Los Angeles — N. Los Angeles Street, CA Immigration Court
Appointed June 2016 · President Barack Obama→ Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch
10 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge James M. Left earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1988 from Pacific Lutheran University and a Juris Doctor in 1994 from Pepperdine University School of Law. He served as a senior attorney for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2013-2016 and 2008-2009), a special assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles (2009-2013 and 2007-2008), an assistant chief counsel for ICE (2004-2007), an associate legal advisor in ICE's National Security Law Division (2002-2004), and an assistant district counsel for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (1997-2002). He is a member of the California State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,505
Completions per year
7,523 total
0.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
11.7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
16.6%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
15.3%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
9.5%
Appeals remanded or reversed
787 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
21.6%
1,692 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2.7%
2,145 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
12.5%⚠
8 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
66.7%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
86.7%
60 decisions Moderate
21.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 1,692 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
21.6%
This court
29.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 43% of the 825 judges nationally with enough cases to compare.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyerrepresented · 1,457 decisions since 2021
22%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 235 decisions since 2021
18.7%
Asylum grant rate over time
Each point is that calendar year's grant rate, back to 2015 where the judge was deciding cases — the longer career view. Dashed grey line = current national average (31.8%). Headline rates above use 2021 – today.
Courts where this judge has decided cases
Hearing locations for cases this judge completed since 2021, by number of decisions.
Many judges hear cases from more than one court (detained facilities, video dockets, or reassignments).