School of Law News

Associate Professor Megan Wachspress’ path to higher ed has taken her from labor litigation and appellate clerkships to environmental advocacy work challenging utilities and coal plants across the Midwest.

Long before she began building AI tools for law students, Associate Professor Alexandria Serra was figuring out how technology could help her better serve clients in her own criminal defense practice.

Before he ever stepped into a law school classroom as a student, Professor Mark Niles was already captivated by legal education. His mother attended law school while he was in junior high, and Niles asked to sit in on one of her classes: Criminal Procedure.

Professor Alice Kaswan retires.

Retired California Supreme Court Justice Martin Jenkins ‘80 returned to the Hilltop to deliver the law school’s 2026 commencement address.

Commencement weekend begins May 21 with a Mass for graduates and families, and the celebration continues through May 23 as students in each of USF’s five schools graduate this spring.

Robert Arns '75 and Thomas Brandi '72 have spent their careers in courtrooms, representing families and individuals in high-stakes cases against powerful defendants, including large corporations. Now, through a $1.86 million gift, part of a combined lifetime commitment to USF totaling $3.25 million, they're ensuring the next generation of USF trial lawyers graduate ready to do the same.

On March 20, USF School of Law welcomed more than 200 attendees for the 2026 Barnett Chair Symposium, Inside Out: Transforming Lives Through Prison-Community Partnerships. The event brought together advocates, practitioners, and storytellers working at the forefront of criminal justice reform.

Kimberly Perez worked as a legal assistant, where she witnessed attorneys help clients navigate complexity in their lives. This inspired her to pursue a JD.