It Might Be June, But THIS School is STILL in Session

June 2025

June signals the start of summer, and for students and teachers, the end to the academic school year. However, the California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC) is keeping its classroom doors and educational opportunities open by hosting its Annual California Law Academy Symposium at the Santa Clara University School of Law on June 21, 2025. As a program of the California Lawyers Foundation (CLF), CLPC continues to advocate for and expand its law academy partnerships to ensure a successful path for high school students interested in the legal profession.

The day-long event focuses on professional development for teachers, as well as program development for CLPC’s advisory boards, administrators and volunteers. Angela Winfield, Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, Law School Admission Council, is the symposium’s keynote speaker and will report on the status of CLPC’s program. Currently, 3,000 students across California participate each year in 24 law academies. More than 700 high schoolers successfully graduated from the three-year program this past May, and many will begin their undergraduate education in the fall. Most will be the first in their families to attend college.

“The symposium unites educators and leaders who are shaping the next generation of attorneys and legal professionals, and provides them with an opportunity to collaborate and share best practices,” says Jerrilyn Malana, CLF Vice President. Malana will speak at the symposium, focusing on the importance of civics education, engagement, and ethics.

Participants can expect to learn and discuss a range of subjects including how to address challenging topics in the classroom, new law academy programming for students, and how to grow volunteer participation. Additionally, teachers will receive feedback from law academy graduates about their experiences.

“Law academies play a vital role in preparing students for future success by exposing them to legal careers, fostering critical thinking, and promoting civic engagement” explains Malana.  “The symposium will give our law academy teachers and  volunteers fresh tools and resources to shape long-term student success.”                  

For more information about the symposium and to register, please visit here.