From: Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
Date: October 17, 2023
Dear Law School Community,
These are enormously difficult times and many in our community are suffering. I am sure I speak for all of us in mourning the loss of life in Israel and in Gaza, and in wishing for peace.
Each year, I write to the community to express our commitment to freedom of speech, which includes the right of people to say things that others find offensive, even deeply offensive. My guess is that in the last week most of us have heard things that offended and upset us.
Some in our community were upset yesterday when a professor published an oped that called on employers not to hire students who expressed particular views. To be clear, that professor was speaking for himself and not for the institution. The Law School is strongly committed to helping all of our students find employment. Our Career Development Office is unflagging in this effort to work with each student to obtain employment during and after law school. Any students with concerns about employment issues should see Eric Stern, the Assistant Dean for CDO, and the CDO staff. Contact information for Eric and CDO career counselors can be found here.
As I have mentioned, we also have mental health resources available. If you find it would be helpful to talk to someone, there are resources for students, staff, and faculty. Students can contact Linda Zaruba (call 510-326-1267) or a counselor at the Tang Center. Staff and faculty can find support through the Employee Assistance Program.
I hope you will take care of yourself and others, and hope that our community will help provide you support at this difficult time.
Warmly,
Erwin Chemerinsky
Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law
University of California, Berkeley School of Law
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