Professor Holly Cooper '98 of the Davis Immigration Law Clinic co-authored, "Quick Reference Chart and Annotations for Determining Immigration Consequences of Selected Arizona Offenses", a 200 page document, which dissects each of the Arizona penal code provisions and advises criminal lawyers of the potential immigration consequences for each crime. Cooper presented the chart at the Arizona Public Defenders Association Conference in June 2006.
Professor James F. Smith and Supervising Attorney Christopher J. Todd '98 of the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic successfully argued an immigration case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The court ruled in Ortega-Mendez v. Gonzales, that battery under California Penal Code 242 was not categorically a crime of violence. Therefore, the Board of Immigration Appeals erred in determining that Ortega-Mendez was ineligible for cancellation of removal on the ground that his 1998 offense was a crime of domestic violence.
The Immigration Clinic won another victory in Immigration Court. Under the direction of Professor James Smith, law students Genevieve Kramer '06, Jonathan Elson '06, and Fermin Villegas '06 worked for cancellation of removal of a husband and wife who had three US citizen children, an exemplary work record and strong community ties.
Immigration Clinic students successfully defended two clients before the Immigration Court in San Francisco. Students Andrea Anapolsky, Melyssa Minamoto and Katie Ruhl represented a Brazilian man who had been persecuted in his community and by family members because of his sexual orientation. Students prepared the pre-hearing brief and worked with experts and their client in preparation for the hearing. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attorney decided not to oppose the grant of asylum.
Students with the La Raza Law Students Association and the Immigration Law Clinic assisted approximately 700 lawful permanent residents to apply for naturalization over the last two months. Due to the complexity of the cases and the need for final review, law students were recruited to conduct the final review of applications, which in the past has only been conducted by immigration attorneys and extensively trained advocates. The final review staff included Joe Castillo, Caryn Crosthwait, Katie Dwight, Tally Kingsnorth, Ruby Marquez, Tin T.
This month, Immigration students presented a challenging 212 (c) waiver case in San Francisco Immigration Court. The case involves a client who suffers from AIDS and schizophrenia and was denied reentry into the United States when returning from a visit to Mexico. Law students Tin T. Nguyen, Renee Reyna and Josefina Carrillo represented the family. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge and assistant district counsel both commented on the great written work and oral advocacy of the Davis law students.
The Immigration Clinic co-director and supervising attorney Amagda Perez '91 was honored by the La Raza Lawyers Association with a Community Service Award in recognition of her outstanding advocacy and legal services on behalf of Latinos and immigrants in general. The award was presented at the Unity Bar Association of Sacramento Annual Unity Dinner on October 27.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on May 11 dismissed an appeal brought by a group of correctional officers accused of using excessive force against a prisoner. Earlier this spring, the Ninth Circuit appointed the Civil Rights Clinic to represent an inmate who claimed violation of his Eighth Amendment rights based on a brutal beating. The lower court had refused to dismiss the case and the prison guards appealed. Third year law student Gregory Gabriel filed a brief on behalf of the inmate. Shortly before oral argument, the Attorney General's office dismissed the appeal.
Faced with its state's booming immigrant population, a North Carolina law school has called on UC Davis' nationally and internationally renowned Immigration Law Clinic for training and advice. North Carolina is among the states in the Midwest and Southeast that have witnessed the most rapid growth in immigrant populations. But training for immigration lawyers in the state has not kept up with demand. As a result, some students and faculty at North Carolina Central University in Durham want to create their own immigration law clinic.
