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Supreme Court ends Hastings descendants' fight over law school name change

Supreme Court ends Hastings descendants' fight over law school name change

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

UC Law San Francisco keeps its name after courts ruled the 1878 'forever' statute was not a binding contract

October 19th, 2026: U.S. Supreme Court denies certiorari

Overview

Updated Oct 30

The U.S. Supreme Court on October 19, 2026 declined to hear a challenge by six descendants of Serranus Hastings to the renaming of San Francisco's 148-year-old law school. The one-sentence order had no noted dissents, and no court case is pending.

The case turned on whether the 1878 law saying the school "shall forever be known" as Hastings College of the Law was a binding contract. Every court said no, ruling it was an ordinary statute a later legislature could repeal. The descendants had sought $1.7 billion; the 2022 renaming law also set up scholarships for Round Valley Indian Tribes members and an Indigenous law center at the school.

Why it matters

The ruling confirms "forever" in a founding statute doesn't bind future legislatures, clearing the path for public institutions to rename over contested legacies.

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Key Indicators

145
Years the school carried Hastings' name
The school bore the Hastings name from 1878 until the 2023 change.
$100K
Hastings' founding gift
Serranus Hastings paid $100,000 to establish the school in 1878.
$1.7B
Damages descendants sought
The plaintiffs claimed the original $100,000 plus interest.
0
Dissents in Supreme Court order
The denial came in a one-sentence order with no noted dissents.

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People Involved

Serranus C. Hastings
Serranus C. Hastings
Namesake and founder of Hastings College of the Law
Deceased
GM
Gregory Michael
Attorney for the Hastings descendants and alumni
Representing plaintiffs; said the Supreme Court denial was disappointing
 Joshua Anderson
Joshua Anderson
Attorney for the law school
Represented UC College of the Law, San Francisco in the litigation
TS
Tara Siegel
Deputy state attorney general
Defended the renaming on behalf of California
 James Ramos
James Ramos
California Assembly member, author of AB1936
In office

Organizations Involved

CL
UC College of the Law, San Francisco
Public law school
Name change stands

A public law school in San Francisco, part of the University of California system, renamed in 2023.
HC
Hastings College Conservation Committee
Alumni and descendant advocacy group
Plaintiff group; case concluded after Supreme Court denied review

The plaintiff group of alumni and six Hastings descendants that sued to preserve the school's original name.

Timeline

1860s October 2026

8 events Latest: October 19th, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. U.S. Supreme Court denies certiorari

    Latest Legal

    The Court refuses to hear Hastings College Conservation Committee v. State of California, ending the legal fight.

  2. California Supreme Court declines review

    Legal

    The state high court lets the appellate ruling stand without comment.

  3. Appeals court upholds name change

    Legal

    The First District Court of Appeal unanimously rejects the descendants' claims, ruling the state could not contract away its power to govern a public institution.

  4. Superior Court rules 1878 law was not a contract

    Legal

    Judge Richard Ulmer holds the founding statute was an ordinary law, repealable by a later one, not a binding agreement.

  5. AB1936 takes effect, renaming the school

    Legal

    The school becomes UC College of the Law, San Francisco under legislation authored by Assembly Member James Ramos.

  6. Descendants and alumni sue to keep the name

    Legal

    Six Hastings descendants and an alumni group file suit claiming the state broke a binding contract in renaming the school.

  7. California law founds Hastings College of the Law

    Legal

    A state statute declares the school "shall forever be known" as Hastings College of the Law, funded by Hastings' $100,000 gift.

  8. Hastings' militia kills Native Americans in Mendocino County

    Historical Event

    The state's 2022 findings say Hastings funded bounties tied to the massacre of hundreds of Yuki people. Accounts differ on whether he ordered troops directly.

Scenarios

1

Name change stands as legal fight concludes

Likely Resolves by Oct 19, 2027

Discussed by: Law school officials and the Court's final order

With certiorari denied, no court will revisit the renaming. The school continues as UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and the case closes. The descendants retain no state-court avenue to restore the name.

2

Descendants press a new federal constitutional challenge

Unlikely Resolves by Apr 19, 2027

Discussed by: Attorney Gregory Michael, who raised federal claims in filings

Michael's filings invoked constitutional limits on legislative action. The descendants could file a new federal suit arguing the renaming violates due process or contract rights. The Supreme Court's denial makes success unlikely, and courts would likely find standing and merits barriers.

3

Law school launches reconciliation efforts with Native California tribes

Possible Resolves by Oct 19, 2027

Discussed by: Observers noting the school's stated focus on legal education

Assembly Bill 1936 already created scholarships for Round Valley Indian Tribes members, pro bono support for tribal courts and an Indigenous Law Center at the school. With the lawsuit over, the school can expand that work without the name fight in the way. Chancellor and Dean David Faigman, who opened the inquiry into Hastings' legacy in 2017, steps down in June 2027.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

February 1819

Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819)

The U.S. Supreme Court held that Dartmouth College's royal charter was a contract protected by the Constitution, preventing New Hampshire from taking over the college. Chief Justice John Marshall wrote the unanimous decision.

Then

Dartmouth remained a private institution and the decision shielded private charters from state interference.

Now

Established that charters and contracts are protected by the Contract Clause, while leaving states room to reserve powers in their own grants.

Why this matters now

The Hastings descendants argued the 1878 law was a binding contract like the Dartmouth charter. Courts distinguished the cases, ruling the 1878 law was an ordinary statute, not a contract, so the state could repeal it.

February 2017

Yale renames Calhoun College (2017)

Yale University renamed Calhoun College, named for pro-slavery statesman John C. Calhoun, to Grace Hopper College after years of student protests and a 2016 report on the college's history.

Then

The college took its new name immediately; some alumni objected.

Now

Set a precedent for universities removing names of figures tied to slavery and racism.

Why this matters now

Like Hastings, Calhoun's legacy as a defender of slavery led to renaming despite institutional ties. Hastings' case added a legal twist: the name was mandated by a state statute claiming permanence.

June 2023

Fort Bragg renamed Fort Liberty (2023)

The U.S. Army renamed Fort Bragg, the North Carolina installation named for Confederate General Braxton Bragg, to Fort Liberty. It was among nine Army posts renamed by a federal commission removing Confederate names.

Then

The renaming was completed and signage changed.

Now

Federal action followed a commission's review of Confederate-named Army posts.

Why this matters now

Part of the same wave of renaming public institutions over contested legacies. Hastings' case stands apart because a state statute explicitly promised the name "forever."

Sources

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+2
SFist San Francisco Chronicle via Yahoo News The Recorder (Law.com) Above the Law supremecourt.report California Courts Newsroom Justia SFist