Bern M. Velasco
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. He was admitted to practice in May 2017 after achieving the highest score on the February 2017 Arizona Uniform Bar Examination.
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 awarded Best Published Note. Other law-school honors include the F. Britton Burns Award, given to the champion of the Fegtly Moot Court competition, Best Oral Advocate (Third Place) in the Boston regional of the National ABA Appellate Advocacy Competition, and the Distinguished Scholar award. Bern was also selected by his peers to speak at graduation on behalf of his class.
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.
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 enjoys cycling, 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
Admissions
- State Bar of Arizona, 2017
Education
University of Arizona College of Law, James E. College of Law, Tucson, Arizona, Juris Doctor, Summa Cum Laude, 2017University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, Bachelor of Environmental Science, 2000Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, 2008
Organizations
Southside Presbyterian Church