 $5 for recent alumni (2015–2025)🎟 $10 for alumni from 2014 and earlier✨ All proceeds support student scholarships

We can’t wait to see you there and build this next chapter together.👉 RSVP here

Questions? Reach out directly to alumni@uclawsf.edu

Join us for a Book Talk & Signing with UC Law SF alumnus Randy Shaw, featuring the new edition of The Tenderloin: Sex, Crime, and Resistance in the Heart of San Francisco. Lunch will be provided
2025-10-08 12:30 - 14:00 | Deb Colloquium Room, 333 Golden Gate, San Francisco, CA, United States

ADR Speaker Series: Impartiality or Injustice? Re-examining Neutrality in Mediation Through a Racial Justice Lens
2025-10-15 12:30 - 13:30 | Zoom, San Francisco, CA, United States
FALL 2025 ADR SPEAKER SERIES
Impartiality or Injustice? Re-examining Neutrality in Mediation Through a Racial Justice Lens

Sharon Press, Director, Dispute Resolution Institute, Robins Kaplan Distinguished Professor, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Isabelle Gunning, Mayor Tom Bradley Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School
REGISTER HERE
Sharon Press is Director of the Dispute Resolution Institute and the Robins Kaplan Distinguished Professor of Litigation Skills and International Dispute Resolution at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, MN. Press serves on the board of the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation. Press is a Florida Supreme Court certified county and family mediator and on Minnesota’s Rule 114 Roster of Civil Facilitative and Hybrid Neutrals. She mediates regularly in Conciliation, Housing, and Harassment Courts and for the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Prior to joining Mitchell Hamline Law, Press served as director of the Florida Dispute Resolution Center where she was responsible for the ADR programs for the Florida state court system during its formative years. Press was the Association for Conflict Resolution’s representative to the Drafting Committee for the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators adopted by the AAA, ABA and ACR. She received her B.A. from The George Washington University School of Public and International Affairs and her J.D. from The George Washington University National Law Center.
Isabelle Gunning (she/hers) was motivated to study law in order to support progressive changes in our larger society. Before becoming a professor, she was a criminal defense attorney with the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C. and a human rights attorney with the Southern Africa Project of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. She is currently the Mayor Tom Bradley Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. She teaches and writes in the area of Conflict Resolution/ Alternative Dispute Resolution. She also teaches Evidence. She also writes in the area of religious/spiritual lawyering. Her main research interests are around justice and fairness in mediation as well as multicultural dialogue and the search for and creation of shared values in the context of racial inequality and other socially defined power hierarchy dynamics. She serves as a commissioner on the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations and is a board member on the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. She practices as a mediator and an arbitrator. She works as a mediator/facilitator in support of resolving community conflicts. In addition, she has over 15 years of experience serving as a labor arbitrator and hearing examiner in workplace disputes.

2025 Contra Costa Alumnus of the Year
2025-10-21 17:30 - 20:00 | The Greenery, 1551 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, United States
We’re thrilled to celebrate Hon. Wade Rhyne ’01, Judge for the Contra Costa County Superior Court, as this year’s Contra Costa Alumnus of the Year!

Please join us for an evening of community, connection, and recognition as we honor Judge Rhyne’s outstanding work and impact in the Contra Costa region.

Enjoy appetizers, beverages, and conversation with fellow UC Law SF alum and supporters. We will be located in the Eagle Room of The Greenery.

Tickets:$40 for recent alum (Class of 2015–2025)$50 for alum from the Class of 2014 and earlier
$60 for non-alum attendees
Free for students
RSVP Here

ADR Speaker Series - Now, Women Do Ask: A Call to Update Beliefs about the Gender Pay Gap
2025-10-22 12:30 - 13:30 | 200-605, 200 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA, CA, 94102, United States
FALL 2025 ADR SPEAKER SERIES
Now, Women Do Ask: A Call to Update Beliefs about the Gender Pay Gap

Laura Kray, Ned & Carol Spieker Professor of Leadership, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

Wednesday, October 22, 2025
12:30 – 1:30 P.M. PST
In Person – Room 200-605
and Via Zoom

RSVP here

Laura Kray received her PhD in Psychology from the University of Washington. Prior to joining UC Berkeley in 2002, she taught at the University of Arizona and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Since 2018, Kray has been the faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership. She is a leading expert on the role of gender stereotypes, power and status, and mindsets on workplace behavior, including negotiations and ethical decision-making. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation and has been recognized with multiple best research awards from the Academy of Management and the International Association of Conflict Management.

