Senator Cervantes' proposal to establish a new University of California law school in Riverside County aims to address the absence of public legal education options in the Inland Empire region. The legislation would appropriate annual funding from the state's General Fund, beginning in fiscal year 2026-27, for the creation and construction of the school under University of California administration.

The bill's findings note that the Inland Empire, with over 4.2 million residents, currently has only one American Bar Association or California Bar-accredited law school. The most recent University of California law school opened at UC Irvine in 2008, with UCLA housing the system's only other Southern California location. According to the legislation, geographic distance and traffic congestion between Inland Empire communities and existing UC law schools in Westwood and Irvine create logistical barriers for prospective students from Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The measure requires a two-thirds vote for passage and includes an appropriation, though the specific funding amount remains undefined in the current bill text. The University of California Board of Regents would oversee the funds and administer the new law school, consistent with their constitutional authority over the UC system. The bill positions law schools as both educational institutions and hubs for regional legal communities, citing their role in knowledge exchange and local legal sector development.