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Kamala Harris’ historic vice presidency and run for president are the latest in a long line of historic firsts for Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law San Francisco

Where did Kamala Harris go to law school? It’s a simple question with a more-complicated answer. That’s because since Vice President Harris graduated in 1989, her law school changed its name. In 2023, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Hastings became Â鶹ÊÓƵ College of the Law, San Francisco, or Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF.Ìý

Below are 10 facts you may not know about the school where the vice president earned her degree. She’s not the only reason Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF is an influential and historic law school. Be sure to also check out the college’s , which features VIPs such as former U.S. Representative Jackie Speier ’76 and Chancellor & Dean David Faigman.Ìý

10 Things You Didn’t Know about Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF:Ìý

1. Nearly 150 Years of History: Established in 1878, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF was the first law school west of the Rocky Mountains.Ìý
2. Breaking Barriers: It’s where Emma Ping Lum ’47 studied law. She was the first Chinese American woman to practice law in the United States and argue before the U.S. Supreme Court.Ìý
3. Pioneering Change: The first African American justice to serve on the California Supreme Court, Wiley W. Manuel ’53, earned his JD at Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF.Ìý
4. Legal Giant: Alexander Francis Morrison, who co-founded what would later become one of the biggest law firms in the U.S., Morrison Foerster, graduated from Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF in 1881.Ìý
5. Legacy of Diversity: Christine la Barraque, an 1899 graduate of Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF, was the first blind woman licensed to practice law in California. She gave up lawyering to work as a singer, voice instructor, and advocate for people with disabilities.Ìý
6. Judicial Impact: More than 500 living Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF alumni have served as judges on state and federal courts across the country.Ìý
7. The 65 Club: The college hired some of the most distinguished professors, including 29 former law school deans, from the 1940s to the ’80s. They were recruited after being forced to retire from other law schools at age 65.Ìý
8. Prime Location: Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF is within a few blocks of major courthouses, including the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, California Supreme Court, California First District Court of Appeal, U.S. District for the Northern District of California federal court, and San Francisco Superior Court.Ìý
9. Strength in Practice: The College operates 17 clinics in which law students provide direct services to asylum seekers, low-income seniors and taxpayers, children in child welfare proceedings, low-wage workers, and more.ÌýÌý
10. Law Meets Innovation: Â鶹ÊÓƵ Law SF has several programs – including the , , and Corporate Counsel Externship Program – that give law students hands-on experience working with cutting-edge technology and biotech companies.Ìý