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Former clients of immigration lawyer Alexandra Lozano Kennedy can get free legal help in LA
An ad inside Alexandra Lozano Kennedy's now shuttered office in Commerce, CA.
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Julia Barajas
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LAist
)
The L.A. Law Library in downtown Los Angeles will host a free legal clinic this Saturday for individuals who believe they may have been victims of fraud or attorney misconduct as clients of Alexandra Lozano Kennedy or her law firm, La Luz del Camino Legal.
The former lawyer — who used social media and Latino religious iconography to attract clientele — had tens of thousands of clients and offices across the U.S., including one in the city of Commerce in Southeast L.A. County.
Until recently, Lozano Kennedy was licensed by the Washington State Bar Association, which enabled her to represent clients nationwide. Lozano Kennedy resigned in May and is now permanently barred from practicing law in that state. She was also suspended from practicing before the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; immigration courts; and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
A lawsuit filed by nine of Lozano Kennedy’s former clients alleges that her firm filed baseless or fraudulent petitions for survivors of intimate partner violence and human trafficking. It also alleges that her firm placed client signatures on documents without their knowledge and that client declarations contained information they did not approve. She is also accused of using nonlawyers to perform client consultations and provide legal advice. Lozano Kennedy denies any wrongdoing.
The business cards that were distributed at Lozano Kennedy's firm in Commerce featured a prayer in Spanish on one side and an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the other.
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Julia Barajas
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LAist
)
M. Lucero Ortiz, director of community legal services at Loyola Law School’s Immigrant Justice Clinic, said that, although USCIS informed Lozano Kennedy’s clients that they can withdraw their application or petition, the federal agency failed to explain the potential consequences of doing so.
USCIS could issue a Notice to Appear to people who withdraw their application or petition, Ortiz added. This means the agency could refer the person to immigration court, where they would have to defend themselves against being removed from the United States. While their cases play out, these petitioners and applicants could be subject to mandatory detention in an ICE facility.
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“Unfortunately, one of the strategies [employed by Lozano Kennedy] was that she did not give clients a copy of what was submitted to USCIS,” Ortiz said. As a result, many former clients don’t know what the agency is reviewing. It’s also “difficult for another attorney to assume legal responsibility or representation in those pending cases,” she said.
“For that reason,” Ortiz underscored, “it's very important that clients really take ownership of their own case.”
Loyola Law School’s Immigration Justice Clinic and Counsel for Justice, an L.A.-based nonprofit that provides legal assistance to underserved communities, will facilitate the workshop on Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. through 1:30 pm.
The volunteer attorneys, along with Department of Justice-accredited representatives, will provide free legal consultations. They will help former clients complete a change of address form to ensure they receive USCIS notices directly. Plus, to help former clients secure a copy of their case files, the attorneys will help them submit Freedom of Information Act records requests.
Ortiz encourages former clients to “bring all of the documents related to their interaction” with Lozano Kennedy’s firm to the workshop—including any texts or emails.
Because the former lawyer allegedly profited off of immigrant communities by casting herself as a miracle worker, Ortiz said she understands why her former clients might be reluctant to turn to another attorney.
“There is no financial incentive for us to provide these services,” she said. “Our main priority is to restore trust with the community.”
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How to register for the legal clinic
To register for the legal clinic on Saturday, Nov. 7, former Lozano Kennedy clients should email here.
The LA Law Library’s is at 301 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Patrons who arrive after 12:30 p.m. will be assisted on first-come, first-serve.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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