Chicanx/Latinx and Native American Careers in Law Webinar

Last week, I participated in a Chicanx/Latinx and Native American Careers in Law Webinar for newly admitted first-year and transfer students to UC Davis.  Organized by the Undergraduate Admissions office, the webinar, which was broadcast live on Facebook, is part of the Alumni Career Mentorship Webinar series.

I had the honor of selecting the panelists, who represent the very best of  UC Davis School of Law.  Amagda Perez `91, co-director of our Immigration Law Clinic and executive director of California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, and  Darcie Houck `97, chief counsel for the California Energy Commission, talked about their experiences at UC Davis, both as undergraduates and law students, as well as the careers they developed in law. I was fortunate to have them both as students in my classes. I also worked with Amagda as co-chair of La Raza Law Students Association and Darcie as a leader of the Native American Law Students Association.

We also had two current third-year King Hall students on the panel: Joana Peraza '21 and Lili Romero '21, co-chairs of the La Raza Law Students Association last year. They discussed the experiences that led them to law school and UC Davis  Law.

I welcomed the group and talked a bit about my career in the law. I also talked with them about the excellence, diversity, and community that are the foundations of UC Davis School of Law. And I could not resist taking pride in the fact that the law school is housed in a building named after Martin Luther King Jr., and that a statue of Dr. King graces the lobby. 

Scores of students participated in the webinar.  They asked some excellent questions about law school admissions, the law school experience, and the practice of law.  I was happy to see their interest. With all the challenges in our world today caused by the global pandemic, more great legal minds are needed. 

The energy of the new UC Davis students was palpable – even through the event was conducted through Zoom.  I can only hope that some of the student participants end up at UC Davis School of Law!