Professor Jorjani Speaks on Padilla for Alameda County D.A.

Professor Raha Jorjani videotaped a lecture on Padilla v. Kentucky for the Alameda County District Attorney that will be used by Continuing Legal Education to inform district attorneys and judges about the obligations attorneys hold while representing immigrants. 

The 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Padilla v. Kentucky holds that the lawyer for a non-citizen charged with a crime has a constitutional obligation to tell the client of the possible risks of deportation that may be associated with a guilty plea.  Professor Jorjani focused on what the Supreme Court ruling means for prosecutors in working with defense counsel to craft pleas that both meet the state's interest while also meeting a non-citizen defendant's interests in avoiding or mitigating immigration consequences.

Raha Jorjani is a staff attorney in the Immigration Law Clinic at the UC Davis School of Law with a special interest in advocacy on behalf of detained immigrants.  She also serves as in-house immigration counsel for the Alameda County Public Defender.