Mendoza v. Ruesga

Opinion

McCONNELL, P. J.

California’s immigration consultants act (ICA) (Bus. & Prof. Code, § 22440 et seq.) 1 regulates nonattomeys who offer advice or assistance to a particularly vulnerable population, immigrants seeking legal residency in the United States. Plaintiffs’ appeal involves questions of first impression: (1) whether there is a right to a jury trial on a cause of action for violation of the ICA, and (2) whether the unclean hands doctrine may be raised as an affirmative defense to an ICA cause of action. We answer the second question in the negative and partially reverse the…