In two separate class actions, the Superior Court for San Francisco ordered the University of California to pay a total of $91 million to students who were charged tuition in excess of what the university had promised it would charge them.
In Kashmiri v. Regents of the University of California, the court awarded $42 million to students who were billed a second time after having been sent a bill for a set price for the upcoming term. The judgment was affirmed on appeal in a precedent-setting opinion confirming that universities’ agreements with their students regarding tuition charges are governed by the same standards as contracts with other service providers. 156 Cal. App. 4th 809 (2007).
In Luquetta v. Regents of the University of California, the court found that the university breached its promise to keep professional degree fees constant for the duration of students’ enrollment, resulting in an award of $49 million. This success was recognized by a California Lawyer of the Year Award in 2013.
Andy Freeman was co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in both cases.