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California Law Academy Symposium Awards and Scholarship Reception

September 21 @ 9:00 am 7:00 pm

California Law Academy Symposium Awards and Scholarship Reception. September 21 at UC Law San Francisco

UC Law San Francisco
198 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

The California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC) invites Law Academy Teachers, Advisory Boards, Administrators and Volunteers to join CLPC for our symposium supporting and enhancing our law academy partnership for the ongoing success of our law academies and students.

Onsite registration available

Keynote Presentations

  • Hon. Martin Jenkins, Associate Justice – California Supreme Court
  • Anna Mercado Clark, President – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
  • Joint Reception and presentation of CLPC Scholarships and Program Awards

Law Academy Teaching Teams

A STREET LAW Comprehensive Skills/Curriculum Session (Limited to 50) Presented by: Street Law Training Staff on classroom presentation and techniques, curriculum content and much more.

Advisory Boards, Administrators and Volunteers

  • Best Practices in Building and Maintaining Successful Law Academies
  • Creating Dynamic and Engaged Advisory Boards
  • The Care and Feeding of Volunteers
  • Partnerships and Collaborations that Produce Outcomes
  • Measuring Success through Data Collection and Analysis

What You Will Learn

Teachers will be able to:

  • Use case summaries and case study strategies to teach about landmark and current SCOTUS cases
  • Facilitate Deliberations to discuss current and contested issues
  • Use Socratic seminars to help students collaboratively explore a text(s)
  • Access Street Law resources and websites to support instruction in law academies, and
  • Learn about each other’s programs

Administrators, Advisory Boards, and other volunteers will be able to:

  • Review Law Academy requirements and policies
  • Best Practices in building and maintaining successful academies and advisory boards
  • Measuring success through data collection and analysis
  • Sharing successes, failures and remedies
  • Celebrate the journeys of law academy alumni

Schedule

Continental Breakfast and Registration | 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Location: Lobby Level, 198 McAllister Street, San Francisco

Welcome, Introductions and Opening Remarks | 9:30 to 9:40 a.m.

Location: Courtroom 108

  • Hon. Fumiko Wasserman, CLPC Board and Planning Committee Chair
  • Ruthe Ashley, Chair, California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC)
  • Jerrilyn Malana, Vice President, California Lawyers Foundation
  • Mario Ernesto Lopez, UCSF, Chief Diversity Officer, Chancellor & Dean’s Office

Keynote Address: Martin Jenkins, Associate Justice – California Supreme Court | 9:40 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

  • Introduction: Diego Arp, CLPC BoardMember
  • Speaker: Martin Jenkins, Associate Justice, California Supreme Court

At conclusion of Plenary session, Track #1 participants please move to Courtroom 106.

Street Law Teacher Program Development Track (Courtroom 106)

Welcome and Introductions | 10:05 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

  • Carlos Garcia, CLPC Board, Coordinator Florin High School Law and the World Academy
  • Linda Kingston, CLPC Board Member; Director, CTE and Master Schedule, Sacramento City Unified School District (Ret.)

Street Law Instructors:

  • Cathy Ruffing, Senior Director, Teacher Professional Development & Curriculum
  • Jen Wheeler, Senior Director, Teacher Professional Development & Curriculum

Session #1: Street Law’s Case Study Methods | 10:05 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

  • Reviewing Street Law’s seven strategies for teaching about U.S. Supreme Court cases, Classifying Arguments, and discussion how to choose the right approach for your classroom

Break | 11:00 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.

Session #2: Explore Legal timelines.org and Landmarkcases.org | 11:10 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

  • Discovering materials to integrate primary source analysis and inquiry-based instruction to engage your students in learning about Supreme Court cases.

Session #3: CLPC DATA INTRODUCTION | 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

  • Presented by: Mei Kim & Aiden Kim, Data Analytics Consultants

Joint Lunch and Networking | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

  • Note: Attorneys seeking 0.5 Ethics MCLE Credit: for next session please complete MCLE Signups in Courtroom 108 prior to the beginning of the session

PLENARY SESSION: Civics Engagement, Civility and Professional Responsibility | 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

(Location: Courtroom 108)

MCLE CREDIT (.5 Ethics) / (.5 General Credit)

  • Featured Speaker: Jerrilyn Malana, Chair, Civics Engagement and Outreach Committee, California Lawyers Association; Vice President, California Lawyers Foundation

(NOTE: Following Plenary Session, Track #1 reconvenes in Courtroom 106)

Session #4: Using the Powerful Deliberation Teaching Strategy | 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

  • Applying this teaching strategy to discuss a current and contested topic in the United States today. We will ask: “Should violent juvenile offenders be punished as adults?”

