Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Boot Camp Series Brochure

judge harry pregerson

Boot Camp camp 1/8/2021 1:30P.M. – 4:00P.M. 1/9/2021 10:00A.M. – 2:00P.M.

judge harry pregerson

Boot Camp camp

About

THESE PROGRAMS ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE RODAN FAMILY FOUNDATION IN HONOR OF JUDGE HARRY PREGERSON.

The Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Boot Camp series, or “Harry’s Boot Camp,” is designed and named in honor of the esteemed 9th Circuit judge, whose work exemplified the highest values of service in the public interest.

Mission Statement In addition to Harry’s Boot Camp, Southwestern also offers the Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellowships, our premier summer fellowships offered to select students who plan to dedicate their legal careers to working on behalf of underserved communities and causes.

And, in 2021, Southwestern will host the inaugural Judge Harry Pregerson Award Dinner to honor a recent graduate’s dedication and success in the fields of public service / public interest practice.

Together, these programs aim to cultivate and celebrate the late Judge Harry Pregerson, and his values, determination, and impact on life in Southern California by encouraging successive generations of students to approach their professional lives as an opportunity to serve their communities and to help those in need.

Schedule

Day day one FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021 1:30 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. 1:30 P.M.: Attendee Check-Ins 1:40 P.M.: Welcome Panel 2:00 P.M.: The Call to Service in the Public Interest 2:30 P.M.: Program Break 2:35 P.M.: “Myth-Busting” Public Service Pursuits: Deepen Your Understanding of Southwestern’s Student Resources and Programs 3:45 P.M.: Day One Regroup & Close

Schedule 1:30 P.M. OPENING AND WELCOME MESSAGES

2:00 P.M. THE CALL TO SERVICE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST Introduction by Julie Waterstone, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Director of the Children's Rights Clinic Speaker: Jahmy Graham ’14, Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP; Member, Southwestern Board of Trustees To help set context for Friday’s and Saturday’s sessions, our special guest, Jahmy Graham ‘14, will share inspirations and challenges encountered in setting out to pursue – and sustain – a legal career while remaining dedicated to the values and commitment to service in the public interest.

2:30 P.M. PROGRAM BREAK

2:35 P.M. “MYTH-BUSTING” PUBLIC SERVICE PURSUITS: DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF SOUTHWESTERN’S STUDENT RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS Presenters: Julie Waterstone, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Director of the Children's Rights Clinic Julia Vázquez, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Community Lawyering Clinic and Public Interest Concentration Michelle Takagishi-Almeida, Director, Public Service Program Mitzie Vitela, Senior Associate Director, Externship Program Lucia Rodriguez, Assistant Director, Externship Program Megan Evanich, Assistant Director, Career Services Office Through a round-robin format, student attendees will receive a deeper understanding of academic programs and campus resources to be utilizing in working towards a public service career as well as dispelling oft-repeated myths and notions in considering professional lives in public service.

By the end of this session, students will be able to identify the faculty and staff departments available to support students in meeting academic and professional development goals as well as developing job search strategies and applications tailored to public sector recruitment.

3:45 P.M. DAY ONE REGROUP & CLOSE Presenters: Julia VĂĄzquez, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Community Lawyering Clinic and Public Interest Concentration Michelle Takagishi-Almeida, Director, Public Service Program Take time to set intentions in turning big-picture ideas into individual actions.

In Friday’s closing, we will come together to review and reflect on how you will seek out the resources and like-minded community members who are committed to your success and pursuits in public service.

