Paul Belonick

Professor of Practice

Office: 603C-200
Email: belonickpaul@uclawsf.edu

Bio

Prof. Belonick graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2010, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Virginia Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. He clerked on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and has practiced civil and criminal law in both small and multinational law firms.

He also has a PhD in Roman and Greek History and American Legal History from the University of Virginia, and his research focuses on social norms, morals, and social systems collapse.

At UC Law he teaches numerous courses in addition to directing the Startup Legal Garage, including First Amendment Law, Criminal Investigations, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Patent Law, and Property.

In addition, from 2018 to 2026 Prof. Belonick served as Faculty Assistant Director of the Center for Innovation (C4i) and Director of the Center’s flagship program, the Startup Legal Garage. In that time, SLG students and supervisors helped over 350 startups—especially healthcare, disease-fighting, edtech, cleantech, and agtech companies—deliver lifechanging products and services to a waiting world, as hundreds of students started their journeys of legal client service in early venture law.

Education

University of Virginia School of Law
J.D. 2010
University of Virginia
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ancient History 2016
Hamilton College
Bachelor's Degree, Classical Languages and History 2002

Accomplishments

Los Angeles Times In-House Counsel of the Year in the Education and Non-Profit Category (for Startup Legal Garage)
2021
American Bar Association’s Business Law Section National Public Service Award
2021
California Lawyers Association’s Wiley W. Manuel Pro Bono Certificate (for Startup Legal Garage)
2021