AALS ADR Section Works in Progress Conference
2025-10-24 08:00 - 2025-10-25 13:00 | 333-501 and SkyDeck
The AALS ADR Section Works in Progress Conference (“WIP”) brings together dispute resolution scholars, teachers, and practitioners to present and receive feedback on their scholarly ideas and projects in a welcoming and collegial environment. Projects at any stage are welcome.
This year’s WIP will include a special plenary workshop. Presenters selected for the workshop will be paired with a senior scholar, who will read the paper in advance and provide commentary. Those interested in participating in the plenary should submit a draft paper for consideration by the registration deadline. Scholars at any stage of their career are welcome, but junior scholars and newcomers to the field are especially encouraged to apply.
In addition to the plenary, we will have the usual parallel-track panel presentation format and one or more sessions for beginning stage “ideas-in-progress.”
The conference will take place in-person with Zoom access. Zoom will be limited to a webinar format, in which remote participants may submit questions through the chat only. Presenters are strongly encouraged to participate in person.
For more information and to register, please visit the conference website here.

ADR Speaker Series - Pedagogies in the Meantime: Reflections on ADR and Restorative Justice in U.S. and Canadian Legal Education
2025-10-29 12:30 - 13:30 | Zoom, San Francisco, CA, United States
FALL 2025 ADR SPEAKER SERIES
Pedagogies in the Meantime: Reflections on ADR and Restorative Justice in U.S. and Canadian Legal Education

Wednesday, October 29, 2025
12:30 – 1:30 P.M. PST
Via Zoom

RSVP here

Amy Cohen, Robert J. Reinstein Chair in Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law

Daniel Del Gobbo, Assistant Professor & Chair in Law, Gender, and Sexual Justice, University of Windsor Faculty of Law

Amy Cohen is the inaugural holder of the Robert J. Reinstein Chair in law at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Amy’s research focuses on two areas of sociolegal scholarship—informal justice, including among people building alternatives to the criminal legal system, and law and economic development, including the law and political economy of agriculture and food. Before joining Temple, she was the John C. Elam/Vorys Sater Professor of Law at The Ohio State University and Professor of Law at UNSW Sydney, where she remains an honorary professor. Amy has taught a range of classes including property law, family law, mediation, negotiation, international dispute resolution, law and development, food law, and experimentalist legal theory. She has held visiting professorships at Harvard Law School, Osgoode Hall Law School, the University of Turin Faculty of Law, and the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences. She has also held fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, the American Institute of Indian Studies at the University of Chicago, the Fulbright Program, and the Collegio Carlo Alberto. She used several of these fellowships to develop a multi-year project on smallholder farmers and economic justice in India.

Daniel Del Gobbo (daniel.delgobbo@uwindsor.ca) is an Assistant Professor and Chair in Law, Gender & Sexual Justice at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. Daniel’s research and teaching fall at the intersections of civil procedure and dispute resolution, restorative justice, human rights and equality, legal ethics, and gender and sexuality. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and edited collections, including the Osgoode Hall Law Journal, UBC Law Review, Canadian Bar Review, Journal of Law and Equality, Dalhousie Law Journal, Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution, and the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution. His book, Feminist Frontlines: Campus Sexual Violence and Conflict Resolution, is under contract with the University of Toronto Press. Before coming to Windsor, Daniel was a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the McGill University Faculty of Law. He earned his J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2011, LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 2015, and S.J.D. from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 2021.

How to Choose Speakers for Panels at Conferences, Symposia, and Speaker Series
2025-11-12 08:00 - 17:00 | Zoom, San Francisco, CA, United States

Reflective Mediation Practice Group
2026-01-14 17:00 - 19:00 | 198 McAllister St., 198 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
Announcing the Launch of a Pilot Reflective Mediation Practice Group at UC Law San Francisco

Bring your mediation practice to the next level by participating in a reflective practice group!

Reflective practice groups are among the most effective ongoing learning experiences available to mediators. Under the guidance of an experienced mediator and facilitator, a small group of mediators meets regularly to take turns reflecting on their individual mediation cases. The group supports the mediator presenting a case to discover what mediator interventions worked best and what mediator behaviors created challenges. This collaborative exploration enhances awareness of the dynamics at play and increases the potential of learning from each mediation experience. Participants will be expected to anonymize all case identifying information so as to ensure strict confidentiality.