Schedule

Day day two SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2021 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M.: Attendee Check-Ins 10:10 A.M.: Southwestern’s Tapestry for Public Service 10:40 A.M.: Program Break 10:45 A.M.: Careers in Public Service: All the Many Possibilities – Breakout Sessions 11:50 A.M.: 40-Minute Lunch Break 12:30 P.M.: Digging Deep and Telling Your Story: Securing "Investors" in Your Future in Public Service 1:35 P.M.: Regroup and Close

10:00 A.M. SOUTHWESTERN’S TAPESTRY FOR PUBLIC SERVICE Presenters: Julia Vázquez, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Community Lawyering Clinic and Public Interest Concentration Brendan E. Nafarrate, Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellow, 2020-21 Professor Vázquez and Brendan Nafarrate, Pregerson Public Service Fellow, will highlight the importance of integrating curriculum, experiential programs, and professional development to bolster a future in public service. Brendan will share about his Southwestern experience and how his plan secured his post-graduation placement as a future leader in public service. Students will gain an understanding of academic programs and department resources as tools for their future in public service. Students will receive a presession framework to develop a plan tailored with academic and experiential goals, as well as career strategies.

By the end of this session, students will have identified specific goals in attending Saturday’s program as well as the individualized assistance required by utilizing a self-designed development tool to map out academic, experiential and professional development needs in working towards a career in public service.

10:40 A.M. PROGRAM BREAK

10:45 A.M. CAREERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE: ALL THE MANY POSSIBILITIES Through small, moderated group discussions, this session will take students into deeper dives of issue-specific practice areas in the broad spectrum of public sector practice while facilitating and assisting students with cultivating the mentorships critical to student development by employing faculty, peer, and alumni networks in the field of public service.

By the end of this session, students will have learned directly from practitioners about the rewards and challenges of issue-specific practice in public service careers as well as having tested discussion and dialogue skills in a safe space amongst faculty and alumni who will make up their initial mentor networks.

BREAKOUT ROOM 1: HOT TOPICS IN FAMILY & CHILDREN’S RIGHTS Moderated by: Jenny Rodriguez-Fee, Clinical Professor of Law, Children's Rights Clinic BREAKOUT ROOM 2: HOT TOPICS IN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS Moderated by: Andrea Ramos, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of Immigration Law Clinic BREAKOUT ROOM 3: HOT TOPICS IN EMPLOYMENT & WORKERS’ RIGHTS Moderated by: Christopher David Ruiz Cameron, Justice Marshall F. McComb Professor of Law BREAKOUT ROOM 4: HOT TOPICS IN INTERSECTIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS Moderated by: Isabelle Gunning, Professor of Law

11:50 A.M. 40-MINUTE LUNCH BREAK

12:30 P.M. DIGGING DEEP AND TELLING YOUR STORY: SECURING "INVESTORS" IN YOUR FUTURE IN PUBLIC SERVICE Presenter: Julia VĂĄzquez, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Community Lawyering Clinic and Public Interest Concentration In this interactive session, be ready to explore who you are, where you are from, and what you bring to public interest work.

Be ready to use your heart and hands to shape and define your narrative, an essential tool in the pursuit of public service careers and social justice goals. The personal statement is also a practical student tool to seek out funding resources from summer fellowship, grant, and scholarship programs that can support law students in the pursuit of a public service career.

By the end of this working session, students will have constructed a personal statement for use in applications to summer fellowships, grant, and scholarship programs – all forms of financial support that can alleviate the financial deterrence students have in working in full-time, summer clerk programs that are often unpaid in the public sector.

1:35 P.M. REGROUP AND CLOSE Presenters: Julia Vรกzquez, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Community Lawyering Clinic and Public Interest Concentration Michelle Takagishi-Almeida, Director, Public Service Program In an age when public interest and social justice lawyers are clamoring for a renewed dedication from the wider legal community in confronting economic and racial inequities through service in the public interest, what are our takeaways and commitments as individuals, as students, as practitioners, and as a law school?

