There have been plenty of firsts this semester for David Faigman, the chancellor and dean of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, as the school has adapted to life during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, the dean added another first to that list as he led the school to join a lawsuit as a plaintiff against the city and county of San Francisco. The school joined other residents and businesses in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood claiming in a federal lawsuit that San Francisco officials have allowed the area to become “a containment zone” for drug and homelessness issues—issues further complicated by the current public health crisis.

Faigman this week spoke with The Recorder about his decision to file suit against the city and what he hopes the lawsuit accomplishes. The following has been edited for length and clarity.