In his 1961 Citizenship and Constitution Day proclamation, President Kennedy urged schools to hold ceremonies on September 17th “to inspire all our citizens to keep the faith of our Founding Fathers and to carry out the ideals of United States citizenship.” For over 150 years, one of these ideals has been the Fourteenth Amendment’s promise that every baby born in the United States is a citizen of our nation, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Executive Order 14160 seeks to end this right, leaving hundreds of thousands of children and future generations stateless.
By Logan Tennerelli, Dean of Students
I met my husband, Vince Tennerelli, when we were students at the University of Chicago Law School in 2006. This year, we teamed up on September 19 for SJCL’s 2024 Constitution Day Lecture (Video of the event is below), yielding an in-person audience of 50+ people and an online audience of 20+. (Offering my Fresno City College students extra credit for coming can’t hurt, right?)
By Beth Pitcock, Director of Human Resources & Compliance
Francisco “Javier” Rosas, Director of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion at San Joaquin College of Law was honored with the Unity Bar Award this spring, for his passion and commitment to supporting unity and diversity in the legal community. The award was presented at the Central California Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Honorable Mikio Uchiyama Annual Scholarship Banquet in May. Speaking in place of Attorney General Ron Bonta who appeared via video due to a sudden trip to Washington D.C., Associate Justice Shama Hakim Mesiwala noted the grit and tenacity that is required to blaze a path as the first in a family or underrepresented group to achieve a college degree and become a successful professional.
With a passion for helping others, Jessica Jaramillo Perez (J.D.' 21) went to San Joaquin College of Law so she could help people learn about and protect their rights. Today, she helps Central Valley residents become U.S. citizens through her role as Staff Attorney at the New American Legal Clinic.
Learn more about Jessica, including how she transitioned from student to NALC Staff Attorney, her advice on balancing law school with parenthood, and the importance of knowing your "why."
Linda Barreto, Esq., Director of the SJCL New American Legal Clinic and Professor of Law passed the California Legal Specialist Exam in Immigration Law.
This makes her one of the five attorneys in the San Joaquin Valley to have passed this exam. She has chosen to use that considerable skill to represent low-income individuals in the NALC Clinic. Congratulations, Linda. We, and your many clients, are impressed by and grateful for all you do!