List of UC Berkeley School of Law alumni

UC Berkeley School of Law has produced many influential alumni in law, government, business, academia and society.

The following are prominent alumni of Berkeley Law. Within each category below, alumni are listed by their graduation date from the law school. Alumni may appear more than once if they hold or have held roles that encompass multiple categories. Individuals were conferred with J.D. or LL.B. degrees unless otherwise noted in parentheses.

United States government and politics The following are Berkeley Law graduates who have served in prominent federal, state, and local government positions and/or important political roles.

Federal government United States Cabinet and Executive Council

Dean Rusk, 1940 – 54th United States Secretary of State (1961–1969)

G. William Miller, 1952 – 65th United States Secretary of the Treasury (1979–1981) and 11th Chairman of the Federal Reserve (1978–1979) Edwin Meese III, 1958 – 75th United States Attorney General (1985–1988) and Counselor to the President (1981–1985) Neil Goldschmidt, 1967 – 6th United States Secretary of Transportation (1979–1981) Kenneth Wainstein, 1988 – 4th United States Homeland Security Advisor (2008–2009) Robert O'Brien, 1991 – 28th United States National Security Advisor (2019–2021)

United States Congress Senators Pete Wilson, 1962 – United States Senator from California (1983–1991) Peter Welch, 1973 – United States Senator from Vermont (2023–)

Representatives Frederick C. Loofbourow, 1896 – member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah (1930–1933) Ralph R. Eltse, 1912 – member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1933–1935) Albert E. Carter, 1913 – member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1925–1945) J. Leroy Johnson, 1915 – member of the United States House of Representatives from California (1943–1957) Thomas Werdel, 1936 – member of the United States House of Representatives from California (1949–1953) Robert Condon, 1938 – member of the United States House of Representatives from California (1953–1955) John J. McFall, 1941 – House Majority Whip (1973–1977), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1957–1978) John F. Baldwin, Jr., 1949 – member of the United States House of Representatives from California (1955–1966) Robert Leggett, 1950 – member of the United States House of Representatives from California (1963–1979) Thomas Gill, 1951 – member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii (1963–1965) Jerome Waldie, 1953 – member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1966–1975) Eni Faleomavaega, 1973 (LL.M.) – delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from American Samoa (1989–2015) Peter Welch, 1973 – member of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont (2007–2023) Frank Tejeda, 1974 – member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas (1993–1997)

Colin Allred, 2014 – member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas (2018–)

Notable congressional staff Douglas Letter, 1978 – general counsel of the United States House of Representatives (2019–) Victoria Nourse, 1984 – counsel to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee (1990–1993) and a United States Committee to Investigate the Iran-Contra Affair (1987) Uttam Dhillon, 1987 – chief counsel and deputy staff director of the United States House Committee on Homeland Security (2003–2006), policy director of the House Republican Policy Committee (2002), and senior investigative counsel of the United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform (1997–1998) Linda Menghetti, 1990 – Chief Democratic (Minority) Trade Counsel in the United States Senate Committee on Finance (2000, counsel 1996–2000) Jelena McWilliams, 2002 – chief counsel and deputy staff director for the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (2015–2016) Ann O'Leary, 2005 – legislative director for Senator Hillary Clinton (2001–2003) Henry Stern, 2009 – former counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee

Department of Justice Annette Abbott Adams, 1912 – Assistant U.S. Attorney General (1920–1921); first woman to serve in this role Francis C. Whelan, 1932 – United States Attorney for the Southern District of California (1961–1964) John Michael Doar, 1949 – Assistant U.S. Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division (1960–1967) D. Lowell Jensen, 1952 – 21st United States Deputy Attorney General (1985–1986), United States Associate Attorney General (1983–1985), United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division (1981–1983)

Theodore Olson, 1965 – 42nd Solicitor General of the United States (2001–2004) Billy Hunter, 1971 – United States Attorney for the Northern District of California (1977–1981) Douglas Letter, 1978 – director of the Civil Division Appellate Staff, associate counsel to President Bill Clinton, deputy associate attorney general, and senior counselor to Attorney General Eric Holder Bonnie S. Klapper, 1982 – notable Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California and the Eastern District of New York (1984–2012) Harry Litman, 1986 – United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania (1998–2001), Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney General (1993–1998), and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California (1989–1993) and the Eastern District of Virginia (1993–1998) Uttam Dhillon, 1987 – acting administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration (2018–2020)

Melinda Haag, 1987 – United States Attorney for the Northern District of California (2010–2017) Karin Immergut, 1987 – United States Attorney for the District of Oregon (2003–2009) Kenneth Wainstein, 1988 – United States Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division (2006–2008) and United States Attorney for the District of Columbia (2004–2006)

