Hastings Appellate Project Wins the Ninth Circuit Appeal, Hernandez Velasquez v Holder

In its first year of existence, the Hastings Appellate Project won its first Ninth Circuit appeal on July 14 in the published opinion, Hernandez Velasquez v. Holder. During their final year at Hastings, Katherine Mahoney '10 and David Prager '10 represented Leda Odeth Hernandez Velasquez in her petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) order denying a request to reopen her agency proceeding.

"We are extremely pleased with the result and the students' efforts on behalf of Ms. Hernandez Velasquez," said Gary Watt '97, Director of the Hastings Appellate Project and appellate attorney at Archer Norris. "Ms. Hernandez Velasquez was treated with unlawful bureaucratic indifference, and the legal protections enforced by the published opinion will ensure that individuals will be treated with greater fairness in the future."
 

The 2009-2010 academic year was the first time that the Hastings Moot Court Program offered the Hastings Appellate Project. The representation of pro se litigants by supervised law students is made possible and coordinated by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Pro Bono Program.

Press release.