Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic Students Win Reversals on Two Immigration Cases.
In the spring, students in the Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic won reversal in two immigration cases in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ani Boyadjian ’23 and Jane Kaufman ’23, supervised by Mary Tanagho Ross of Public Counsel and Professor Geoff Kehlmann, represented a Mexican immigrant who fled violence on account of his mental illness. Robert McMahon ’23 and Molly Okamura ’23, supervised by Mary-Christine Sungaila of Complex Appellate Litigation Group LLP and Professor Kehlmann, represented an El Salvadoran woman and son who sought refuge from domestic violence. After the clients appealed pro se from the denial of asylum and other forms of relief from removal, the Ninth Circuit appointed the Clinic as pro bono counsel. Over the course of the academic year, the students filed appellate briefs and delivered oral argument before a three-judge panel. In both cases, the students persuaded the court to reverse a decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals and remand for further proceedings.