From the Orange County Bar Association’s podcast Raising the OC Bar, an hour of oral history about the founding of UC Irvine School of Law. Guests are former Dean Erwin Chemerinsky (UC Berkeley) and retired Judge Andrew Guilford; topics include vision and politics, curricular innovations, and memorable moments.
Links and a synopsis, below the fold.
Orange Cty. Bar Ass’n., Building a Law School from Scratch: The Creation of UCI Law, Raising the OC Bar (Apr. 20, 2026):
In this episode, we dive into the bold origins of the University of California, Irvine School of Law, the first new public law school in California in over 40 years. Past OCBA President Christina Zabat-Fran and OCBA Board Member Sean Thomas Lobb interview founding Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and Judge Andrew Guilford (Ret.) as they share the inside story of how a “dream team” of faculty and community leaders reimagined legal education from the ground up.
From navigating political hurdles to prioritizing public service, our guests reveal the grit and vision required to build a national model for innovation and impact. Tune in to discover how this transformative institution grew from a daring idea into a powerhouse that continues to redefine the legal profession.
