A native Tucsonan, Bern Velasco received his JD, Summa Cum Laude, from the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona in 2017.

Bern represents clients in the Arizona Federal District Court, Arizona Court of Appeals, Superior Court, Justice Court, and administrative settings including the Office of Administrative Hearings and Registrar of Contractors. Bern has litigated several complex cases with numerous parties and tens of millions of dollars in controversy.

Bern’s primary areas of focus include construction, commercial litigation, and appeals in which he represents owners, contractors, subcontractors, businesses, and municipalities. He also defends businesses and municipalities in statutory and tort actions. Although not a primary area of focus, Bern also joins his colleagues for trial in high profile, wrongful death plaintiff’s cases because they value his writing, argument, and appellate experience.

Prior to joining Mesh Clark Rothschild, Bern clerked with the Honorable Peter J. Eckerstrom, Chief Judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two.  During law school, he clerked under Judges Thomas O’Leary and Sean Keenan of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, represented clients as a certified limited practice student with the Pima County Public Defender, and drafted appellate briefs for indigent criminal defendants with the Law Office of Emily Danies.

While in law school, Bern served as a Note Editor for the Arizona Law Review and his note, Who Are the Real Refugees? Labels as Evidence of a Particular Social Group, 59 Ariz. L. Rev. 235 (2017), was named Best Published Note.  Bern also won the Fegtly Moot Court competition, was named Best Oral Advocate (Third Place) in the Boston regional of the National ABA Appellate Advocacy Competition and eared the Distinguished Scholar award.  His peers selected him as one of two graduation speakers for the class.

Before returning to Tucson in 2014, Bern served as an associate pastor in Northern California after graduating with honors from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th. M. 2008).  Other professional experience includes serving as a Civil Engineering Assistant with the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality, where he worked after graduating from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Environmental Science (2000).

Bern competes around the state with the Bicycle Ranch Tucson Race Team.  He also enjoys racquetball, podcasts, all things Arizona Wildcats, and relaxing with his family.  He also conducts workshops at the University of Arizona College of Law to help students write effective essays for the bar examination.

Practice Areas

• Commercial Litigation
• Appeals
• Construction Law

Admissions

• Federal Bar, District of Arizona, 2017
• State Bar of Arizona, 2017

Education

University of Arizona College of Law, James E. College of Law, Tucson, Arizona, Juris Doctor, Summa Cum Laude, 2017
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, Bachelor of Environmental Science, 2000
Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, 2008

Organizations

Federal Bar Association Board
Lohse YMCA Advisory Board
Southside Presbyterian Church
Bicycle Ranch Tucson Race Team