Faculty Spotlight: Professor Catherine Hardee

For Professor Catherine Hardee, the law was always the goal—even before she really knew what the law was. “I was one of those argumentative five-year-olds,” she jokes. “People used to say, ‘You should be a lawyer.’ I didn’t know what a lawyer did other than argue with people.” Growing up in Olympia, Washington, her understanding deepened in high school when she learned about historic change-makers like Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “It solidified this idea that lawyers help make change in the world.”

That conviction stayed with her through her undergraduate studies at the University of Washington and into the Peace Corps, where she spent two years teaching English in Armenia. “The Peace Corps was hands down the best thing I’ve done,” she says. The experience transformed her understanding of how culture shapes values—and, by extension, how societies shape their laws.

After graduating magna cum laude from New York University School of Law, Professor Hardee spent a year clerking for a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  She then moved back to New York and spent several years in high-stakes litigation at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, widely considered one of the nation’s top firms. She worked on headline-making cases like UBS’s offshore tax scandal—sparked, she notes, “by a toothpaste tube full of diamonds”—and JPMorgan’s bailout of Bear Stearns during the 2008 financial crisis.

Reflecting on the intensity of that work, she recalls one unforgettable moment: “It was Easter morning. I was on a conference call with the Treasury Secretary, the Chair of the Fed, the CEO of JPMorgan, and a bunch of partners. I was the only associate; just supposed to be taking notes. Then one of the partners said, ‘Catherine, you researched this issue a while back, what is the law on that?’ And I had to pull it out of the back of my brain on the spot.”

That kind of experience now shapes how she prepares her students for the demands of legal practice. “I cold call in all my classes,” she says. “And when students complain, I tell them: You would much rather learn how to think on your feet in a classroom than in practice. You can fail here and no one’s going to care.”

But make no mistake—Professor Hardee cares deeply about her students. Her office hours are packed each week, which she sees as emblematic of what makes California Western School of Law (CWSL) different. “When I went to law school, faculty were hidden on a fourth floor, and I didn’t even know where the staircase was. Here, students wander into our offices just to say hi.” She also brings personal meaning to her mentorship. As faculty advisor to the newly formed Armenian American Student Association, she draws on her time in Armenia to connect with students on both cultural and emotional levels. “It matters to them that someone understands,” she says.

That same grounded, practical wisdom informs Professor Hardee’s scholarship, much of which explores the complex relationship between law, ethics, and corporate power. Rather than trying to force corporations to become moral actors, she argues for laws and policies shaped by public values—not corporate discretion. “The Board of Directors of a Fortune 500 company is not reflective of American society,” she explains. “It would be better to decide what we want as a society through the democratic process, rather than mounting campaigns to try to make corporations better.”

Her commitment to interrogating the values behind the law doesn’t end with research—it drives how she teaches. Professor Hardee recently launched a 1L elective in Animal Law, part of a broader effort at CWSL to give first-year students space to ask questions many are already carrying: Why is the law this way? Should it be? Students wrote papers on how animals should be valued in torts, examined criminal penalties across species, and negotiated mock custody arrangements for pets in a divorce. “The course pushed them to think,” she says. “You’ve learned what the law is—now consider what you think the law should be.”

She’s also developing a new course rooted in her latest research: Bicycle Law and Transportation Justice, which will likely be the first of its kind in the country. Informed by her own cycling adventures around the world and the urgency of the climate crisis, Professor Hardee wants her students—and the broader public—to see how legal structures shape daily life. “The law in this country says that a bicyclist assumes the risk of getting hit by a car. So, why would people ride? If we create legal structures that communicate respect for cyclists, that moves the needle.”

This summer, Professor Hardee steps into a new leadership role as Director of CWSL’s Clinical Externship Program. “We were pioneers in this model, and we still do it better than most schools,” she says. The program combines rigorous classroom instruction with full-time faculty support and one-on-one site visits, where professors, students, and supervising attorneys set individualized goals together.
In her own externship seminars, Hardee focuses on professional development and wellness. “Some students call it group therapy,” she says. “They pick the topics and readings and lead the discussions. It’s fantastic to watch them think through how they want to run their practices, navigate ethical dilemmas, even figure out what to wear to work.” As Director, she hopes to expand externship opportunities—especially in transactional and appellate law—and bring more faculty voices into the program. “I clerked on the Ninth Circuit, and my co-clerk is now a judge. I want to build those relationships and open more doors for our students.”

Ultimately, Professor Hardee’s message to students is one of possibility and purpose. “The biggest thing I hope they take with them is that they are more than their grades, their diploma, their job. I want them to have careers they enjoy—careers that feel fulfilling. I want them to be happy people as well as happy lawyers.”

Off Campus with Professor Hardee

What are you reading for fun?

The Fourth Wing series. 

What do you listen to?

I'm always listening to Taylor Swift.

What are you watching?

The Pitt was so good. Resident Alien has been my favorite show recently. 

What are your favorite places to visit in San Diego? 

I love the Zoo and the Safari Park – those are my happy places. I love finding new coffee shops and restaurants with my friends. We just had high tea at California English. 

About California Western School of Law   
For 100 years, California Western School of Law (CWSL) has trained practice-ready lawyers and thoughtful advocates for justice. As the first and longest-running law school in San Diego, CWSL remains committed to providing students with the fundamental knowledge, skills, and real-world experience to thrive in a rapidly evolving legal landscape. CWSL enrolls a student body representative of our diverse society, amplifying access to opportunities for social and economic mobility. Tailored programming allows students to focus on specific areas of interest, and distinguished faculty are dedicated to student growth and scholarship on critical social issues. The law school emphasizes practical, hands-on training through clinics, internships, externships, and pro bono service. CWSL is committed to excellence in education, nurturing compassionate legal professionals who use the law effectively and creatively to solve complex human and societal problems. For more information, visit www.CWSL.edu.