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JAHMY GRAHAM '14 PARTNER, NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOROUGH LLP & MEMBER, SOUTHWESTERN BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SPEAKER As a partner at Nelson Mullins, Jahmy Graham '14 represents clients involving the automotive industry, healthcare, retail, technology, contract, warranty, tort, securities, false advertising, and product liability claims, and then some. Not only is Mr. Graham a go-to civil litigator and trial lawyer for his clients, he also handles a significant caseload of pro bono immigration, civil rights, and family law cases. Additionally, Mr. Graham is published on the topic of collective actions, substantially contributing articles for Thomson Reuters and Practical Law regarding state and federal class actions in the U.S. As a student, Jahmy served on Southwestern's Law Review staff and its Trial Advocacy Honors Program (TAHP) board. Jahmy externed at the Federal Court of Appeals of Argentina and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. In 2014, Jahmy received the American Board of Trial Advocates' Los Angeles Chapter Award of Excellence in Preparation for Trial Practice.

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JULIA VAZQUEZ Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Community Lawyering Clinic and Public Interest Concentration

PRESENTER Julia Vázquez is a Clinical Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School where she is the Director of the Community Lawyering Clinic and Director of the Public Interest Concentration. Her practice, clinical teaching and scholarship focus on immigration, immigrant rights, as well as strategic legal empowerment of under-resourced, overpoliced and underrepresented communities. By integrating practice and theory, rooted in Rebellious Lawyering and Critical Race Studies, Professor Vázquez carefully crafts her courses to challenge students to create a system of critical praxis throughout their legal careers. Professor Vázquez endeavors to bridge the gap between teaching, scholarship and activism. As a member of the National Lawyers Guild’s Immigration Steering Committee, responding the COVID-19 global pandemic, she designed and piloted a virtual immigration clinic and authored an attorney training guide to serve asylum seekers subject to the draconian “Remain in Mexico” policy. Prior to graduating from UCLA School of Law with specializations in Critical Race Studies and Public Interest Law & Policy, Professor Vázquez received her Master of Education with an emphasis in Critical Pedagogy from UCLA. Inspirational Quote: "Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral" - Paulo Reglus Neves Freire

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JULIE WATERSTONE Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Clinical Professor of Law & Director of the Children's Rights Clinic

PRESENTER Julie Waterstone is a Clinical Professor of Law and the Director of the Children’s Rights Clinic. In 2007, she established and directed the law school’s then-new Children’s Rights Clinic and was named Associate Dean for Experiential Learning in 2014. She works closely with students to hone their lawyering skills in the context of live-client representation as they represent youth in special education and school discipline cases.

Through their representation, the law students gain experience in interviewing, counseling, negotiating, researching, writing, oral advocacy and trial practice. In addition to the practical experience, she wants the program to ignite in students the same fire for public interest law and pro bono work that prompted her to get into the field.

Social Justice Song Recommendations: My Shot - Lin Manuel Miranda / Michele Siqueiros Rise Up - Andra Day / Shae Collins Fight Song - Rachel Platten / Linda Vasquez

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MICHELLE TAKAGISHIALMEIDA Director, Public Service Program

PRESENTER Michelle Takagishi-Almeida is responsible for the administration and oversight of student experiential learning through a voluntary service program. In developing and expanding community-centered collaborations for student-involved initiatives, Michelle ensures students are educated on the needs of underserved communities while also furthering the development of students’ practical legal skills that can be utilized beyond law school studies and in pro bono practice. Michelle also serves on the Faculty Public Interest Law Committee, is the faculty advisor to Southwestern’s Teen Court, the Homelessness Prevention Law Project, the Public Interest Law Committee and manages Southwestern’s Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Summer Fellowship program for students who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to advocacy in the public interest. Michelle previously served in Southwestern’s Career Service Office counseling students and alumni on legal recruitment, career planning and job search strategies with emphasis on public interest and government employment, including postgraduate fellowships. Prior to joining Southwestern in 2016, Michelle served as the Pro Bono and Volunteer Coordinator with Bet Tzedek Legal Services and as a legal advocate with The Alliance for Children’s Rights representing transitional aged-foster youth in Los Angeles County.