Beginning in January 2026, the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) at UC Law San Francisco will offer a 6-session monthly practice group led by experienced mediator and mediation trainer Howard Herman. Currently a mediator at JAMS, Howard pioneered the use of practice groups for mediators at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco where he led the court’s ADR Program for 23 years, and where many mediators participated continuously in groups he led for over 15 years. Howard also has led practice groups for mediators in India and Brazil. Howard’s fuller biography can be found at jamsadr.com/herman.

Group Structure and Approach
The group will meet in person. It will be limited to 10 participants and is open to all practicing mediators. Generally, each session will be focused on mediator presentations of cases in which they have been involved. Rather than starting with a topic, discussion flows from what actually happened and the choices the mediator made throughout the process.

Key to a successful group is the creation of a safe and confidential environment of mutual support and respect, making stable membership and small group size important. Participants commit to in-person attendance at all six two-hour sessions, and to write up and present at least one case for discussion during the six-month period.

MCLE: 12 hours general credit for the series, including 1 hour of elimination of bias credit (excludes implicit bias/bias reducing strategies), 1 hour of competence credit (excludes prevention and detection), and 1 hour of ethics credit

2026 Dates: January 14, February 11, March 11, April 8, May 13, June 10
Time: 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Location: 198 McAllister Street, Room 206, UC Law San Francisco
Cost: $595 for the full series

If you are interested in joining the group, please complete this application.
Applications will be taken on a rolling basis until the group is full.

Confronting AI: The Future of AI Regulation and Your Path to a Career in the AI and Tech Legal Fields.
2026-02-03 12:00 - 13:00 | 200-122, 200 McAllister, San Francisco, CA, 94102
Professor Kenneth Rosen of the University of Alabama School of Law will serve as our keynote speaker and will be joined by UC Law SF’s own Professor Robin Feldman. Professor Rosen brings deep expertise in international economic and legal regulatory frameworks, while Professor Feldman specializes in the AI and technology space. Together, they will discuss how AI is likely to regulated, how it should be regulated, and what these developments mean for law students interested in careers in AI and technology law. Both are leading voices in their fields, but from starkly different parts of the country, so you most certainly will want to hear their differing perspectives on this issue that confronts all our future careers!

Startup Exits Explained: IPOs, M&A, and the Lawyer’s Role
2026-02-05 12:30 - 13:30 | Alumni Reception Center, 200 McAllister St, San Francisco, 94102, United States
What does it really mean for a startup to “exit”? From strategic M&A to IPOs and secondary transactions, exits are defining moments for founders, investors, and counsel alike. This lunch-time panel brings together company counsel, investor counsel, and buyer counsel to unpack how exits actually work in practice, with a particular focus on M&A transactions. The discussion will explore how incentives diverge among stakeholders, how the exit market has evolved, and where junior lawyers can add real value early in their careers.
Francesca Crisera Ruiz, M&A Partner at Squire Patton Boggs (Hastings ‘04)
Heidi Walas, Corporate ECVC Partner at Gunderson Dettmer (Hastings ’07)
Jake Winton, Associate General Counsel at 8VC (Hastings ’20)
Moderator: Professor Evan Epstein, UC Law SF

VITA Tax Clinic
2026-02-09 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-02-23 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-03-09 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-03-16 17:00 - 19:00 | UC Law SF, 200 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102, 200 McAllister, San Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
During the 2025 tax filing season, the UC Law SF Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinic will be in-person, located at 200 McAllister Street at Hyde in San Francisco. The clinic will run on Mondays from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, beginning February 9, 2026, through April 13, 2026, excluding February 16 and March 2. The VITA clinic is drop-in only and does not take appointments.
Please bring with you:

Photo ID & Social Security Card or ITIN for each person on your tax return
W-2 for all jobs
All 1099s, 1098s, and any other tax forms
Your household’s health coverage information, including Forms 1095-A, B, or C, if applicable
If you received the Advanced Child Tax Credit in 2023, Letter 6419
Last year’s tax return
Savings/ checking account and routing numbers for direct deposit
Clients are encouraged to wear a well-fitting mask (N95, KN95, or equivalent) on site

For more information about the VITA clinic, including what to bring with you to have your taxes prepared, please see this flyer. If you have questions, you can email us at vita@uclawsf.edu or call us at 628-207-1956.

