California Western Faculty Highlights – July 2025

Chief Justice Roger Traynor Professor of Law William Aceves

Professor William Aceves and his article, “Ending the Paper Chase at the U.S. Supreme Court” (published in the University of Colorado Law Review) were quoted in the New York Times article, “In Digital Era, Supreme Court Insists on Vast Piles of Paper.” Professor Aceves’ interview with the Times is quoted at length, and his groundbreaking law review article forms the backbone of the piece.  

Professor of Law Emily Behzadi Cárdenas

On July 22, 2025, Professor Emily Behzadi Cárdenas was a featured speaker at the 2025 Pride event hosted by the Jones Day law firm and the Studio Door art gallery.  The event featured Professor Cárdenas’s presentation, “Cultural Heritage, Justice, Intersectionality, and LGBTQ+ Communities.”  

Executive Director of the California Western Innocence and Justice Clinic and Associate Professor of Law Amy Kimpel

Professor Amy Kimpel was quoted in the Los Angeles Times’ article, “He was wrongfully convicted of murder. Now L.A. County will pay him $14 million,” which discussed the California Western Innocence and Justice Clinic's role in helping free Alexander Torres after he was wrongfully convicted and spent more than twenty yeras behind bars. Professor Kimpel was quoted saying, “Mr. Torres was locked up for the entirety of his 20s and 30s — years most of us devote to building a career and a family. Money can’t give that time back to Mr. Torres, but it can ease the struggles associated with reentering society and mitigate the harm caused to Mr. Torres by 20 years of wrongful incarceration.”

Louis and Hermione Brown Professor of Law Kenneth (Ken) Klein

The San Francisco Chronicle referenced Professor Ken Klein as an industry expert collaborating with the State of California to explore what data could be used to study underinsurance in their recent article, “California, four other Western states launch probe into underinsurance after Chronicle investigation.” 

Associate Professor of Law Nancy Marcus

On July 22, 2025, Professor Nancy Marcus was a featured speaker at the 2025 Pride event hosted by the Jones Day law firm and the Studio Door art gallery.  The event featured Professor Marcus’s presentation, “LGBTQ+ Issues in the Supreme Court:  Where Are We, & How Did We Get Here?”

Professor of Law Aaron Schwabach

Professor Schwabach has recently returned from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he spent three weeks at the Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE) as a Fulbright Specialist.  During his time there he taught courses in E-Commerce Law and Introduction to Digital Law in Foreign Legal Systems, and helped to lay the groundwork for possible future cooperation between RULE and CWSL.

Professor of Law Kristen van de Biezenbos

Professor van de Biezenbos participated in the Penn-Berkeley Energy Law Scholars Workshop in Berkeley, CA, in July 2025.  

Professor van de Biezenbos participated in the Environmental Law Collaborative in Briarcliff Manor, NY, in July 2025.