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CHRISTOPHER CAMERON Justice Marshall F. McComb Professor of Law

PRESENTER Christopher David Ruiz Cameron, the Justice Marshall F. McComb Professor of Law, is a recognized expert in the law of the workplace who has co-authored two books and 30 law review articles. In addition to teaching and writing about labor and employment law, Professor Cameron is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators who has heard almost 400 workplace disputes. Since 2017, he has served as a Commissioner of the Los Angeles County Employee Relations Commission, the agency responsible for regulating labor relations between management and 100,000 employees working in one of the nation's largest municipal governments. Professor Cameron has been a member of the Southwestern faculty since 1991. He served as Vice Dean or Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for twelve years.

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ISABELLE GUNNING Professor of Law

PRESENTER Isabelle Gunning was motivated to study law in order to support progressive changes in our larger society. Before coming to Southwestern she was a criminal defense attorney with the Public Defender Service in Washington DC and a human rights attorney with the Southern Africa Project of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. She serves as a commissioner on the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission and as a board member on the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. In addition, she has over 15 years experience serving as a labor arbitrator and hearing examiner in workplace disputes.

Inspirational Quote: "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" - Harriet "Moses" Tubman Social Justice Song Recommendations: Talkin' Bout a Revolution - Tracy Chapman Get up, Stand up - Bob Marley and the Wailers This is Me - Keala Settle and the Greatest Showman Ensemble

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ANDREA RAMOS

Clinical Professor of Law, Director of Immigration Law Clinic

PRESENTER Andrea V. Ramos is a Clinical Professor of Law and the Director of Southwestern Law School’s Immigration Law Clinic. She created the law school’s first Immigration Law Clinic in 2008. She teaches, supervises and trains second and third-year law students on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U Nonimmigrant Visas and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) cases. She represents children and adult survivors of domestic violence and other violent crimes. Previously, she worked with Public Counsel’s Children’s Rights Project, and as a litigation associate with the law firm of Tuttle & Taylor.

Inspirational Quote: “We may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us” - John Lewis Social Justice Song Recommendations: My City of Ruins - Bruce Springsteen I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty

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JENNY RODRIGUEZ-FEE '08 Clinical Professor of Law

PRESENTER As a professor and supervisor in the Children’s Rights Clinic, Jenny Rodriguez-Fee combines her passion for a specialized area of law with her drive and excitement in training Southwestern’s future lawyers. In the clinic, she assists in the representation of clients in the areas of special education law, school discipline and disability benefits appeals; trains and supervises law students; and develops innovative course curricula.

Professor Fee also utilizes clinic-based learning strategies in her traditional courses as well. Her Legal Profession course was specifically designed with a problem-based curriculum – challenging students to not just learn the rules that govern lawyers’ ethical responsibilities, but also experience those rules coming to life and practicing in class how to respond if those rules are violated.

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MEGAN EVANICH '17

Assistant Director, Career Services Office

PRESENTER Megan Evanich is the Assistant Director of Career Services at Southwestern Law School.

She also serves on the Public Interest Career Day Planning Committee, Placement Committee, and is active in NALP (The National Association of Legal Professionals) and LAALRA (Los Angeles Area Legal Recruitment Association). She is also a Southwestern alum.

Social Justice Song Recommendation: For What it's Worth - Buffalo Springfield

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MITZIE VITELA

Senior Associate Director, Externship Program

PRESENTER Mitzie Vitela joined Southwestern’s Externship Program in 2002. A graduate of Mount Saint Mary’s University with a B.A. in English, she prides herself on correcting your misspellings and is never above lecturing you via e-mail. Mitzie is also known to have one the best offices on campus, if you’re a fan of Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter and geekery in general, you will enjoy your visit with her.

Inspirational Quote: “Do or do no, there is no try” - Yoda

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LUCIA RODRIGUEZ

Assistant Director, Externship Program

PRESENTER Lucia earned a bachelor’s degree from UC Davis and has been a part of the Externship Program since 2015. You can always walk into her office to get some M&Ms and get advice on your options for experience.

