Aoki Center

10/16/2026

It has been a busy awards season for UC Davis Law Professor Amagda Pérez.

At the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation's (CRLAF) annual gala on Sept. 26, Assemblymember Maggy Krell ’03 surprised Professor Pérez with a California Assembly Resolution. The recognition from the state Legislature highlighted Pérez's leadership as executive director of CRLAF and her advocacy work at the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic.

The annual Luchando Por Justicia Gala, "Honoring Roots, Defending Our Rights," commemorated 45 years of the foundation’s work.

Recently, The Sacramento Bee recognized Pérez as one of its 2026 Change Makers and will honor Pérez, and the rest of the 2026 Change Makers class, at a gala on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Sacramento.

Read more: https://law.ucdavis.edu/news/amagda-perez-honored-crla-foundations-annual-luchando-por-justicia-gala

Image description: From left to right, Assemblymember Maggy Krell ’03 and Professor Amagda Pérez, also an alum from the Class of 1991, pose for a photo while holding Pérez’s award, in front of a purple-lit backdrop.

10/16/2026

10/16/2026

Congratulations to UC Davis Law Professor Mary Ziegler, who received the 2026 American Historical Association's John Lewis Award for History and Social Justice. Established in 2021, this award recognizes a historian for leadership and ongoing engagement at the intersection of historical scholarship, public culture, and social justice.

Image description: Professor Mary Ziegler standing outdoors beside a white column. Ziegler is wearing a black blazer over a blue top and a blue-green necklace. The background features blurred plants and trees.

10/14/2026

The Aoki Center was proud to co-sponsor “Got Habeas? New Clinics, Theories, and Developments in Immigration Detention Litigation and Teaching,” at King Hall on Oct. 9.

Pictured: Aoki Center Director Kevin R. Johnson, Professor Gabriel “Jack” Chin, Sophia Wang, Talia Inlender, Carolyn Wiggin, and Kamalpreet Chohan.

For upcoming Aoki Center events, visit law.ucdavis.edu/centers/aoki.

10/09/2026

Professor Leticia Saucedo gave the Aoki Critical Perspectives on 1L Courses talk on Torts on Oct. 1. The series seeks to expose first-year students to critical perspectives that often do not make it onto the syllabus of regular first-year classes while connecting King Hall students more closely with their faculty.

Video: https://mediasite.ucdavis.edu/Mediasite/Play/835b2ed98a2d4a50805f1263bf6258731d

Upcoming events and videos of past events: law.ucdavis.edu/centers/aoki

10/09/2026

Watch the video from Professor Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe’s “The Honor of Defending,” a talk she gave at King Hall on Sept. 24. Professor Joe discussed public defenders’ constitutional role and other models the U.S. could use for their recruitment and support.

Professor Joe pictured with Professor Kevin R. Johnson, director of the Aoki Center.

Video: https://mediasite.ucdavis.edu/Mediasite/Play/f00e60998a4a4a35a20af53908ce5dc41d

Upcoming events and videos of past events: law.ucdavis.edu/centers/aoki

10/08/2026

The Aoki Center is proud to co-sponsor

Got Habeas? New Clinics, Theories, and Developments in Immigration Detention Litigation and Teaching

Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Pacific | King Hall, Room 1001 | MCLE Credits Available | No Registration Fee | Livestreamed

Register in advance: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddI8k8Q3q0Xy-QtiwyQEtI-wEajKoGgaiOFFrpYSPbpQz_qw/viewform

For practitioners and clinicians who work on immigration cases — or who might want to — as well as law students and others interested in this emerging area of law. The conference is open to lawyers, faculty, and students interested in providing representation to detained persons.

Detailed schedule, sponsors, and contacts here: https://law.ucdavis.edu/conference-got-habeas

Lunch provided to registrants.

10/08/2026

Please join the Aoki Center in person at King Hall.

Film Screening and Fireside Chat
A Job in the Shade: The Emily Vasquez Story

Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 | 12 – 2 p.m. | King Hall, Room 2302 | In Person Only | Lunch Provided

Directed by filmmaker Douglas Harris Jr., this inspiring documentary chronicles the extraordinary life of Judge Emily Vasquez, the first Latina appointed to the Sacramento County Superior Court, in 2001. Film screening will be followed by a fireside chat between Judge Vasquez and Professor Amagda Pérez, Co-Director of the Immigration Law Clinic and attorney with the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.

Through intimate interviews with family members, friends, colleagues, and mentees, A Job in the Shade explores Judge Vasquez’s remarkable journey from the agricultural fields of California to the courtroom. The film highlights a lifetime of service, leadership, and mentorship while demonstrating how education can change lives and expand opportunities for future generations.

From her childhood in California’s Central Valley, working alongside her poor, immigrant farmworker parents, to her groundbreaking legal career, Judge Vasquez’s story is one of resilience, determination, and the transformative power of education.

09/22/2026

This Thursday, in person and online. We hope you can join us!

Please join the Aoki Center for the next event in the Racial Justice Speaker Series.

The Honor of Defending
Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026 | 12 – 1 p.m. | King Hall, Room 1301 | MCLE Credits Available | No Registration Fee

Public defenders perform one of the legal profession’s most important constitutional functions, yet they lack the elite recruitment infrastructures that exist in other forms of public service law. Why is that and should that be changed? This talk will include a discussion about Professor Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe’s current research on these questions and exploration of the impact the creation of such programs could have on the stability of the public defender institution.

Lunch provided.

Livestream here: https://mediasite.ucdavis.edu/Mediasite/Play/f00e60998a4a4a35a20af53908ce5dc41d

Learn more about the Aoki Center and upcoming events at law.ucdavis.edu/centers/aoki.

09/16/2026

Please join the Aoki Center for the next event in the Racial Justice Speaker Series.

The Honor of Defending
Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026 | 12 – 1 p.m. | King Hall, Room 1301 | MCLE Credits Available | No Registration Fee

Public defenders perform one of the legal profession’s most important constitutional functions, yet they lack the elite recruitment infrastructures that exist in other forms of public service law. Why is that and should that be changed? This talk will include a discussion about Professor Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe’s current research on these questions and exploration of the impact the creation of such programs could have on the stability of the public defender institution.

Lunch provided.

Livestream here: https://mediasite.ucdavis.edu/Mediasite/Play/f00e60998a4a4a35a20af53908ce5dc41d

Learn more about the Aoki Center and upcoming events at law.ucdavis.edu/centers/aoki.