Schools
UCLA Grad Missing In Oregon
Brian Lewinstein crossed a safety fence to photograph a waterfall, slipped and fell.
BERKELEY, CA — A top UCLA graduate went missing Sunday when he slipped and fell while taking a photograph of a waterfall in Oregon, and authorities believe he may have died in the fall.
Rescue crews continue to search for Brian Lewinstein, 23, a magna cum laude graduate of UCLA and former intern of Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles). Lewinstein was scheduled to begin his second year at Berkeley Law this fall and to graduate in May 2020, according to law school spokesman Michael Bazeley.magna cum laude
Grief counselors are at the University of California at Berkeley's School of Law today in response to the tragedy, a school spokesperson said.
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Lewinstein crossed a safety fence to take a photograph from above the Toketee Falls in Umpqua National Forest when he slipped and fell down a steep embankment on Sunday afternoon, Douglas County sheriff's officials said.
Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Brad Odell said deputies are continuing to search for Lewinstein today.
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Sheriff's officials said on Monday that, "Some information is circulating that the man (Lewinstein) had been located," but that wasn't true.
Sheriff's officials said Lewinstein's next of kin have been notified of his disappearance.
Bazeley said Lewinstein worked as an intern in juvenile defense at the East Bay Community Law Center in Berkeley and was planning to intern there again this fall.
Lewinstein said on his LinkedIn account that he planned to graduate in May 2020 with a certificate of specialization in Public Interest and Social Justice.
He said that during law school, he planned on pursuing interests in racial justice and civil rights law, especially as they relate to police misconduct.
Lewinstein said he "ultimately envisions himself working in impact litigation or on public policy regarding structural conditions that serve as barriers to success for marginalized youth."
According to his LinkedIn account, Lewistein graduated in political science and government from University of California at Los Angeles and interned for Lieu from December 2015 through March 2016.
— Bay City News; Image via Douglas County Sheriff's Office