Department of State John R. Phillips, 1969 – United States Ambassador to Italy (2013–2017), United States Ambassador to San Marino (2013–2017), and chair of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships (2009–2013) Michael Kozak, 1971 – noted diplomat who has served in various high-ranking roles in the U.S. Department of State since the 1970s; helped negotiate the Panama Canal Treaties and the Egypt-Israel, Nicaraguan Civil War, and Lebanese Civil War peace treaties; United States Ambassador to Belarus (2000–2003), Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana (late 1990s), Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs (2019–), Acting United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism (2012–2013), principal deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, and senior advisory roles to the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael H. Posner, 1972 – Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) of the United States (2009–2013)

Daniel A. Clune, 1975 – United States Ambassador to Laos (2013–2016), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (2010–2012), director of the U.S. State Department Office of Monetary Affairs (2005–2007), director of the U.S. State Department Office of Economic Policy and Public Diplomacy, deputy chief of mission and chargé d'affaires of the U.S. embassy in the Bahamas Frankie Reed, 1979 – United States Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu (2011–2015) and United States Consul in Melbourne, Australia (2015–) Robert S. Beecroft, 1988 – United States Ambassador to Egypt (2015–2017), United States Ambassador to Iraq (2012–2014), and United States Ambassador to Jordan (2008–2011) Jeff Bleich, 1989 – United States Ambassador to Australia (2009–2013) Robert O'Brien, 1991 – Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs (2018–2019) and co-chair of the Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan program (2007–2008)

Other federal departments and agencies Hugh S. Johnson, 1916 – administrator of the National Recovery Administration (1933–1934); served during the height of the Great Depression Mathew Tobriner, 1932 (J.S.D.) – chief attorney for the United States Department of Agriculture (1932–1936) Steven Walther, 1968 – vice chair of the Federal Election Commission (2020, commissioner 2008–) Michael Pack, 1970s – CEO and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (2020–2021), senior vice president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (2003–2006), and member of the National Council for the Humanities (2002–2005) Helane Morrison, 1984 – regional director of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (1999–2007) Uttam Dhillon, 1987 – director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2006–2008) Kenneth Wainstein, 1988 – Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis (2022–) David Kappos, 1990 – Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and director of United States Patent and Trademark Office (2009–2013) Kenneth L. Marcus, 1991 – Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Civil Rights (2018–, 2003–2004), staff director for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (2004–2008), and General Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (2001–2004) Michael Mundaca, 1992 – Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy (2010–2011)

Jelena McWilliams, 2002 – chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (2018–) Maya Rupert, 2006 – senior policy adviser to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro (2014–2017)

Executive staff Jerome Waldie, 1953 – executive director of the White House Conference on Aging (1980) and chair of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (1978–1979) Richard L. Wright, 1960s – senior advisor on the task force that founded the Department of Energy during the Carter Administration Maria Echaveste, 1980 – deputy chief of staff to President Bill Clinton (1998–2001) Victoria Nourse, 1984 – counsel to Vice President Joe Biden (2014–2015) Jamie Fellner, 1990s – member of the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (2004–2009)

Howard Shelanski, 1992 – administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (2013–2017) and director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Economics (2012–2013) Nicole Wong, 1995 – Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States (2013–2014) Ann O'Leary, 2005 – advisor to President Barack Obama's transition team

State and territorial governments Governors

Earl Warren, 1914 – 30th Governor of California (1943–1953) Walter Gordon, 1922 – 18th Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (1955–1958) Richard Lamm, 1961 – 38th Governor of Colorado (1975–1987)

Pete Wilson, 1962 – 36th Governor of California (1991–1999) Neil Goldschmidt, 1967 – 33rd Governor of Oregon (1987–1991)

State cabinet members Earl Warren, 1914 – 20th Attorney General of California (1939–1943) Thomas Gill, 1951 – 3rd Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii (1966–1970) and director of the Hawaii Office of Economic Opportunity (1965–1966) Richard L. Wright, 1960s – chief of staff to Governor of New Jersey Jim Florio David B. Frohnmayer, 1967 – 12th Attorney General of Oregon (1981–1991) Paul Bardacke, 1969 – 26th Attorney General of New Mexico (1983–1986) Eni Faleomavaega, 1973 (LL.M.) – 3rd Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa (1985–1989) David M. Louie, 1977 – 13th Attorney General of Hawaii (2011–2014) Kate Marshall, 1992 – 35th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada (2019–) and 21st Nevada State Treasurer (2007–2015) Jahna Lindemuth, 1997 – 31st Attorney General of Alaska (2016–2018) Sean Reyes, 1997 – 21st Attorney General of Utah (2013–) Jessica Wooley, 1997 – director of the Hawaii Office of Environmental Quality Control (2014–2015) Ann O'Leary, 2005 – chief of staff to Governor of California Gavin Newsom (2019–)