Historical Context and Legislative Motivation
S.C. Hastings, California’s first chief justice and third attorney general, was one of the state’s wealthiest landowners by 1870. The name change came after the law school commissioned an independent report linking Hastings to the mid-19th-century massacres of Yuki Indigenous people in Northern California. The findings showed that Hastings had funded and organized efforts to expel Native Americans from land he had purchased in Mendocino County—actions that led to the deaths of hundreds.
The plaintiffs, including Hastings’ descendants and several alumni, filed suit in 2022, arguing that the killings were carried out by a state militia beyond Hastings’ control and that the legislature’s renaming act was politically motivated. The appeals court, however, agreed with the state’s position that the school’s own governing board supported and requested the changes, undercutting claims of improper political influence.
Reactions and Representation
In a statement, UC Law San Francisco said it was “pleased with the decision,” emphasizing its continued mission:
