Alums Speak with Immigration Law Clinic Students

Guest post by Professor Amagda Pérez

An impressive panel of Immigration Law Clinic alums spoke with students about careers in immigration law. Alums detailed their experiences in the Immigration Clinic as being the most positive learning opportunity. This set the foundation for their work as immigration attorneys, immigration policy advocates, advisors to Governor Brown and Attorney General Xavier Becerra, and clinical professors.

Professor Emeritus James Smith spoke about the political climate in the 1980s, the injustices committed against Central American asylum seekers and the unreported human rights abuses committed against immigrants. These factors lead to the creation of the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic. Professor Smith and alums spoke about their work in the Immigration Clinic and their work now providing removal defense and affirmative immigration legal services throughout California.     

Speakers included:

· Apurva Behal '18, Yolo County Public Defender's Office

· Aidin Castillo '11, Legal Director, Centro Legal de La Raza

· Bianca Duenas '16, Citizenship and Immigration Project Director, CRLA Foundation

· Jesse Lloyd '00, Senior Partner, Bean, Lloyd, Mukherji, & Taylor, LLP

· Kyle Morishita '11, Immigration Attorney, De Castro Law Group

· Blake Nordahl '02, Clinic Professor, Pacific McGeorge School of Law

· Joana Peraza '21, Immigration Fellow, CRLA Foundation

· Daniel Torres '02, Program Director, Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund

· Mary Waltermire '95, Senior Partner, Schoenleber & Waltermire, LLP

· Nicole Zanardi '17, Removal Defense Attorney, CRLA Foundation

· Professor Emeritus James F. Smith, Founder of UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic

· Professor Holly Cooper '98 and Professor Amagda Pérez '91