A Discussion of Mendez v. Westminster, the Landmark Case that Ended Separate Mexican Schools in California and Paved the Way for Brown v. Board of Education

Litigation attorney Eddie Jauregui will join a California Lawyers Association webinar titled "A Discussion of Mendez v. Westminster, the Landmark Case that Ended Separate Mexican Schools in California and Paved the Way for Brown v. Board of Education." Nearly a decade before the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, a lesser-known decision, Mendez v. Westminster, held that California’s forced segregation of Mexican American students into separate “Mexican schools” was unconstitutional. 

During this webinar, Mr. Jauregui will explore the history of the decision, including the creation of separate Mexican schools in California; the proceedings in the district court (culminating in a two-week bench trial); and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s decision, which affirmed the district court’s holding but on more narrow grounds. They will also discuss the significance of the decision for the Mexican American community and analyze how it laid the groundwork for Brown v. Board of Education and related cases.