CEALS & CBL Present - Chinese Investment in the United States: Market Entry, Compliance, and Geopolitical Risk
2026-02-25 16:30 - 18:00 | Alumni Reception Center, 200 McAllister St, San Francisco, 94102, United States
For over a decade, China’s annual outbound investment has placed it among the top three sources of outbound investment globally. Prior to the U.S.-China trade war, the U.S. market was a top destination for Chinese investment. As geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China rise, the flow of new Chinese investment to the U.S. is slowing, and Chinese firms are grappling with complex new legal, business, and regulatory challenges. The Center for East Asian Legal Studies and the Center for Business Law are pleased to welcome a distinguished panel of practitioners and advisors to share current insights on the operation and challenges of Chinese firms in the U.S. market.

Panelists include Kevin Cao, Partner at K&L Gates; Darlene Chiu-Bryant, Executive Director of Global SF; Jenny Liu, Partner at Pillsbury, and Keliang (Clay) Zhu, Partner at DeHeng Law Offices.
Sponsors: Center for East Asian Legal Studies and the Center for Business Law

This event is open to the public.

Time: 4:30 to 6:00pm on Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Location: Alumni Reception Center at University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.
A reception will follow the panel.

RSVP here

Law & AI Certificate Program
2026-03-02 08:00 - 2026-03-06 17:00 | 198 – 240, 198 McAllister Street, Room 240, San Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
Law & AI Certificate Program
Monday, March 2 – Friday, March 6
198 McAllister, LexLab(Room 240)

Schedule: https://lexlab.uclawsf.edu/laic-program

Speakers: https://lexlab.uclawsf.edu/laic-faculty

Application page: https://lexlab.uclawsf.edu/laic-application-form

Fundamentals of Mediation
2026-03-02 08:30 - 2026-03-06 18:00 | 198-213
A 40-hour basic mediation training program, including certificate of completion and optional MCLE credit.
The UC Law SF Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) presents its’ annual 40-hour comprehensive mediation practitioner training. This program provides a unique blend of mediation theory, hands-on mediation skills training, and an exploration of the sensibilities and personal qualities required to be an effective mediator.
This in-person program is useful for a range of professionals who deal with people in conflict, and any attorney who represents clients in mediation, to understand the process and to be more effective in representing clients in mediation. We also encourage participation of international attorneys, notaries and Hastings LL.M. students. No prior training or experience required.

In this highly interactive and dynamic training, participants from around the world learn the theory and practice of mediation. The methodology consists of a mixture of discussion, skill building exercises and role play. All participants will have the opportunity to practice multiple times in the client, advocate and mediator roles and will receive personalized feedback and coaching from professional mediators.
We start with the psychology and behavior of people in conflict and the different process choices parties can make when seeking to resolve conflict. We examine the different styles or models of mediation and the implications of those models for the client experience. We then explore and practice every phase of a mediation, from opening and setting the stage, to exploration of interests and issues, negotiating agreements, preparation of settlement documents and closure.

Combined with the practice of these phases, participants build critical communication and process management skills including how to:

Maintain neutrality
Balance power
Select appropriate influencing strategies
Decide whether, when and how to use private sessions (“caucus”)
Facilitate the “money dance”
Conduct a methodical alternatives analysis
Employ techniques for overcoming impasse
Convey “difficult” messages
Use active listening
Ask questions to move the clients in helpful directions
Handle difficult behavior and “reframe” problematic statements

Finally, we cover mediator ethics, process confidentiality, working with representatives and co-mediation.

What participants have to say:
“Fantastic! So happy I chose this program, it blew away my expectations. The role playing was especially valuable to measure progress and enforce the teaching.” – BT 2022

“I quit my job as a teacher to work in the Office of Civil Rights doing in-house dispute resolution and mediation. I could not have gotten this position without taking CNDR’s Fundamentals of Mediation Training, and I am so grateful for all of the skills I gained. I re-read Prof. Ford’s Peace at Work and feel even more prepared to take on this next challenge.” – BL, 2024

Format
All 40 hours will take place in-person during a live class, including small group role plays with individualized coaching. Each day includes 1.5 hours of total breaks.
Dates
Monday, March 2 – Friday, March 6, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. each day (PST)
Location
UC Law SF, 198 McAllister, San Francisco, CA 94102 (in-person training only)
MCLE
40 hours of California MCLE credits available, including 1.5 hrs Elimination of Bias and 2 hrs Legal Ethics. Be sure to select the “add on” for MCLE credit at checkout. MCLE Provider #9545.
Registration

Standard Registration Fee – $2,295
Alumni, Government, and Nonprofit Rate – $2,095

REGISTER HERE

Registration closes one week prior to the training, or when enrollments have reached maximum capacity, whichever comes first.
Another training will be offered August 31 – September 4, 2026. See more information here.
Questions to CNDR@uclawsf.edu.

