Sacramento Court/Clergy Conference

With Blake Nordahl '02, Professor Amagda Pérez '91, Luis Cespedes and Associate Vice Chancellor Raquel Aldana

UC Davis had a large presence at the Sixth Annual Court/Clergy Conference in Sacramento.  Organized by Sacramento Superior Court Judge James Mize and Justice George Nicholson (Ret.), the conference brings together judges and clergy to discuss topical legal issues. 

The first plenary panel was on family custody disputes and included Judge Lauri Damrell '05, a former employment law attorney who is teaching a class at King Hall this semester on implicit bias.

Before lunch, Professor Amagda Pérez '91 and I had a group discussion on what churches can do on the issue of immigration.  It was a rich discussion, with the religious leaders bringing up important practical issues that come up in their churches. Professor Emeritus Alan Brownstein, an expert in church/state constitutional law matters and a longtime participant in the Court/Clergy Conference, joined our table for lunch.

The afternoon plenary was on “Immigration:  Calming the Community and Facilitating a Dialogue.”  I moderated the discussion and offered some background on the current immigration issues facing the nation.  Other panelists included:

Blake Nordahl`02, director, McGeorge Immigration Clinic, who discussed the Trump administration’s new  “public charge” rule that will penalize noncitizens who receive any public benefits.

Luis Cespedes, the Law Offices of Luis Cespedes and Sacramento County Bar Association 2019 Lawyer of the Year, who  discussed the California Legislature’s response to crime-based removals in so-called “sanctuary laws.”  He also discussed his optimism about Congress at some point passing comprehensive immigration reform.

Raquel Aldana, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Diversity and professor of law, UC Davis, who critically discussed the Trump administration’s asylum and refugee policies.

Amagda Pérez `91, executive director of California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation and co-director if the UC Davis Immigration Clinic, who discussed the efforts to help immigrant communities through promoting family preparedness (regarding what to do in the event a parent is detained by U.S. immigration authorities; DACA renewals and naturalization petitions; and “know your rights” programs for persons who may encounter immigration enforcement).

Discussing difficult issues like immigration is an important first step.  We had a rich, productive discussion.