Savala Nolan joined the Henderson Center in January 2016, where she leads over 50 lectures, symposia, teach-ins, and skills-building workshops a year for law students, scholars, and activists. She spearheaded the creation of a Race and Law concentration, successfully endowed a new racial justice fellowship, and works closely with affinity groups and law journals to prepare students for a thriving social justice practice.
Nolan is the author of Don’t Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender and the Body. She and her writing have been featured in The New York Times Book Review, Vogue, Harper’s Magazine, Time, NPR, Forbes and more. She is a regular keynote speaker and panelist on social justice issues including implicit bias, structural racism, understanding Whiteness, and the importance of social justice work for all lawyers. She is a regular keynote speaker and panelist on social justice issues including implicit bias, structural racism, understanding Whiteness, and the importance of social justice work for all lawyers.
In addition to leading the Henderson Center, Nolan is a member of the Equity and Inclusion Committee. She previously served on the Faculty-Staff Climate Committee, chaired the working group on Institutional Knowledge, and served as an equity advisor to Dean Erwin Chemerinsky.
Prior to joining the Henderson Center, Nolan was Associate Director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University’s Law School in Detroit, Michigan. She practiced law at Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP (then Keker & Van Nest) in San Francisco. Nolan also clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and, in 2010, served as a law clerk in the Obama Administration’s Office of White House Counsel, where she prepared research memoranda on constitutional matters. Before law school, Nolan worked at the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy.
Education
B.A., New York University
J.D., UC Berkeley School of Law
Savala Nolan is not teaching any Law courses in Fall 2024.
Essay: Say Their Names: Breonna Taylor, My Great-Great-Grandmother, and Me
Savala Trepczynski, Executive Director of the Henderson Center for Social Justice, writes about the connection between the murders of her great, great grandmother and Breonna Taylor – both black women, both killed in their homes by police, both still waiting for justice
White silence on social media: Why not saying anything is actually saying a lot
Savala Trepczynski, Executive Director of the Henderson Center for Social Justice, comments on “white silence” on social media
“How do you know you’re white?”
Savala Trepczynski ’11, executive director of Berkeley Law’s Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, says white people working to overcome their own fears and uncertainty is essential for bridging the racial divide.
Op-Ed: Black and Brown People Have Been Protesting for Centuries. It’s White People Who Are Responsible for What Happens Next.
Savala Trepczynski, Executive Director of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, writes that “black and brown people have been protesting for centuries. It’s white people who are responsible for what happens next.”
A New Way Forward: Participatory Defense Symposium Illuminates and Inspires
Two Berkeley Law students play a lead role in coordinating the event and promoting a growing, community-focused model.
Academic Empowerment Program Eases Transition for Students of Color
Led by Berkeley Law students, the initiative provides support for key law-school skills, mentorship, and community-building sessions.
Racing Forward
Clinic leaders, faculty scholars, and student advocates work to level the playing field within America’s legal institutions.
Renowned Judge Thelton Henderson ’62 Returns to Berkeley to Work with Students
After 37 years on the federal bench, Henderson takes on a new role as a distinguished visitor.
Berkeley Law Launches New Era under Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
Highlights include new faculty, flourishing programs, high-impact research, and expanding student opportunities.
Symposium: Legal Implications of a New Administration
The event tackled issues ranging from immigration and domestic surveillance to women’s rights and race relations.