California Legal Pathways Collaborative Re-establishes Its Partnership With High School Law Academy in Fresno

FRESNO, CA  (October 29, 2025) – California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC) announced today it has re-established its partnership with Bullard High School and the Regional Pathway in Fresno County. CLPC is the diversity educational pipeline program for its parent organization, California Lawyers Foundation (CLF), the charitable arm of California Lawyers Association (CLA). CLA is the largest volunteer bar association in the state with 50,000 members.

CLPC Founder and attorney, Ruthe Ashley, is excited to re-partner with Bullard High School and its new Advisory Council. “The program faced some challenges during the pandemic, particularly since students were not able to be in the classroom or attend events. Together, academy students, mentors, lawyers, and teachers are the synergy which propels our academies forward.”

CLPC’s multi-year academic programs focuses on diversity and disadvantaged populations of students bringing civics engagement, government, and the law to classrooms throughout California. Students interact directly with 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 mission is to help educate students about opportunities in law,” says CLF President Jerri Malana, a Chief Deputy District Attorney with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. “We are excited to watch CLPC work alongside Bullard High School to jumpstart their academy program. CLPC has a long-term commitment to help students navigate the process that takes them from high school, through their undergraduate and graduate school educations, and into the legal profession.”

A key supporter of the partnership, and Advisory Council Chair, 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.

Bullard High School has offered a Law and Social Justice Pathway to students and became part of the high school law academy family in 2016. Working closely in coordination with Fresno City College, California State University, Fresno, and San Joaquin College of Law, this partnership provides a 10-year pathway that offers Central Valley students a direct pipeline into the law. CLPC provides legal professionals to Bullard High School’s program, sharing opportunities for scholarships as well as greatly expanded mentorship, internships and networking avenues with judges, lawyers, and other legal professionals.  Ashely explains, “Our job is to provide the lawyers and judges schools need to bring their program to life and help students experience and learn about the justice system.” 

“We want to bring more relevance to teaching. This partnership specifically includes mentorship by people in the legal profession who work as lawyers and in other justice system capacities right now,” says Ralph Vasquez, Coordinator of College and Career Readiness for Bullard High School. “Our students are our biggest strength, and we want to build connections with law firms in our community to give our students job shadowing, internships, and job possibilities.”

Fresno City College political science instructor and Law Pathway Faculty Champion, Kau Vue, also champions the revitalized partnership. “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.”

Bullard High School Law Academy is one of 25 law academies positioned across California, with more than 3,100 participants annually. Most academy graduates go on to pursue a higher education. It is important to the program that the academies be located in both large, metropolitan areas such as San Diego, as well outlying communities because of its goal to build a legal profession that reflects California’s diverse population.

CLPC generously gave eight scholarships, for $1,500 each, to high school students in June 2025. Instructors nominate students for the important funding which helps to defray school expenses. CLF also recently awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships to students attending high school, undergraduate, and law school programs, funded by 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 want CLPC to continue to expand their academies to involve as many students as possible,” Malana shares. “I highly encourage educators, regardless of the size or location of their high schools, to connect with CLPC and California Lawyers Foundation and explore the potential to bring an academy to their students.”

To learn how to bring support CLPC and bring the law academy program to your school, go to: https://calawyersfoundation.org/our-work/youth-initiatives/