Community Corner

Hastings Will Honor Alumnus Chris Stevens with Law School Symposium

The late Ambassador Christopher Stevens was a graduate of Piedmont High School, UC Berkeley and UC's Hastings College of the Law in Fan Francisco.

Bay City News Service—Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco has announced that it will hold a law and public policy symposium next year in honor of the late Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who was a 1989 graduate of the law school.

Stevens, 52, the ambassador to Libya, was killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi on Sept. 11. He was a 1978 graduate of Piedmont High School, and his mother and stepfather live in Piedmont.

The law school, which is part of the University of California, announced the symposium and a fund to receive donations for the project on Monday.

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The symposium will be held during the 2013-2014 school year and will "emphasize law and public policy as actually used in practice to advance global understanding and peace," the law school officials said.

Stevens' brother, Tom Stevens, said in a statement, "Gathering experts to discuss law and foreign policy as it relates to actual legal practice in the promotion of global understanding presents a fitting opportunity to further the legacy of Chris's style of diplomacy and his life's work."

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The brother added, "Chris loved his UC Hastings years, and he maintained his strong connection to the school throughout his life."

Hasting Chancellor and Dean Frank Wu said, "The ambassador was performing the highest role that a lawyer is called upon to perform, public service." Wu said that the ambassador "had been looking forward to sharing his experiences with students when he returned. Like everyone in our nation, we were shocked to learn of recent events."

Christopher Stevens earned his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley, before receiving a law degree from UC Hastings. He joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1991 and began serving as ambassador to Libya in June.

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