FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR |
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Since its inception, the Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic (LSJLC) has transformed LMU Loyola Law School’s commitment to justice into hands-on advocacy and rigorous experiential training. Rooted in our ethos of equity, LSJLC has grown into a network of more than 20 live-client clinics preparing students to advocate with skill, compassion, and purpose.
This year, our students represented clients across Southern California and contributed to legal matters of national and international significance. They advocated in trial and appellate courts, informed high-impact policy efforts, and participated in initiatives ranging from binational immigration advocacy to Supreme Court amicus briefing. Their work spanned courtrooms, classrooms, and cross-border communities, reflecting a clinical model defined by innovation, interdisciplinary practice, and human-centered advocacy.
As we approach 2026, we remain energized by the depth and impact of our clinical programs and the work ahead.
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| Elizabeth Bluestein
Executive Director
Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic
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Inaugurated the Binational Migrant Advocacy Project, the only binational immigration clinic of its kind in U.S. legal education.
- Trained 163 students across more than 20 live-client clinics through intensive, practice-based representation.
- Delivered more than 35,000 pro bono hours, assisting hundreds of families across a variety of legal issues.
- Advanced systems-level advocacy, including contributions to major youth justice research and participation in high-impact appellate litigation.
- Launched the new Transactional Law Clinic, expanding experiential training into corporate and IP practice, including a USPTO-certified trademark clinic.
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ADVANCING ADVOCACY & SYSTEMS CHANGE |
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Advancing a New Model for Immigration Advocacy: Loyola's Binational Clinic in Action |
This year, the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic (LIJC) inaugurated the Binational Advocacy Project (BMAP) — a first-of-its-kind clinical model in U.S. legal education developed in partnership with ITESO, Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara. Through BMAP, students at the two institutions work collaboratively to address migration-related legal issues on both sides of the border, gaining a grounded understanding of the challenges migrants face throughout their journeys.
Students have collaborated on advocacy projects and know-your-rights materials for migrants in Mexico and the U.S., and traveled to Tijuana to provide legal consultations to individuals recently deported and facing complex legal barriers. This practice-based, cross-border experience equips students with a rare perspective on global migration systems and prepares them for the evolving landscape of immigration advocacy.
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Clinic Research Drives Systems Change for Incarcerated Youth |
The Loyola Youth Justice Education Clinic (YJEC) contributed to a coalition report documenting L.A. County's systemic failure to provide legally mandated education to incarcerated youth. Grounded in its client representation and on-the-ground insights, YJEC helped expose widespread noncompliance to policymakers and the public — strengthening statewide advocacy efforts for educational equity in juvenile facilities. This report underscores LLS' leadership in protecting the rights of justice-involved youth.
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| Loyola Students File Amicus Brief with U.S. Supreme Court |
In December 2024, students in the Loyola Justice for Atrocities Clinic (LJAC) co-authored an amicus brief in Republic of Hungary v. Simon, a Supreme Court case involving Holocaust survivors’ claims for property taken during World War II. Guided by faculty mentors, students contributed historical and legal analysis supporting the survivors’ pursuit of justice.
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| LIJC Invited to Present Before the Mexican Senate |
Students and faculty from the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic (LIJC) were invited to present before the Mexican Senate’s Committee on Northern Border Affairs, where they discussed U.S. immigration policy and its impact on Mexican nationals living abroad. The opportunity reflects LIJC’s position in binational advocacy and policy dialogue.
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| California Adopts LPI-Sponsored Justice Reforms |
The Loyola Project for the Innocent (LPI), in coalition with other California innocence organizations, sponsored two justice reform bills in California signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom: AB 1036, which expands post-conviction discovery access so individuals can obtain exculpatory evidence, and SB 553, which streamlines attorney entry to state prisons by improving clearance procedures. These reforms strengthen the state’s post-conviction system and broaden access to justice for incarcerated people.
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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING & LIVE-CLIENT PRACTICE |
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| New Transactional Law Clinic Expands Practice-Based Training |
This fall, Loyola launched a new Transactional Law Clinic — the school’s first live-client clinic that combines corporate and IP practice. Students may choose between specialized corporate or trademark tracks to represent start-ups across practice areas that mirror real-world legal work. As a USPTO-certified trademark clinic, the trademark track enables students to engage directly with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This expansion broadens LSJLC’s offerings and gives students practical experience serving emerging small businesses.
