Upcoming Events
Co-sponsored Conference
Got Habeas? New Clinics, Theories, and Developments in Immigration Detention Litigation and Teaching
Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Pacific | King Hall, Room 1001 | MCLE Credits Available | No Registration Fee | Livestreamed
Register in advance.
For practitioners and clinicians who work on immigration cases — or who might want to — as well as law students and others interested in this emerging area of law. The conference is open to lawyers, faculty, and students interested in providing representation to detained persons. Detailed schedule, sponsors, and contacts here.
Lunch provided to registrants.
Film Screening and Fireside Chat
A Job in the Shade: The Emily Vasquez Story
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 | 12 – 2 p.m. | King Hall, Room 2302 | In Person Only
Directed by filmmaker Douglas Harris Jr., this inspiring documentary chronicles the extraordinary life of Judge Emily Vasquez, the first Latina appointed to the Sacramento County Superior Court, in 2001. Film screening will be followed by a fireside chat between Judge Vasquez and Professor Amagda Pérez, Co-Director of the Immigration Law Clinic and attorney with the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.
Through intimate interviews with family members, friends, colleagues, and mentees, A Job in the Shade explores Judge Vasquez’s remarkable journey from the agricultural fields of California to the courtroom. The film highlights a lifetime of service, leadership, and mentorship while demonstrating how education can change lives and expand opportunities for future generations.
From her childhood in California’s Central Valley, working alongside her poor, immigrant farmworker parents, to her groundbreaking legal career, Judge Vasquez’s story is one of resilience, determination, and the transformative power of education.
Lunch provided.
Critical Perspectives on 1L Courses
Professor John Hunt, Contracts
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 | 12 – 1 p.m. | King Hall, Room 1002 | Streaming Link
Lunch provided.
Racial Justice Speaker Series
Defending the Mentally Ill: Litigating Competency, Intent, and Insanity in the Case of People v. Carlos Reales Dominguez
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026 | 12 – 1 p.m. | King Hall, Room 1301 | MCLE Credits Available | No Registration Fee | Livestreamed
In 2023, the Davis community was horrified by a series of tragic stabbings that left two men dead and a woman in critical condition. Police arrested 21-year-old Carlos Reales Dominguez, recently dismissed as a UC Davis undergrad and experiencing undiagnosed schizophrenia.
Yolo County Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson ’04 will discuss his three years defending Reales Dominguez through all the complexities of litigating competency, intent, and insanity. Hutchinson has conducted more than 60 jury trials, including four murder trials. He was named 2026 California Public Defender’s Association (CPDA) Defender of the Year for his office’s representation of Reales Dominguez during the initial criminal trial.
Hutchinson graduated Order of the Coif from UC Davis Law in 2004. In law school, he interned with the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office. After graduating, he clerked for United States District Judge Margaret M. Morrow. He returned to Yolo County in 2006 after eight months at the Riverside County Public Defender’s Office. He currently supervises the misdemeanor unit, training and supervising new attorneys and law student interns.
Lunch provided.
Critical Perspectives on 1L Courses
Professor Stacy-Ann Elvy, Civil Procedure
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026 | 12 – 1 p.m. | King Hall, Room 1002 | Streaming Link
Lunch provided.
“Critical Perspectives on 1L Courses” talks seek to expose first-year students to critical perspectives that often do not make it onto the syllabus of regular first-year classes while connecting King Hall students more closely with their faculty. Learn more here.