Laura Padilla

Laura Padilla has been on the faculty at California Western School of Law since 1992, where she received tenure in 1997 and has been a full Professor since 1999. From 2007-2013 she was Associate Dean for Administration and was also General Counsel. She graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Communication and a minor in Italian Studies. She received her JD from Stanford Law School where was Business Manager of the Journal of International Law and actively engaged with the Stanford Latino Law Students Association, serving as co-president. Professor Padilla teaches property and transaction-related classes including Business Organizations, Business Planning, Externship Seminar, Gender, Property & Law, Land Use, Property I, and Property II. Her research focuses on gender, race, property and power and climate change, land use and property issues. Padilla has served the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) as an appointed member of the Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Law Professors (chair during 3rd year), and the Committee on Bar Passage and Lawyer Performance, and as a member of various site visit teams. Professor Padilla has been recognized for her leadership and was selected as a Kellogg Fellow, Class XV. The San Diego County Bar Association honored her with the Service to Legal Education award in 2008, Stanford University presented her with the Governors Award in 2009 (up to 15 awards are given each year for exemplary volunteer service to the University over an extended period), she was elected as a member of the American Law Institute in 2010, and the San Diego Daily Transcript named her a Top Attorney in the academic category in 2012. She has been an appointed member of the Stanford Alumni Association’s Board of Directors, the Stanford Associates’ Board of Governors, and the Stanford Athletic Board. Professor Padilla co-founded the Stanford Multicultural Alumni Club (SMAC), and is committed to working with youth, law students, and lawyers to promote social justice, and to increase Latina leadership in the Academy.


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