Alumni Spotlight: Jonhatan Aragon ’20 Staff Attorney, ACLU; Governing Council, UC Irvine Law Alumni Association Board
Jonhatan Aragon is a Staff Attorney with the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project, where he litigates cases involving civil liberties and immigration law. Before joining the ACLU, he was an associate at Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP, where he maintained an active pro bono practice focused on immigration matters, including federal habeas litigation successfully challenging immigration detention and representation of asylum seekers. He previously served as a law clerk to judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Western District of Texas and the District of Nevada. Earlier in his career, he worked at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the Federal Defenders of New York, and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. At UC Irvine Law, Jonhatan served as President of OutLaw, competed in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, and participated in the Ninth Circuit Appellate Litigation Clinic. He received his B.A. in American Studies from Yale University.
Q: How did UC Irvine Law prepare you for your legal practice?
UC Irvine Law gave me opportunities to begin doing the work of a lawyer while I was still a student, particularly through the Ninth Circuit Appellate Litigation Clinic and the Lawyering Skills Program, where I learned how to develop a factual record, analyze legal issues, and turn that work into a clear and persuasive argument. Through my pro bono work, I also assisted noncitizens seeking immigration relief and prepared asylum seekers for their credible-and reasonable-fear interviews at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas and at the Tijuana-Mexico border. Those experiences taught me to connect legal analysis with the circumstances of the people affected by it, a perspective that has stayed with me throughout my career.
Q: What do you like best about your work?
I enjoy collaborating with other attorneys to solve complex legal questions, especially when the problem requires both careful analysis and creative thinking. What makes that work rewarding is that the questions we spend hours working through can have immediate, concrete consequences for a client's life or liberty. I find that combination of intellectual challenge, collaboration, and on-the-ground impact to be the most meaningful part of being a lawyer.
Q: What was the best part about being a student at UC Irvine Law?
The people were the best part of my experience at UCI Law. I had classmates who became close friends and professors who were accessible, generous with their time, and genuinely encouraging. That encouragement extended beyond the classroom and gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities in moot court, pro bono work, and other areas that interested me. I have been especially fortunate that several of those relationships with professors have continued after law school, and their support has remained meaningful at different points in my career.
Q: How do you stay involved with the UC Irvine Law Community?
I serve on the UCI Law Alumni Association and have returned to help moot students competing in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. I enjoy being able to stay connected to the school while also offering something useful to current students, particularly because I remember how valuable that kind of support was when I was a student. I'm interested in continuing to find new ways to contribute to the UCI Law community as opportunities arise.