Welcome to the California Bar, Sergio Garcia. Brought to this country as a teen by his father, Garcia is still waiting after 10 years for his green card.
Meanwhile, he graduated from university and law school, and passed California’s notoriously difficult bar exam. But it was unclear whether an undocumented person was eligible for a license to practice law.
This week, the California Supreme Court held that there was no legal reason to prohibit an undocumented person from admission to the bar.
It may remain illegal for a employer to hire the new lawyer, but his expressed interest is in setting up his own practice.
Bravo. Given his struggle to become a lawyer, you can bet he’ll be a powerful advocate for clients.
