Six descendants of Serranus Clinton Hastings, California’s first chief justice, and a group that says it represents alumni are suing the state of California over its decision to rename a nearly 150-year-old law school. The University of California, Hastings College of the Law, will become UC College of the Law, San Francisco, in 2023, in accordance with a law state legislators passed and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Sept. 23, 2022.
The lawsuit also targets David Faigman, the school’s dean and chancellor, along with all of its trustees – who voted for this change after learning about Serranus Hastings’ role in the slaughter of Native Americans in the mid-19th century. Rebranding is one way that the school is actively seeking reconciliation with the Yuki people, whose communities were harmed at that time. It filed a motion to dismiss the suit on Nov. 2, 2022.