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BRENDAN E. NAFARRATE

Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellow 2020-21

PRESENTER Brendan was raised by grandparents from Mexico and Guatemala, whose struggles inspired him to pursue a career serving immigrants. While at Southwestern, he has assisted unaccompanied immigrant youth obtain SIJS, prepared asylum seekers for their credible fear interviews, provided advice to ameliorate the immigration consequences of criminal charges for non-citizens, renewed DACA relief for undergraduate students, and appealed a removal order to the Ninth Circuit. All of the above were made possible thanks to the National Lawyers Guild, the Public Service Program, and the incredible clinical faculty and staff at Southwestern. Following graduation, he will better his ability to serve immigrants as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Guaynabo Immigration Court in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Inspirational Quote: “I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves� - Ernesto "Che" Guevara

Suggested Readings: Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble Clarence Darrow: Attorney for the Damned by John A. Farrell Searching for Everardo: A Story of Love, War, and the CIA in Guatemala by Jennifer Harbury

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JOSH ADAMS Partner, Gilbert & Sackman

SPEAKER Josh Adams is a partner at Gilbert & Sackman, a law firm which represents labor unions and pension/health plans. Josh provides legal services to labor unions in all aspects of their business, including in negotiations for collective bargaining agreements, prosecuting grievances to arbitration under collective bargaining agreements (contract disputes and discipline/discharge), advising regarding internal union matters such as union officer elections, and defending unions in a variety of litigation settings. Josh has been fortunate to represent unions in a wide array of industries, including in heavy industry such as mining and refineries, education, entertainment, healthcare, and in the public sector (employees of cities, counties, etc.).

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LEAH COHEN-MAYS '09 Supervising Attorney, Children's Law Center of Los Angeles (CLC)

SPEAKER Leah is a full-time Supervising Attorney at Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles (CLC).

CLC is the largest non-profit firm in the nation representing abused and neglected children. The firm currently represents over 33,000 children and provides advocacy for them both in and out of the courtroom. Leah is committed to youth advocacy and is on the Board of Directors for a non-profit, Juli’s Kids, whose mission is to “motivate, inspire, strengthen, empower and enrich the lives of today’s abused, abandoned, neglected, bullied and homeless children and teens who have been placed in the foster care system.” She is also an Adjunct Professor at Southwestern Law School where she has taught Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiations and teaches the Public Interest externship course.

Inspirational Quote: “If you place a small value on yourself, rest assured the world will not raise your price.”

Social Justice Song Recommendations: A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke Fight the Power - Public Enemy

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MADISON FAIRCHILD '12 Legal Services Director, TransLatin@ Coalition

SPEAKER Madison Fairchild, Esq. is dedicated to LGBTQIA+ advocacy and intersectionality. She provides moderate- and low-income clients in Los Angeles with access to low bono legal services in employment and immigration matters. Her current focus is on obtaining asylum relief for transgender people from Latin America. As a board member of the LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles, Ms. Fairchild works to improve inclusion and visibility for Transgender people in the legal profession. She was recently appointed to the Transgender Advisory Board for the City of West Hollywood by council member John Heilman.

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COLLEEN FLYNN '04

SPEAKER Colleen Flynn is a civil rights attorney and has been a member of the NLG-LA Chapter since law school. She represents protesters in both civil litigation and criminal matters.

She also represents journalists and activists such as the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition to secure the release of public documents from both state and federal agencies.

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YVONNE GARCIA MEDRANO '12

Staff Attorney, Bet Tzedek Employment Rights Project

SPEAKER Yvonne graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2007 and from Southwestern Law School in 2012. She is currently an attorney with Bet Tzedek’s Employment Rights Project. Prior to her work at Bet Tzedek, Yvonne worked as a staff attorney at the Department of Industrial Relations and as a legal organizer for the CLEAN Carwash Campaign.

