Jessica SmithBobadilla

Having grown up in the culturally diverse city of Fresno in Central California and excelling in academics throughout her childhood, Jessica attended UC Berkeley, graduating with High Honors and High Distinction. She then attended UC Hastings where she completed a concentration in international law, achieving a dual degree in Law and International Affairs — UC Hastings granted her law degree, and Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs granted her Master's.

Jessica Smith Bobadilla has practiced immigration law since 2002, and her firm, The Law Office of Jessica Smith Bobadilla, A PLC, was established in 2007. She served as Director of the New American Legal Clinic at San Joaquin College of Law from 2013 to 2016 after serving as its Legal Director. As a professor, she taught Criminal Law, Immigration Law and Policy, Immigration Appellate Writing, and Human Rights Law. She also served as a Consulting Attorney with the Consulate of Mexico.

From 2017 to 2018 she was a Senior Fellow in the immigration program of Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto (CLSEPA). She continues to oversee operations of her firm and defend clients' immigration cases in court today.

Jessica has argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on several occasions and has prevailed in several Ninth and Tenth Circuit appellate cases — securing attorney's fees from the Department of Justice in meritorious claims that were originally denied. In each of these cases her clients had received inadequate or ineffective assistance from a former attorney and were close to removal; Jessica secured new hearings, alleviating the threat of deportation.