UC Davis School of Law

UC Davis Law is coming to Santa Barbara! 🌊

Santa Barbara alumni and current and admitted students—join Dean Jessica Berg for an evening of connection and community. We’d love to see you there!

When: Wednesday, June 24, 4 - 7 p.m.
Where: SB Biergarten, 11 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Cost: Free. Drinks and light bites are on us.

RSVP: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/6krpar5

Image Description: Dark blue graphic with repeated "Santa Barbara" text in yellow at the top. Below, the text says, "Alumni Social on June 24, 2026, from 4 – 7 p.m. at SB Biergarten" located at 11 Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara, California. A UC Davis School of Law logo is placed at the bottom right corner.

During a recent judicial investiture ceremony, Wendy R. Casas ’04 was formally sworn in as a judge of the Solano County Superior Court. ⚖️

Since 2018, Casas has been a solo practitioner at the Law Office of Wendy Casas in Woodland. From 2005-2018 she served as a deputy public defender in Solano County and Kern County. She was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Christine A. Carringer.

Pictured on the right is Wendy R. Casas '04 with Jessie Morris, Jr. Morris served as a public defender in Sacramento for more than 40 years and also helped establish Unity Bar Organizations for various legal communities.

Join us in congratulating Casas on this achievement!

Image Description: Wendy R. Casas '04 (right) and Jessie Morris, Jr. (left) pose together for a photo at a judicial investiture ceremony. They are standing in front of a wooden mantle and a brick wall.

Alumni Awards nominations are now open! Nominate a peer who embodies the values of King Hall and has demonstrated extraordinary achievements for this year's Rising Star and Distinguished Alumni Awards. Awards will be presented at Alumni Reunions on Oct. 3. 🏆

Submit a nomination at the link by July 29: https://law.ucdavis.edu/alumni/awards

Image Description: Graphic with a dark blue background and geometric gold line patterns. Large text reads "Alumni Awards." Smaller text below reads, "Rising Star Alum Award" and "Distinguished Alum Award."

Congrats to our 2026 John Paul Stevens Foundation Public Interest Fellows! Read more at the link: https://law.ucdavis.edu/news/six-king-hall-students-receive-stevens-public-interest-fellowships

The foundation honors late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stevens’ commitment to public service by supporting law students who spend the summer working in otherwise unpaid public interest internships. Approximately 150 law students from around the country received fellowships this year.

Image description: Graphic with the headline “Congratulations! 2026 Stevens Public Interest Fellows” and the UC Davis School of Law logo in the top right. Six professional headshots are arranged in two rows of three, each with a name, class year, and placement listed: Kimberly Aguilar ’28 – Federal Defenders, California Eastern District; Mario Garcia ’27 – Sacramento County Public Defender Office; Cesar Hernandez ’27 – Sacramento County Public Defender Office; Aleeza Khan ’27 – Immigration Institute of the Bay Area; Mykal Pacheco ’27 – Open Door Legal; and Florentino Riesgo-Hawthorne ’27 – Sacramento County Public Defender Office. Each portrait is framed with geometric blue accents on a light background.

Congratulations to King Hall alum James Gallagher ’07 on his election to Congress! Just before his swearing-in, Rep. Gallagher (right) caught up with U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Ryan Holte ’08 (left), who sent along a photo.

Click the link to read more: https://law.ucdavis.edu/news/james-gallagher-07-elected-congress

Image description: U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Ryan Holte ’08 on the left and Rep. James Gallagher ’07 on the right, both dressed in suits in an indoor setting.

In the latest alumni spotlight, we’re excited to celebrate Alice L. Kessler ’03, who serves as Co-Managing Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Sacramento office. Kessler has led legislative, political, and administrative advocacy efforts for Equality California and has advanced some of the nation’s most comprehensive civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. 🏳‍🌈

We discussed her time at UC Davis Law, her path into legislative advocacy, and her leadership advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights. 💬

Her reflection on her career path and the impact of her work?

"By allowing myself to dive into the things I cared about, other great opportunities followed because the work was meaningful to me personally. When I look back at my work with Equality California, I feel that I did something greater than myself that mattered and impacted many people," she says.

Read the full Q&A at the link: https://law.ucdavis.edu/alumni-profile/alice-l-kessler-class-03



Image Description: Professional headshot of Alice L. Kessler ’03 posing with arms crossed, wearing a blazer over a dark green collared shirt. The background is a blue gradient with layered geometric shapes.

King Hall is coming to Fresno! 🌾

➡️ Central Valley alumni and current and admitted students: join UC Davis Law Dean Jessica Berg for an evening of connection and community. We’d love to see you there!

When: Tuesday, June 2, 4 - 7 p.m.
Where: Mad Duck Craft Brewing, 1974 E Copper Ave, Ste 101, Fresno, CA
Cost: Free. Drinks and light bites are on us.

RSVP: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/sttwv84

Image Description: Dark blue graphic with repeated "Fresno" text in yellow at the top. Below, text says, "King Hall Social on June 2, 2026, from 4–7 p.m. at Mad Duck Craft Brewing, located at 1974 E Copper Ave Ste 101, Fresno, California." There is a UC Davis Law logo in the bottom right corner.