Break | 3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Session #5: Socratic Seminar: The Case of the Shipwrecked Sailors | 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

  • Using the Socratic Seminar discussion strategy to consider the connection between law and morality. We will focus on whether necessity is ever a defense for taking a life and the purpose of punishment.

Session #6: Accessing Street’s Law Free Resources and Staying in Touch | 4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

  • Explore Street Law’s updated free resource library to access:
    • Classroom Guide to Mock Trials + ready to use mock trials
    • Classroom Guide to Moot Courts
    • SCOTUS in the Classroom (current) Cases
    • Hundreds of Case Summaries
    • A collection of Deliberation topics (at MS and HS levels)
    • Sign up for Street Law updates to stay in touch with us, and
    • much more

Session #7: Debrief | 4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  • We will debrief the workshop and discuss scaffolding and differentiation needed to successfully implement these strategies in your classroom. We would greatly appreciate your honest feedback.

Scholarship and Academy Awards Reception | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

(Location: Auditorium, Lower Level)

  • Welcome: Ruthe Ashley, CLPC Board Chair
  • Keynote: Anna Mercado Clark, Partner, Philips Lytle, Inc. – President, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
  • Presentations: Scholarships and Law Academy Program Awards

Program Development for Advisory Boards, Administrators and Volunteers Track (Courtroom 108)

Session #1: Introduction to CLPC and Refresher Course on Law Academy Requirements, Policies and Programming | 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Moderator: Patricia Lee, CLPC Vice Chair; Chair, ABA Pipeline Council

Speakers:

  • Ruthe Ashley, Chair, CLPC
  • Linda Kingston, CLPC Board Member; Director, CTE and Master Schedule, Sacramento City Unified School District (Ret.)

Session #2: Law Academy Alumni Reflections | 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Moderator: Valerie James, CLPC Board; Sr. Asst Dean for Admissions, Financial Aid and Diversity Initiatives, Pacific McGeorge School of Law

Speakers:

  • Deepak Kumar, Florin High School Law and the World Academy, Class of 2015
  • Princess Leon, Roosevelt High School Law and Public Service Magnet
  • Angellina Querol, Jesse Bethel Law Academy, Class of 2020.
  • Pedro Ruiz, Richmond High School Law Academy

Joint Lunch and Networking | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

(Location: Auditorium, Lower Level)
(Attorneys seeking .5 Ethics MCLE Credit: for next session please complete MCLE
Signups in Courtroom 108 prior to the beginning of the session)

PLENARY SESSION: Civics Engagement, Civility and Professional Responsibility | 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

MCLE CREDIT (.5 Ethics)/ (.5 General Credit)

(Location: Courtroom 108)

  • Featured Speaker: Jerrilyn Malana, Chair, Civics Engagement and Outreach Committee, California Lawyers Association; Vice President, California Lawyers Foundation

(Following Plenary Session, Track #1 reconvenes in Courtroom 106)

Session #3: The Care and Feeding of Advisory Boards and Volunteers | 1:35 p.m. – 2:35 p.m.

Moderator: Hon. Fumiko Wasserman, CLPC Board; Advisory Board Chair, Narbonne Law Academy

Speakers:

  • Hon. David Cunningham, Advisory Board Chair, Washington Prep High School Law Academy
  • Hon. Dan Healy, Advisory Board Chair, Jesse Bethel Law Academy
  • Hon. Audra Ibarra, Advisory Board Chair, Andrew P. Hill High School and Yerba Buena High School Law Pathways
  • Ann Park, Mentoring Coordinator, Woodrow Wilson High School Law Magnet

Break | 2:35 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Session #4: Sharing Best Practices: Providing Support for Law Academies and Students | 2:45 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.