Inspirational Quote: “Justice is what love looks like in public” - Cornel West Social Justice Song Recommendation: Lockdown - Anderson Paak

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KARINA GODOY '15

Associate Attorney, JML Law & Adjunct Associate Professor of Law

SPEAKER Professor Godoy is an associate attorney at JML Law where her practice focuses on representing employees in all areas of employment law including discrimination, wage and hour, whistleblowing, wrongful termination, labor disputes, and personal injury cases. Professor Godoy handles all phases of litigation including vetting clients, discovery, depositions, mediation, trials, and pre and post-trial motions. Professor Godoy has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer - Rising Star� by the publishers of Los Angeles Magazine for 2019 and 2020.

Social Justice Song Recommendation: Changes - Tupac Shakur

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LIZ GONZALEZ '12 Senior Program Associate, Unaccompanied Children Program | Center on Immigration and Justice | Vera Institute of Justice

SPEAKER Liz Gonzalez (class of 2012) served as a supervising attorney with the Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) where she handled U Visas, VAWA, and naturalization matters. At Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Liz represented children and caretakers in contested probate guardianship proceedings, defended children and youth in their immigration proceedings, and helped create Bet Tzedek's Rapid Response program, where she provided Know Your Rights presentations to mixed-status families all over Los Angeles county. At the Vera Institute of Justice, Liz provides program management and technical assistance to various organizations in Texas and the Midwest who provide legal services to children in ORR custody.

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JASPREET KLAR JAUREGUI '10 Staff Attorney, New American Legal Clinic (NALC) at San Joaquin College of Law

SPEAKER Jaspreet Klar Jauregui is a staff attorney at the New American Legal Clinic (NALC) at San Joaquin College of Law. Jaspreet represents clients in Immigration Court, and USCIS in matters including asylum, adjustment of status, naturalization, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), U Visas, and self-petitions under the Violence Against Women Act. As part of NALC, law students receive training in immigration law by assisting Jaspreet with her removal defense cases. Jaspreet received her J.D. from Southwestern Law School and her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles. During law school, Jaspreet was awarded a Public Interest Law Grant to work at the Los Angeles County Bar Association—Immigration Legal Assistance Project. She was also a part of the first class of students to participate in Southwestern’s Immigration Law Clinic where, under the supervision of Professor Ramos, she represented clients in SIJS and U visa cases.

Inspirational Quote: “The monarch butterfly represents the beauty of migration. We belong to nature, and nature has no borders. The butterfly is a symbol for the right of all living beings to move freely. Like the monarch butterfly, human beings cross borders in search of safer habitats. Like the monarch butterfly, human beings cross borders in order to survive” - Favianna Rodriguez

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EDITH MADRID '12

Partner, SJM Law Group, LLP

SPEAKER Ms. Edith Madrid is a partner at SJM Law Group, LLP. She is an experienced attorney well-versed in the area and practice of special education law. Ms. Madrid represents children with disabilities in actions involving the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement in Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. She also provides informational seminars on special education to parent groups and interested parties, both in English and Spanish.

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NALLELI SANDOVAL '16 Staff Attorney / Community Engagement Coordinator, Levitt Quinn Family Law Center

SPEAKER Nalleli brings her family, immigration, and probate law experience, as well as her lifelong passion for social justice issues to Levitt Quinn. She earned her BA in Psychology: Law and Society at UC Riverside and her law degree from Southwestern Law School. Even prior to law school, Nalleli exhibited her passion for issues affecting women and children. Following college, she became involved with the Americorps City Year Program, where she planned school-wide initiatives and designed lesson plans to promote literacy among the youth. Thereafter, she participated in the Americorps Justicecorps Program, where she worked at a self-help center at the Los Angeles Superior Court and assisted self-represented litigants with divorces and paternities.