Instructor

Adjunct Professor John Ford, BA LLB (UCT) is an experienced workplace mediator and soft-skills trainer. John studied law at the University of Cape Town before moving to Namibia, where he practiced from 1988 to 1995. Initially, he focused on representing survivors of human-rights abuses. After Namibian independence in 1990, his focus shifted to labor and employment law. John moved to California in 1996 and trained as a mediator. He has since successfully mediated hundreds of workplace disputes, and has worked with numerous teams to help them deal successfully with conflict.
John has provided training to thousands of employees at all levels in the workplace, across a wide range of industries. His workshops focus on the development of soft skills, such as communication, negotiation, facilitation, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, customer service and mediation. He is a past president of the Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California (ADRNC), and was the managing editor of www.mediate.com from 2000 to 2011.

Cancellation Policy
For all CNDR events, cancellations on or before 30 days prior to the event will receive a full refund, minus an administrative fee of 7% of ticket price. Cancellations after 30 days prior to the event will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations on or after 5 days prior to the event will not receive a refund.
ADA Accommodations Statement
The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco is committed to making its facilities and events accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need reasonable accommodations, please contact CNDR at 415-581-8941 or CNDR@uclawsf.edu, or the Disability Access Hotline at 415-581-4848 or DAH@uclawsf.edu at least two weeks before the event.
Use of Materials Notice
The UC Law SF Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) hereby irrevocably grants registrants/participants a limited, nonexclusive, non-transferable, royalty-free right and license to use materials provided and distributed by CNDR and/or UC Law SF in the course of the training herein for purposes of participation and personal/internal, non-commercial reference purposes.
Code of Conduct
The UC Law SF Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) is dedicated to ensuring that its events and gatherings are an inclusive, respectful, productive, and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, alienage or citizenship status, physical or mental ability, color, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, national origin, marital status or partnership status, pregnancy or lactation status, religion or creed, status as a veteran or active military service member or any other basis protected by U.S. federal, state, or local laws.
When participating in or attending a CNDR event, the following behaviors are expected:

Be present, timely, open-minded, and participate actively.
Act with respect and dignity towards everyone you encounter, including participants, staff, instructors, and coaches.
Be considerate and collegial in your speech and actions, valuing a diversity of views and opinions.
To support a participatory learning environment for everyone, be mindful of how much time you use (e.g. in discussions or Q&A sessions).
Behave in accordance with professional standards (such as your employer’s policies, or applicable law).
Alert on-premises security personnel and staff if you notice a dangerous situation or someone clearly in distress, or call 911 in case of an emergency.

Harassment, bullying, non-consensual physical contact, threats, microaggressions, intimidation, and/or insinuations that are hurtful or interfere with any other attendee’s experience or participation are examples of behaviors which are unacceptable and could be cause for removal from a CNDR event.

Arbitration in Asia: Growth, Dynamism, and Innovation
2026-03-11 12:30 - 13:30 | Deb Colloquium Room, 333 Golden Gate, San Francisco, CA, United States
Arbitration in Asia: Growth, Dynamism, and Innovation

A distinguished panel of representatives from arbitration institutions in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore will share insights on the growth and operations of four leading Asian arbitration institutions.

The Center for East Asian Legal Studies and the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution are pleased to welcome a distinguished panel of practitioners and representatives to share current insights on the operations and growth of four leading Asian arbitration institutions. Panelists will introduce key distinguishing features of their respective institutions, highlight arbitral innovations that are driving growth, and provide insights on career opportunities. Panelists include Miriam Pereira, Counsel and Co-Head of the International Dispute Resolution Practice Group (Tokyo), Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners, and Public Relations Officer and Advisory Board Member, Japan Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA); Adriana Uson, Director & Head (Americas), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC); Meg Utterback, Partner, King & Wood Mallesons and Former Council Member, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) (Proceedings Committee, Appointments Committee); and Patrick Zheng, Partner, Kingland Partners (Beijing & Irvine), Arbitrator of Shanghai Arbitration Commission and formerly, Deputy Dept Director/Case Manager for CIETAC in Beijing.

Moderator: Sally Harpole, International Arbitrator, CEALS Affiliated Scholar, JCAA Advisory Board Member, and former HKIAC Council Member.

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 12:30-1:30
Place: University of California Law, San Francisco, Deb Colloquium Room, 333 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA

RSVP

Light lunch served