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Juvenile Justice Clinic Students Advocate for Clients in Court |
In October, students in the Juvenile Justice Clinic (JJC) made their first official court appearances — with impressive results. Their research, motions, and arguments helped reduce sentences and reunite young clients with their families. Throughout the process, students applied Loyola’s holistic lawyering model, collaborating with YJEC and the Collateral Consequences of Conviction Justice Project to support clients' legal, educational, and reentry needs.
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| Students Engage Syrian Victims Through Unique Partnership |
LJAC students partnered with the Global Accountability Network (GAN) to help build an outreach program designed to address the profound needs of victims of the Syrian civil war. After months of groundwork, students met with survivors of the Assad regime, gaining exposure to international law as it is practiced outside courtrooms and diplomatic settings: human-centered and focused on those most affected. "Even though we all knew this project has real world significance, it’s different hearing that from the people directly affected," said one student. "It brings life into what we’re working on."
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LSJLC FACULTY PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS |
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Roshell Amezcua (Juvenile Justice Clinic)
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- Presenter, “Theme and Theory Lecture,” California Youth Defender Center Roundtable (Sept. 2025)
- Facilitator, “Youth Defender Leadership Summit,” Gault Center (Oct. 2025)
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Marissa Montes (Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic)
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- Panelist, "Showing Up as Our Authentic Selves," AALS Conference on Clinical Legal Education, Baltimore (Apr. 2025)
- Panelist, "Clínicas Jurídicas Transnacionales: Uniendo Fronteras en Derecho de Inmigración y Derechos Humanos," Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (Apr. 2025)
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Presenter, "Clínicas Jurídicas Binacionales: Cruzando Fronteras," 3er Encuentro de Clínicas Jurídicas de Litigio Estratégico, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico (Oct. 2025)
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Rajika Shah (Loyola Justice for Atrocities Clinic)
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Joe Trigilio (Loyola Project for the Innocent)
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- Panelist, “Proving Innocence and Wrongful Convictions,” California Governor’s Commission on Revising the Penal Code (Sept. 2024)
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Vivian Wong (Loyola Youth Justice Education Clinic)
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- Presenter, Disability Justice Briefing to Assemblymembers Bryan and Lackey, California Disability Leadership Alliance (June 2025)
- Presenter, "Imprisoning Disability: Using CRT and DisCrit to Abolish the Carceral State," UCLA Critical Race Studies Symposium (Oct. 2025)
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| "I learned so much about the intricacies of education law and how to advocate for students and families in school discipline proceedings. This experience taught me how to navigate real-life legal issues that directly impact young people."
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Youth Justice Education Clinic
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"Working as a law clerk for the Immigrant Defenders Law Center reaffirmed my commitment to immigrant justice. Seeing how our work directly impacted clients showed me the power of advocacy."
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Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic
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| | "The clinic opened my eyes to how much work there still is to be done in the justice system. Being part of JIFS taught me how to be a better listener and a more thoughtful advocate."
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Juvenile Innocence & Fair Sentencing Clinic
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IN THE NEWS: LSJLC'S PUBLIC IMPACT |
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This year, LSJLC experts informed statewide and national reporting on immigration, youth justice, government oversight, and post-conviction review — highlighting our role in shaping public understanding of critical justice issues in Los Angeles and beyond.
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NPR reported on a U.S. citizen stopped by masked ICE agents, featuring LIJC Director Marissa Montes, who spoke on racial profiling and immigrant rights.
- KQED-FM examined the impact of a Supreme Court ruling on ICE arrests with LIJC analysis on risks facing immigrant communities across California.
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Los Angeles Times covered Know Your Rights workshops organized by LIJC to highlight immigration resources for Southern California communities.
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EdSource covered a report from the Education Justice Coalition, with YJEC as a contributor, chronicling systemic failures to educate incarcerated youth in L.A. County.
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WitnessLA examined oversight failures within the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, quoting Sean Kennedy, Kaplan & Feldman Executive Director of the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, on threats, retaliation, and structural barriers to accountability.
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Telemundo 20 reported on a trip led by LIJC that brought more than 250 DACA recipients to Tijuana for immigration guidance and community support.
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NBC San Diego profiled a DACA recipient as part of LIJC’s cross-border programs, underscoring challenges immigrant youth face amid shifting federal policy.
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L.A. Taco cited the LPI on obstacles to correcting wrongful convictions in its examination of the California Attorney General’s troubled post-conviction justice unit.
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