Moderator: Linda Kingston, CLPC Board; Director CTE and Master Schedule, Sacramento City
Unified School District (Ret.)

Speakers:

  • Ray Beattie, Lead Teacher, Crawford High School Law Academy
  • Carlos Garcia, Coordinator, Florin High School Law Academy
  • Hon. Judy Johnson (Ret.), Advisory Board Chair, De Anza High School Law Academy
  • Katrina Traylor Rice, Coordinator of Teacher Residency for Vallejo City Unified School District; Former Lead Teacher, Jesse Bethel Law Academy
  • Ariel Kirschenbaum, Coordinator of Career Technical Education (CTE), College & Career
  • Department, West Contra Costa County Unified School District

Session #5: Participant Debriefing, Feedback and Next Steps | 3:50 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.

(Identifying Challenges, Areas for Program Support, Student Support in Law Academy and transition to post graduation, etc.)

Facilitators:

  • Celia Esposito-Noy, CLPC Board; President, Solano Community College (Ret.)
  • Han Mi Yoon-Wu, CLPC Board; Executive Director Undergrad Admissions, University of California Office of the President         

Acknowledgments | 4:50 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  • Hon. Fumiko Wasserman, CLPC Board, Planning Committee Chair
  • Patricia Lee, Vice Chair, CLPC Board

Scholarship and Academy Awards Reception | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Welcome: Ruthe Ashley, CLPC Board Chair
Keynote: Anna Mercado Clark, Partner, Philips Lytle, Inc. – President, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
PRESENTATIONS: Scholarships and Law Academy Program Awards

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

  • $50 per person for each meeting
  • $40 for each additional team member

Driving Directions and Parking: https://www.uclawsf.edu/map-directions/

Taking BART to UCSF/SF Civic Center from SFO and OAK airports: https://www.bart.gov/guide/airport/sfo

To qualify for the group discount, all parties must be a part of the same organization. For any assistance, please email, ProgramRegistrations@calawyers.org. 

Limited Travel Stipends Available. Please email Janett Cabanero at info@calawyers.org for eligibility. 

CANCELLATIONS/REFUNDS

Cancellations and refunds must be received in writing no later than September 18, 2024 and are subject to a 25% service fee. Refunds will not be available after September 18, 2024.

Speakers

California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC) Law Academy Symposium Speakers

Diego Arp

Diego Arp provides legal support for various business activities both domestic and foreign, for Wells Fargo Capital Finance including regulatory and compliance work, commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions and complex integrations. Strategize and coordinate business activity with internal groups including Senior Management, Treasury, Operations, Marketing, Accounting and Sales. He provides guidance to and manages external counsel regarding business, compliance, regulatory and tax matters as it relates to our company. Diego has developed and assisted with implementing corporate policies and procedures for the group’s business activities. He mentors and provides support to junior team members, interns, and students. Diego assists and plans Diversity and Inclusion activities within the department to broaden opportunities and access to the legal profession.

Ruthe Catolico Ashley

Ruthe Catolico Ashley is Chair of the newly created California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC), which focuses on expanding resources for the high school law academies project started by Ashley in 2010. This new project is housed with the California Lawyers Foundation bringing the high school academies back to its roots in a legal organization. Ashley is also founder of California LAW Pathways, created in 2015 to support the California LAW Pathway with a mission to diversify California’s legal profession through the educational pipeline.

Ashley is considered the Diversity Pipeline Guru for the legal profession in California. As a member of the State Bar of California’s Board of Governors, she chaired the Diversity Pipeline Task Force in 2007, which jump-started the pipeline work in this state. Ashley founded and created the Council on Access and Fairness with the State Bar of California – now a leader in legal diversity across the nation. She was also the first President/CEO of California ALL, and the Founder/Executive Director of California LAW, two non-profit organizations with a mission to diversify the legal profession through the educational pipeline.

