San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi Memorial Scholarship

Thank you for supporting the San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi Memorial Scholarship at UC Law SF. This endowed scholarship will be awarded annually and in perpetuity to LEOP students - those who have experienced educational, economic, social, or physical obstacles that have restricted their access to academic opportunities and resources. Recipients will have demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career in public interest or public service. Awards are made to students in their 2L year and are renewable for their 3L year. We have now raised $196,304 and are so close to reaching our goal of $200,000.00! Please make a gift today and push us over the top! Donations are tax-deductible, UC Law SF Foundation tax ID number 23-7135898. Thank you for your support!

More about Jeff

Jeff, who passed away in February 2019, dedicated his life to public service, beginning in the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office shortly after graduating from UC Law SF in 1985. He was a passionate defender of those that needed defending most. And he inspired others to do the same.

Jeff was a proud UC Law SF LEOP graduate, someone who never hesitated to give back to his alma mater. He was the honored speaker at UC Law SF’s Fall 2018 Convocation, where his words electrified our community at the start of the new academic year. He spoke about the need for law students to find something they believed in. Members of the legal profession, he said, served both their clients and society. He advised the audience of beginning lawyers to not simply sit back and represent the interests that came to them as advocates, but to reach out and advocate for those interests that most needed representation.

Jeff lived those words. In his position as Public Defender, he took on both individual cases and sought to change the system where it perpetuated injustice. His lodestar was always the fundamental constitutional principles of fairness and equity. He fought to empower those with little or no power, to provide opportunity to those with little or no opportunity, and to ensure that the rule of law was adhered to by those charged with enforcing the law. He believed in the human spirit and kindled that belief in those around him. Thank you once again for contributing to the preservation of Jeff’s legacy.

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