King Hall Clinics Excel in 2012
UC Davis School of Law's Clinical Programs were stronger than ever in 2012. From the launch of the California Supreme Court Clinic to the impressive victories by the Family Protection and Legal Assistance Clinic to the Immigration Law Clinic naturalization workshops that served hundreds of local immigrants, the past year was a time of rising profiles and increasing impact for the Clinical Programs.
The King Hall Clinical Programs expanded last year with the addition of the California Supreme Court Clinic, the first and only law school clinic focused on litigating cases before the state's highest court. Launched in fall 2012, it drew coverage from media including the California Lawyer, the Daily Journal, and The Sacramento Bee. Under the leadership of Director Aimee Feinberg, the Clinic filed three briefs in the California Supreme Court: one on behalf of a party in a family law case, an amicus brief in a criminal-immigration case, and an amicus brief in a case involving mandatory arbitration agreements. The Clinic also participated in the California Supreme Court's visit to King Hall in October, when the Court held a special session in the Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom. Clinic students observed oral arguments and joined a luncheon hosted for the Justices. During the fall semester, Clinic seminar sessions included visits from a wide array of guest speakers including a former California Supreme Court Justice, a state appellate Justice, partners at law firms, a government lawyer, and a civil rights attorney.
The Family Protection and Legal Assistance Clinic also enjoyed a busy and productive fall semester, with students representing more than 30 victims of domestic violence, providing legal information and advice, assisting with the preparation of pleadings, preparing clients for court, and winning two impressive victories at trial. Students succeeded in obtaining a favorable outcome for a client involved in a contentious dispute over child support payments, in negotiating a settlement in a dispute over the renewal of a restraining order that was set to go to trial, and achieving another settlement in a hotly contested matter where support, property division, allegations of misappropriation of community funds, and a restraining order were at issue. The past year also saw Krystal Callaway Jaime, the Clinic's supervising attorney, produce a family law training webinar that has been made available to attorneys who provide pro bono services at the Yolo County Family Justice Center through a partnership involving the Clinic, the Yolo County FJC, and the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA). The webinar is now available for viewing via the CDAA website. In addition, students delivered presentations on cyberbullying, sexting and sextortion in Sacramento valley schools.
In a year in which the Immigration Law Clinic celebrated its 30th anniversary, clinic faculty and students won a series of impressive court victories, including a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decision that upheld its ruling in Singh v. Holder, a precedent-setting Immigration Clinic case that set a new standard of proof in certain immigration bond hearings. Clinic students won cases in which they succeeded in securing releases from immigration detention, obtaining a U visa for client facing deportation, terminating clients' removal proceedings, and more. During the fall semester, the Immigration Law Clinic, in collaboration with the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation and the Mexican Consulate in Sacramento, provided advice and counsel to more than 2,400 immigrant youth regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)program in a series of workshops. Under the leadership of Amagda Pérez, the Clinic's Director, the workshops assisted more than 275 with DACA applications. Pérez, who is also Director of California Rural Legal Assistance, was honored with the Immigration Legal Resource Center's 2012 Philip Burton Immigration and Civil Rights Lawyering Award. Clinic Staff Attorney Holly Cooper offered presentations on cutting-edge issues in immigration law and training sessions for legal professionals at events including the American Immigration Lawyers Association conference and the American Immigration Council's annual National Immigration Strategy meeting. She also presented at the California Psychological Association's Immigration Task Force Training and was appointed to the American Bar Association Immigration Advisory Committee. Staff attorney Raha Jorjani conducted immigration law training sessions for the Iowa Judges Association, at the Utah General Jurisdiction Judge Conference, and at the National Lawyers Guild annual convention.