Hillel of San Diego Wins Lawsuit Over UCSD Center

San Diego – November 16, 2018 – Cooley helped Hillel of San Diego defeat a lawsuit challenging its plans to build the Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center, a facility to serve Jewish students at University of California, San Diego.

"This was a baseless lawsuit, and we are heartened that Judge Taylor confirmed Hillel’s lawful right to build,” said Joel Smith, president of the board of directors of Hillel of San Diego, in a news release. "We are especially delighted that our project will serve as a welcoming beacon of inclusivity at the entrance to La Jolla, a neighborhood that once forbade Jewish ownership. We will not be bullied any longer; the time to build is now.”

An organization called Taxpayers for Responsible Land Use has filed multiple lawsuits challenging the Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center since 2006. With its latest, filed against both Hillel of San Diego and the City of San Diego in 2017, TRLU sought to invalidate the city’s most recent approval of the center. 

Earlier this month, however, San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor denied TRLU’s claims entirely, finding that the city’s approval was supported by substantial evidence. 

Hillel of San Diego encourages students of all backgrounds to form deep, personal connections to Jewish life, learning and Israel through exploration, leadership and a sense of belonging.

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