California Lawyers Foundation Partnership Establishes CLPC High School Law Academy in Fresno

California Lawyers Foundation (CLF) puts its mission into action to educate and inspire the next generation of legal professionals and the communities they serve. In a demonstration of its ongoing commitment to civic education and outreach, the Foundation has just announced it has officially partnered with Bullard High School to establish a California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC) law academy in Fresno. CLF is the charitable arm of California Lawyers Association (CLA), the largest volunteer bar association in the state with 50,000 members.

CLPC’s multi-year law academy bring civics engagement, government, and the law to classrooms throughout California, in both big cities and smaller communities. Students learn directly from legal professionals and are given special opportunities to meet with judges and legislators, hear court cases, attend symposiums, and experience firsthand an array of legal career opportunities.

“Our Foundation is focused on key issues such as civic education and preparing students to become active and engaged citizens, and building the pipeline into the legal profession,” says CLF President Jerrilyn Malana, who is an attorney in San Diego. “We are excited to work alongside Bullard High School to share our long-term commitment to help develop civic-minded students and inspire them to pursue careers in the legal profession. Through our law academy, we strive to empower the next generation of leaders and change-makers.”  

A key supporter of the partnership is Judge Pahoua Lor, who made history as the first Hmong female judge in California when she was appointed to the Fresno County Superior Court by Governor Newsom in 2022. Lor grew up in Fresno and is passionate about education and giving back. “I am so excited about the number of lives we are going to touch. We are telling students that we believe in their dreams,” she explains. “Students who are able to connect with people who come from similar backgrounds or experiences can then see themselves and what they are able to accomplish.” Lor has generously agreed to volunteer her time to serve as a CLPC student mentor. “I want to bring others on board, learn about what the students need, and help.”

With the establishment of the CLPC law academy in Fresno, there are now 25 law academies positioned across California, with more than 3,100 participants annually. Students enter the course of study in their sophomore year and continue through to high school graduation. Most academy graduates go on to pursue a higher education, with most being the first in their families to attend college.

It is important to CLF that the CLPC academies be located in both large metropolitan areas such as San Diego, as well as smaller, outlying cities. For example, the educational project is established at several schools within metro Los Angeles, but also at El Dorado High School, in Placentia, outside LA, giving students from smaller regions an opportunity to engage. Other examples include the Pacific Law Academy in Stockton and Antioch’s Deer Valley High School, both located in California’s Central Valley, where programs have been initiated.

Bullard High School is dedicated to becoming a nationally recognized school ensuring that its students are prepared to be competitive in the global economy. The school works to equip its students with a rigorous and relevant education that challenges them to reach their full potential. It has offered a Law and Social Justice Pathway to students in coordination with Fresno City College, California State University, Frenso, and San Joaquin College of Law for several years. The collaboration with CLF strengthens Bullard High School’s program, providing new opportunities for scholarships as well as expanded mentorship and networking avenues with judges, lawyers, and other legal professionals.

“Our current program has been valuable to our students,” says Ralph Vasquez, Coordinator of College and Career Readiness for Bullard High School. “However, we want to bring more relevance to teaching. This new partnership specifically includes mentorship by people in the legal profession who work as lawyers and in other justice system capacities currently, every Monday through Friday. We want to build connections with law firms in our community and give our students job shadowing, internships, and job possibilities.”

Bullard High students have already had the chance to meet with several judges and attorneys representing the CLPC law academy. They have been encouraged to speak candidly about what they want their classroom and educational environment to look like going forward and to be involved in decision-making.

“Our biggest strength at Bullard High School is our students,” Vasquez says. “By getting our foot in the door, the doors are now opening, and we will continue to grow this new institutional relationship. The CLPC pathways program puts our students directly in front of legal professionals and helps prepare them for the next step as they move into college. It’s something which can happen organically and something we can leverage with CLPC.

Fresno City College political science instructor and Law Pathway Faculty Champion, Kau Vue, recalls that when the college initially became involved in a legal pathways initiative, the program had about 20 students. Today, there are more than 200 individuals taking part in the pathway from high school into college. The school was the first community college established in California and the second  to be formed in the nation.

“We want to be very intentional,” says Vue. “When students are making the transition into college, we don’t want them to become lost. If individuals have an interest in the law, or the legal field, we are here to help them. We provide a foundation for the first two years of college as they ultimately move into law school and to becoming attorneys, and if they decide they want a legal career, but not as a lawyer, that’s great, too.”

Vue states that it’s important for students to know that they have options. “We believe that it is more difficult to do it on your own, and honestly it is my work with students that reminds me why I got into education,” she says. “I enjoy teaching and watching students share their passion. It is an honor to help coordinate the program. Ultimately, it is our goal that when students believe they can do something, we can say, ‘You can, and we will help you.’ It’s really through love.”

The leaders and advisors for the CLPC program at Bullard High School see the partnership as an educational community. The path to becoming a lawyer takes many years and can be expensive, they acknowledge. The relationships formed in secondary school, however, are continued along each step, helping students feel comfortable reaching out to their teachers and mentors, whether it be to look at a college application, job resume, or to find their grounding. The goal is to provide continuous encouragement and as many avenues as possible for students to engage, as well as to learn from each other.

CLF recently awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships to students attending high school, undergraduate, and law school programs, funded by generous individuals who are concerned about providing an educational pathway for students from diverse backgrounds who hope to have a career in the legal field.

“We seek to expand and develop more law academies in California to engage as many students as possible,” Malana shares. “I highly encourage educators and administrators, regardless of the size and location of their high schools, to connect with California Lawyers Foundation and explore the potential to bring a law academy to their communities.”

Today, law academy graduates work in private law firms and the public sector as accomplished attorneys. Some become law enforcement officials or serve in other justice-related capacities.

Learn more about supporting CLF and its academic and scholarship programs.

Learn how to bring the CLPC law academy program to your school.