Law Students

Law Students from UC Davis School of Law File Application for Law License of Deceased Chinese Lawyer
Download PDF
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...

Law students still study a decision from 1890 by the California Supreme Court that denied Hong Yen Chang the ability to practice law because he was Chinese. Students from the University of California, Davis, School of Law’s Asian Pacific American Law Students Association have filed an application to practice law in California on behalf of Chang, according to The Associated Press.

The application has been filed with the State Bar of California. It is step one in the process that ends with appearing in front of the California Supreme Court, which licenses attorneys in the state.

  
What
Where


“This is a unique situation and we don’t know what the Committee of Bar Examiners will do with the application,” spokeswoman Laura Ernde said. The application will be under consideration in late June.

“Admitting Mr. Chang would be a powerful symbol of our state’s repudiation of laws that singled out Chinese immigrants for discrimination,” said Gabriel “Jack” Chin, a professor at UC Davis School of Law and the student association’s adviser.

Change studied at Yale and earned his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1886. He was initially denied the opportunity to take the New York bar exam, but a special act from the Legislature allowed it. He sat for and passed the bar. Change was the first Chinese immigrant to become a lawyer in the United States, according to The New York Times in a report from that time.

Get JD Journal in Your Mail

Subscribe to our FREE daily news alerts and get the latest updates on the most happening events in the legal, business, and celebrity world. You also get your daily dose of humor and entertainment!!




Chang moved  to California in 1890 in the hopes of practicing law and representing the growing Chinese population in San Francisco. His application was denied by the state’s Supreme Court, stating the federal Chinese Exclusion Act. This barred Chinese natives from acquiring citizenship in the country. The court also cited a California law that prohibited noncitizens from practicing law.

“It’s a pretty notorious decision,” Chin said. “Every student can put themselves in his position.”





 

RELEVANT JOBS

Associate Attorney

USA-PA-Exton

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY McKenna Snyder LLC, a law firm in Exton, PA has an immediate opening for an ex...

Apply now

Attorney

USA-MI-Sturgis

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater and Sturgis, Michiga...

Apply now

Attorney

USA-MI-Coldwater

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater and Sturgis, Michiga...

Apply now

Insurance Defense Trial Attorney/ Senior Counsel

USA-CA-San Francisco

Job description Trial Attorney - Personal Injury Defense Full Job Description Hickey Smith ...

Apply now

BCG FEATURED JOB

Locations:

Keyword:



Search Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with ...

Apply Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-Carlsbad

Carlsbad office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with 4-...

Apply Now

Education Law and Public Entity Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law and public ent...

Apply Now

Most Popular

SEARCH IN ARCHIVE

To Top