Students Help Residents Apply for Citizenship on Day of Service Honoring Chavez

A group of more than 20 UC Davis Law students volunteered to help nearly 40 lawful permanent residents apply for United States citizenship. Their day of service honored late farm labor and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, whose birthday, March 31, is recognized widely every year.

Professor and Immigration Law Clinic Co-director Amagda Pérez directed the students’ volunteer efforts.

Professor Pérez earned her J.D. from King Hall in 1991. While in law school, she served as co-chair of the La Raza Law Students Association, worked at the Immigration Law Clinic and received the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for public service. In 1994, she joined the King Hall faculty in the Immigration Law Clinic, and in 2007 was named its director. She is the recipient of the law school’s 2010 Distinguished Teaching Award. In addition to her work at King Hall, she serves as executive director of California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, which provides free legal aid to immigrants in poor rural communities.