From left to right: Dr. Karen Korematsu, Sylvia Mendez, Professor Robert S. Chang, Jeannie Berwick, Jim Degel, and UC Irvine Law Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law Austen Parrish
The University of California, Irvine School of Law officially opened the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality on Oct. 22, marking the center’s new chapter after 15 years at Seattle University School of Law.
Over 150 people attended including civil rights leaders and community advocates, and featured keynote remarks from California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Professor Robert S. Chang was installed as the inaugural holder of the Sylvia Mendez Presidential Chair for Civil Rights.
Dr. Karen Korematsu, the founder and president of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, expressed her gratitude for the center’s new home at UC Irvine, emphasizing its mission to honor her father’s legacy in advocating for civil rights.
“It’s about the students… the inspiration that you want them to take away,” she said.
The program also featured the unveiling of portraits of Fred T. Korematsu and Rosa Parks, gifted by the Korematsu family. The center will focus on civil rights issues affecting local communities, aiming to foster research and provide hands-on legal experience for law students.