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TAREK SHAWKY '06 Managing Attorney, Shawky Law

SPEAKER Tarek Shawky received his J.D. from Southwestern before working at the Public Defenders Office in Riverside and Los Angeles Counties. Tarek completed the two year accelerated SCALE Program and was elected President of the law school class. Prior to Law School, Tarek attended UCLA where he received a B.A. degree. Constitutional guarantees against government infringement and equality before the law are two of the ideals that drew him to a career in criminal law.

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YEISON SOTO VALDEZ '18 Staff Attorney, Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice

SPEAKER Yeison Soto Valdez is a Staff Attorney at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice. Mr. Soto Valdez has been working with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other serious crimes since law school. Mr. Soto Valdez currently represents survivors in their immigration matters before USCIS and EOIR. Before joining LACLJ, Mr. Soto Valdez gained a great deal of experience through his participation in multiple clinics at Southwestern Law School, including arguing a client’s case at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Soto Valdez has worked on a range of immigration-related petitions on behalf of survivors, including U visas, VAWA, SIJS, Adjustment of Status (AOS), TPS, etc.

Clinical Programs ENTERTAINMENT AND THE ARTS LEGAL CLINIC Students provide production, business, and legal affairs services for independent films.

In one academic year, the Clinic helped 58 projects currently on Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Spectrum TV, and Showtime. The clinic is funded by a generous grant from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

APPELLATE LITIGATION CLINIC Students (under professorial supervision) litigate an actual pro-bono appeal in the Ninth Circuit.

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS CLINIC Students represent low-income children in school discipline proceedings or children with disabilities in special education proceedings and work with community groups to advocate for equitable educational opportunities.

COMMUNITY LAWYERING CLINIC In this unique collaboration between Southwestern Law School and California State University, Northridge (CSUN), Southwestern law students represent CSUN students in a variety of immigration cases and staff the on-campus CSUN Student Legal Clinic. Law students also conduct legal community outreach and policy advocacy for the CSUN student community.

FAMILY LAW CLINIC The Family Law Clinic is a community-based clinic in partnership with the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law. Students help protect victims of domestic violence, improve the well-being of children in poverty, empower people in need, and ensure meaningful access to the Family Law courts..

IMMIGRATION LAW CLINIC Students represent children and adults in immigration matters such as Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Violence Against Women Act, and U-Visa cases where clients have been abused, neglected or abandoned, or have been victims of a crime.

STREET LAW CLINIC Students teach law-related critical life skills to high school students, most of whom are involved in the dependency or juvenile justice system.

Clinic students step into the roles of teacher, mentor, and advocate to inform teenagers about their rights and provide legal information and resources they need to successfully transition to independent living.

STUDENT-LED CLINICS Student-led clinics include the Los Angeles County Small Claims Court Clinic and The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Clinic. These clinics do not include a classroom component.

YOUTH OFFENDER PAROLE HEARING CLINIC* Students represent a client in a Youth Offender Parole Hearing. Youth Offender Parole Hearings are specialized parole hearings for people who were convicted of serious offenses when they were juveniles or young adults (under the age of 23). Students in the Clinic develop practical research, writing, and oral advocacy skills while learning more about the substantive areas of criminal sentencing, juvenile justice, and postconviction law. *The clinic will not be offered during the 2020-2021 academic year

Public Service Program Through Southwestern’s Public Service Program, students have the opportunity to develop practical legal skills under the supervision of expert attorneys almost immediately after joining the law school. Whether by providing in-person assistance, educational workshops, or defending vulnerable populations through impact litigation, students can contribute to meaningful change in service to California communities. Projects include: LOS ANGELES COUNTY TEEN COURT A pre-filing juvenile diversion program that brings together teachers, students, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges from the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Law students serve as proctors who will guide a jury of teenage youth through an educational, critical-thinking experience on the judicial process as part of alternative sentencing offered to first-time youth offenders through L.A.’s Teen Court program.

TAX LAW SOCIETY VITA CLINICS The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Clinic (VITA) provides free income tax preparation and filings for low-income taxpayers. The Law Student Division of the American Bar Association has recognized Southwestern’s VITA Clinic as the nation’s “Rookie Site of the Year” and the “Outstanding Continuing Site of the Year.”