Ashley’s first career was as a nurse and nursing professor. She became a lawyer at the age of 40 and was a litigator for 15 years before returning to her alma mater as the Assistant Dean for Career Services. She was the first Division Chief Diversity Officer for CalPERS. Ashley has had numerous leadership roles including being past president of the Asian Pacific Bar of Sacramento, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and Legal Services of Northern California. She was a member of the American Bar Association’s Board of Governors and chaired the Public Service and Diversity Committee of the BOG. She led the restructuring of the Goal III Diversity entities. She also chaired the Women of Color Committee for the Commission on Women and the chaired the Council on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline. She chaired the ABA’s Public Education Committee with programs including the National Civics and Law Academy, Law Day, Silver Gavel Awards and other projects for teachers and students. Currently, she is a member of the ABA’s Fund for Justice and Education, Retirement Fund Board, and the Law Library of Congress. She remains as a liaison to Public Ed from the Civil Rights and Social Justice Committee.

Ashley worked with the California Legislature in inserting diversity and inclusion language in the State Bar’s 2018 Fee Bill. The recipient of numerous awards including the ABA’s prestigious Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement award in 2020. A NAPABA Trailblazer recipient, she received the inaugural Excellence in Civics Engagement Award from the California Lawyers Association. Now retired, she devotes her time to diversity in the legal profession and world travel. Three grandchildren make life rich and active.

Ray Beattie

Ray Beattie began his journey to become a teacher at Point Loma College in San Diego, earning his B.S. degree in Physical Education.  After graduating from PLNU in 1983, Ray became a San Diego Police officer and later a field training officer for graduates from the police academy. After getting off-duty from his midnight patrol shifts, Ray completed his education classes and student teaching.

 After the SDPD, Ray became the director of security for Point Loma Nazarene University, with a student staff of 25-30 college students as student security officers, welcome center greeters, office receptionist, shuttle van drivers and foot patrol student escort.  The PLNU security department received recognition as a model for other universities and colleges in using students in security/public safety departments.  While the director of security, Ray finished the History-Social Science requirements for his teaching credential.

At the age of fifty, Ray became a teacher with San Diego Unified School District, at Lincoln High School, Center for Public Safety, and later with Crawford High School, Academy of Law. Ray came into a program at Crawford that was part of College, Career and Technical Education (CCTE) led by Steve Luttbeg and Jamie Davenport, and a teaching team with programs in community building circles, peer mediation, teen court and a mock trial team.  The emphasis has always been as Steve Luttbeg would say: “it’s all about the students”.  The Academy teaching team presented several times at the Educating for Careers Conference on using community circles and monologues to build community, fixing-the-harm circles and peer mediation. 

Monique Candor, a retired attorney, joined the Academy teaching team after Steve Luttbeg retired. We continued with the Academy programs already established, and students took first place in the CCTE Showcase with their project in restorative practices and their California Innocence Project. 

Anna Mercado Clark, Esq.

Anna Mercado Clark, Esq., CIPP/E, CIPP/US, CIPM, FIP, is a partner at Phillips Lytle LLP, a preeminent law firm that is recognized nationally for its legal excellence. She is co-leader of Phillips Lytle’s Technology Industry Team, which includes serving as leader of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Team and e-Discovery Team, as well as co-leader of the Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Team. Additionally, Anna focuses her practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation and, as a former assistant district attorney, handles white collar criminal matters and investigations. She counsels sophisticated clients on technology solutions, risk mitigation, data protection and compliance strategies given the constantly evolving regulatory landscape. She regularly speaks at national and international conferences as a subject matter expert on these issues. Anna is also an adjunct professor of law at Fordham University School of Law, teaching a course on data security and privacy (which she developed), as well as fundamental lawyering skills.

Anna serves as Phillips Lytle’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and is a member of the firm’s Governing Committee (the executive committee for the firm), as well as its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Steering Committee. She also spearheads the firm’s award-winning diversity pipeline program titled, “Peace Out!” which focuses on 6th to 8th grade students who are often underprivileged and underserved. Anna designed the innovative program and the exercises used, trains volunteers (attorneys in and outside of Phillips Lytle), and recruits and liaises with schools, teachers and students to administer the program. She also promotes partnerships between the firm, minority bar associations and law school organizations, which included hosting and organizing innovative mentorship programs and trial reenactments of significant cases that had broad racial and equity implications. Anna is the President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), an organization with 90 affiliates around the country and serves the interests of 60,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) legal professionals. She is a founding member of the Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York (FALA NY), for which she was the inaugural Vice President. Anna is also on the board of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY).

