Argomenti trattati
The law school landscape is changing as rapidly as the technologies it regulates. A recent $125,000 gift from alumni Kristin ’07 and Tom Sverchek establishes two new scholarships at UC Law SF designed for students with demonstrated financial need and a clear interest in technology and innovation law. These awards are structured to support students at the 2L and 3L levels who want to immerse themselves in areas like artificial intelligence, startup counsel, and other forms of emerging technology practice without being limited by immediate financial pressures.
The contribution creates the Kristin ’07 and Tom Sverchek Technology Scholarship and the Kristin ’07 and Tom Sverchek Technology Endowed Scholarship, each targeted to provide meaningful relief and opportunity. This gift also advances the school’s broader Into the Future campaign, a fundraising effort aiming to secure $100 million to enhance student support, faculty excellence, and innovative programming; with the Svercheks’ donation the campaign has reached $77.2 million. The scholarships both reflect and amplify UC Law SF’s emphasis on preparing lawyers to work at the intersection of law and rapid technological change.
What the scholarships offer and who they serve
The two awards are designed to help students say yes to formative experiences that might otherwise be financially out of reach. Recipients—eligible 2L and 3L students with documented financial need and a record of interest in innovation law—will have enhanced flexibility to pursue unpaid internships, clinics, academic conferences, or early-stage startup roles. By reducing short-term economic constraints, the scholarships invite recipients to explore the full range of career paths where law and technology intersect, rather than being steered toward decisions driven primarily by debt or immediate income needs.
Why this matters for the future of tech law
Legal guidance shapes how technologies are built, deployed, and regulated. The Svercheks’ gift is an investment in the diversity and preparedness of that future legal workforce. The scholarships aim to bring talented students from different backgrounds into areas such as AI, platform governance, and startup ecosystems where a variety of perspectives improves outcomes. The donors explicitly tied financial support to an interest in innovation to ensure that the profession steering technology policy and business strategy better reflects society as a whole.
Philanthropy rooted in experience
Kristin’s career path—from law school to roles including general counsel and president of business affairs, through to serving as president at Lyft and now as a board member at Kodiak—informs this gift. The scholarship is a deliberate attempt to recreate for future students the chance encounters and coursework that opened new trajectories for her, such as a pivotal venture capital class she took during her studies. The Svercheks described the award as a way to “pay forward” the opportunities that shaped Kristin’s unconventional legal and business career.
Practical impact: what donors hope recipients will gain
The primary goal is to create what the donors call “breathing room”: the freedom for a student to accept a challenging internship, enroll in a specialized clinic, or participate in an important conference without the constraint of immediate financial returns. Beyond funding, the scholarships signal confidence in recipients’ potential at an early stage of their careers. The Svercheks emphasized that financial support combined with a focus on innovation helps cultivate a tech law community that values curiosity, adaptability, and a range of life experiences.
Advice for students entering an evolving field
Alongside the gift, Kristin offered practical guidance for students building careers at the intersection of law and technology. She highlighted a few priorities: cultivate sustained intellectual curiosity, become comfortable with ambiguity, and develop the habit of learning continuously since technology often outpaces formal curricula. She urged future attorneys to learn how products work, how businesses monetize them, and how innovations affect stakeholders—skills that go beyond traditional legal training and are central to advising clients effectively in the tech economy.
Skills to develop early
Students are encouraged to build judgment by reasoning from first principles, to learn technical and business basics, and to approach unsettled legal questions with creativity. The donors believe the most effective lawyers in this space will be those who can bridge legal analysis with a practical understanding of technology and market realities. In sum, the scholarships are intended not just to reduce financial barriers, but to catalyze a mindset that will help recipients lead as the law adapts to new technologies.