Each year, Southwestern’s VITA clinic recovers much-needed tax-relief for low-income seniors and families.

TRAVELING LEGAL CLINICS By staffing mobile legal clinics, students travel across California offering legal services in regions without access to civil legal aid. Students receive training in various practice areas relating to expungement, family law, immigration, asylum, and more while providing urgently needed legal assistance in rural areas.

SMALL CLAIMS COURT CLINIC Following a one-hour educational workshop on Small Claims Court, volunteer attorneys and law students provide one-on-one consultations to litigants seeking assistance with Small Claims filings, procedure, hearing preparation and related questions, including mediation resources as an alternative to Small Claims Court.

HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION LAW PROJECT The Homelessness Prevention Law Project (HPLP) works to prevent loss of housing and loss of public benefits that contribute to homelessness. In partnership with public interest agencies, students raise awareness of needs and issues faced by our unhoused neighbors living on the streets of Los Angeles and the advocacy efforts needed in homelessness prevention.

HOOVER STREET ELEMENTARY MOCK TRIAL Southwestern officially adopted Hoover Elementary through the L.A. Unified School District’s Adopt-A-School Program. For over 25 years, the Hoover Elementary Mock Trial has been a lively annual event where, under the supervision of Southwestern students, fifth-graders learn all aspects of a case in their roles as prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, witnesses, and jurors.

Externship Program Southwestern’s Externship Program, one of the largest in the country, provides students an opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom and directly experience the attorney’s role through a variety of on-site placements in the following settings: Judicial, Government, Entertainment, In-house Legal Counsel, Public Interest, and select law firms. Externships include: JUDICIAL California Court of Appeal California Superior Court EEOC – Administrative Judicial United States Bankruptcy Court United States Court of Appeals United States District Court GOVERNMENT California Attorney General City Attorney’s Office District Attorney’s Office Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Federal Public Defender Federal Trade Commission Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Public Defender’s Office Securities and Exchange Commission United States Attorney’s Office United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement ENTERTAINMENT CBS Corporation CMG Worldwide Escape Artists Motion Picture Association of America Paramount Pictures Rhino Entertainment Warner Bros.

Warner Music Group

IN-HOUSE CORPORATE COUNSEL Anthem, Inc. AT&T Ent. Group & Directv CA Association of Realtors LeadsMarket.com, LLC Ralphs Grocery Company TechStyle Fashion Group Ticketmaster PUBLIC INTEREST ACLU of Southern California Alliance for Children’s Rights Asian Americans Advancing Justice Bet Tzedek Legal Services California Women’s Law Center Central American Resource Center Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law Inner City Law Center LA LGBT Center Learning Rights Law Center Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center Los Angeles County Bar Association, Immigration Legal Assistance Project National Health Law Program Neighborhood Legal Services Public Counsel

Career Services Students are introduced to the Career Services Office in their first semester and subsequently participate in: individualized career counseling and planning informational seminars and skill-building workshops on interviewing techniques and resumĂŠ and cover letter drafting panel presentations on a wide range of practice areas various recruitment activities events designed to help build a network of contacts and employment prospects Recruitment platforms include OCI (on-campus interview programs), the Fall Firm Reception, and the Public Interest/Public Sector Career Day. Students have year-round access to an extensive listing of current job openings via Symplicity, as well as innovative career-building programs and resources. Active employers include law firms and business organizations; local, state, and federal government agencies; local and national public interest organizations; and local, state, and federal judiciaries.

Innovative career-building programs and resources available to Southwestern students and recent graduates include the following opportunities: Public Service Graduate Program — providing selected new graduates with shortterm employment experience in public service while awaiting bar results Los Angeles Incubator Consortium — providing selected new Southwestern attorneys with office space, mentorships, and training geared toward effective solo practice management, with a pro bono component representing modestmeans clients