Anna has received the Huntington Her Hero Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York City Bar Association and the Fordham University School of Law Moot Court Distinguished Alumni Award. She was also recognized in Crain’s New York Business Notable Women in Law publication. Additionally, she was named to City & State’s Responsible 100, Above & Beyond Innovators and Power of Diversity: Asian 100 lists, Lawyers of Color’s inaugural Nation’s Best List, and is a recipient of the Hon. Denny Chin ‘78 Alumni Award for Excellence in the Legal Profession from the Fordham University School of Law Asian Pacific American Law Student Association. Anna is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and was named a Ponemon Institute Distinguished Fellow.

She has been appointed to three leadership positions on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Science and Technology Law Section, including vice chair for the Cloud Computing Committee, co-chair of the Privacy and Computer Crime Committee and vice chair of the Membership and Diversity Committee.

The Hon. David S. Cunningham III

The Hon. David S. Cunningham III is a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge. He serves as the Supervising Judge for the Complex Civil Litigation Program, presiding over product liability cases, consumer protection class actions, labor-related class actions, and mass torts. He was appointed to the court by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on January 22, 2009.

Judge Cunningham graduated with his B.A. in Economics from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1977.  He was awarded a Root-Tilden-Kern Public Service Scholarship and received his Juris Doctorate from the New York University School of Law in 1980.

In the fall of 1980, Judge Cunningham was admitted to the New York State Bar and began his legal career as an attorney in the Honors Program with the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Rights Section in Washington, D.C.  He worked on the redistricting plan for the Texas House of Representatives and tried several voting rights cases throughout the South.  His work aided Congress in its decision to extend the Voting Rights Act another 25 years in 1982. 

In 1983, upon returning to California, Judge Cunningham was admitted to the California State Bar and served as a judicial clerk for the Hon. Terry J. Hatter, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  In 1984, Judge Cunningham joined the Beverly Hills Office of Finley Kumble Heine Underberg Manley & Casey as an associate.  From 1987 to 1991, while simultaneously developing his practice, he taught financial institutions and trial advocacy courses at Loyola Law School. 

Cunningham grew his public law practice in the early nineties by representing many municipal entities, redevelopment agencies, the Los Angeles Airport, the LA World Port Authority, Southern California Edison, and several public utilities.  In 2006, Judge Cunningham joined the California-based law firm of Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson as a principal, specializing in eminent domain, real estate-related matters, and public law. 

While practicing law in the private sector, Cunningham also served as a police commissioner for the Los Angeles Police Department from 2001 to 2005.  It was a challenging time for the City of Los Angeles, coming on the heels of the worst corruption scandal in the history of the Los Angeles Police Department, a rise in crime, and federal scrutiny of the city’s policing practices.  He served on the commission for four years, becoming its president in 2003.  He saw the LAPD move forward in 2003- 2005 with sweeping reforms and strengthened civilian leadership.

Judge Cunningham has continued his academic interest in the law. Since 2015, he has been an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California, Gould Law School, periodically teaching evidence to second—and third-year law students. From 2016 to 2019, he served on the Executive Board of the California Judges Association, the “Voice of the Judiciary.” 

Dr. Celia Esposito-Noy

Dr. Celia Esposito-Noy has served as the Superintendent/President of the Solano Community College (SCC) District since 2015 and will retire at the end of the 2024 college school year with her tenure ending June 30, 2024.

She began her higher education career as classified staff at Chabot College supervising tutoring services. Following graduate school, she served as a dean at a liberal arts college before returning to work in the community college system as adjunct faculty, director, associate vice president, vice president, interim president and most recently as Vice Chancellor, Educational Services at Chabot-LasPositas Community College District.

