LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of the United States refused to endorse the federal government’s attempt to win dismissal of the religious discrimination claims presented by Sheik Fazaga, Ali Malik, and Yasser AbdelRahim.

When Dorothy Wolpert ’76 started at UCLA School of Law, she wasn’t the typical new student. Nearing 40, she had just celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary and she was the mother of 10- and 13-year-old boys.

But it wasn’t the difference in age or experience that made Dorothy stand out. It was her wit, intelligence, charm, and passion. With those qualities, and her husband Stanley—already a successful UCLA history professor —at her side, she forged a career in law of uncommon decency and service.

We are pleased to introduce a new feature: Alumni Spotlight. We’ll talk to one of our amazing alums to hear what they do, how they make a difference, and what their UCLA Law experience means to them.

When UCLA School of Law’s A. Barry Cappello Trial Team started to prepare for its latest competition this semester, they considered the difficult issue at the core of the case, having to do with Miranda rights, and immediately knew whom they should consult.

"The case turns on whether a criminal defendant's confession is admissible," says Justin Bernstein, who coaches the trial team. "The students had been doing the research, and our discussion had been fruitful. But it has been 17 years since I took Criminal Procedure. So, I thought: Why not get help from an expert?"

Sixteen members of the UCLA School of Law faculty have been recognized as leaders of legal scholarship based on the impact of their research and writing. The total is a new high for UCLA Law.

This article was originally published on the UCLA Blueprint website on February 10, 2022, and will appear in the Spring 2022 print edition of Blueprint magazine. We share it here with Blueprint's permission. 

Critical Race Theory and UCLA

by Jim Newton

UCLA School of Law alumna Alicia Miñana de Lovelace ’87 has been named chair-elect of the UCLA Foundation Board of Directors, which oversees $5.1 billion in total assets. She succeeds Craig Ehrlich on July 1.

During an invitation-only event on Jan. 28, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and White House staff members applauded UCLA School of Law and other law schools nationwide for their work in addressing the country’s housing and eviction crisis.

Fourteen law school deans from across the country have collaborated on a book called Beyond Imagination? The January 6 Insurrection (West, 2022), which examines that event “from a legal perspective, in hopes of moving the nation forward towards healing and a recommitment to the rule of law and the Constitution.” UCLA School of Law Dean Jennifer L.

Long before he gave back to UCLA School of Law in a historic act of generosity that led to the naming of the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy in his honor, Epstein stood out among the law school’s stellar alumni base for his excellence in service, practice, philanthropy, and engagement.