She has served as president and past president for the CCCCSSAA (Chief Student Services Administrators) and as a member of the CCCAA Board (Athletic Association). Much of her professional work has focused on developing strategies and interventions for successfully serving students enrolled in basic skills classes, students suffering from trauma, and those with mental health challenges. She has presented at state and national conferences on strategies for advancing student success. Her dissertation examined the use of social modeling in a basic skills math class as a means for informing successful student behavior. Since Esposito-Noy became superintendent-president, the college has seen an increase in enrollment to over 9,000 students, including growth in first-time student enrollment; the establishment of two medical school pathways; a BS degree in Biomanufacturing; and the institution’s sound fiscal practices. In addition to a collaborative effort to provide online courses and additional support for students during the pandemic, Esposito-Noy says she is also proud of continuing efforts to make SCC “a welcoming place.” The college has focused on attending to student and staff needs and wants to be known as a college that cares. “We’ve loaned Chromebooks to hundreds of students, provided new and returning students financial support through the Solano Promise, and have improved the time it takes to complete financial aid packaging,” she said. “We’ve partnered with local hotels to provide temporary housing for students, and with the food bank to provide students access to healthy food at all three campuses. We have partnered with graduate programs to offer psychological counseling to students, both in person and online, and we have worked with community partners to expand training and employment opportunities.” Celia earned her BA degree from San Francisco State University, her MA degree from Stanford University, and her Ed.D. from Mills College. She has lived in Solano County since 1998 and currently resides in Fairfield.

Carlos Garcia

Carlos Garcia grew up in south Sacramento and attended Elk Grove schools. At an early age he was inspired by committed and passionate teachers. Carlos took an interest in history and stories his uncle told him of marching with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. As the first person in his family to attend college, Carlos came to believe that the greatest endeavor one could undertake is to inspire young people to live up to their greatest potential, just as his teachers had inspired him.
In 2006 and chose to a work at Florin High School due to its diverse student population. In 2008 a group of teachers and administrators began work on a grant proposal to create a Law Academy at Florin High School, and Mr. Garcia was chosen to lead the program. The concept behind the Law Academy is to increase diversity in the legal profession by empowering young people with the skills and opportunity to pursue legal careers, and in turn, become advocates for their underrepresented communities.

Since its inception, the Florin High Law Academy has produced several successful attorneys with more in the pipeline. To help prepare students for law school and their future legal careers, Mr. Garcia runs a highly successful regional high school mock trial program in partnership with McGeorge School of Law and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Mr. Garcia continues to teach and coordinate the Law Academy and is inspired by the opportunity to continue to grow and develop the program.

Judge Dan Healy

Judge Dan Healy was elected to the Solano County Superior Court bench in 2010. He presides over a felony criminal calendar as well as the Vallejo Mental Health Court and Veteran’s Court calendars, having previously presided over Drug Court and Reentry Court calendars for 8 years. He is actively involved in community efforts to expand treatment responses for criminal defendants in local courts.

Judge Healy serves on a number of judicial education and support committees. He is a member of the board of directors of the California Association of Collaborative Courts (CACC) and served on the criminal law curriculum committee of the Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER) from 2014-2020. He has served as an instructor in a number of courses addressing mental health issues, criminal law orientation for new judges, and other related topics. For the past several years he has organized presentations for CACC and AllRise (formerly the National Association of Drug Court Professionals) on the use of wellness practices such as yoga and breathwork in criminal justice settings. He is in the process of completing the 200-hour training by the Prison Yoga Project to be certified as a trauma-informed yoga instructor.

Prior to joining the bench Dan Healy was an attorney in private practice in Vallejo and the Bay area for 24 years. He enjoyed a successful general trial practice in criminal, juvenile, civil and real estate / land use areas. He was certified as a criminal law specialist by the State Bar of California, having tried over 80 jury trials to verdict. He was named a Northern California “Superlawyer” in criminal law from 2004-2009 and was honored as “Attorney of the Year” by the Solano County Bar Assn. in 2005. His successful defense of a wrongfully accused young Hispanic man in a 2004 Vacaville homicide case was featured in an episode of “60 Minutes”.

He was an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at UC Davis School of Law from 2000-08.

Dan Healy has been involved in community public service projects for over 30 years. He is co-founder (2013) of the Jesse Bethel H.S. Law and Justice Academy in Vallejo; chair and member, Benicia Planning Commission (2001-10); co-founder of Vallejo Community Access Television (VCAT) (2004); past president (2004) and board member of the Solano County Bar Assn; chair (2006-10) and member of the Solano County Democratic Central Committee; board chair (1994-2000) and member, Catholic Social Service of Solano (1991-2006); board member, Affordable Housing Affiliation (AHA) (2000-06); and board member of the Committee on Crime Victims and Corrections, State Bar of California Legal Services section (1990-97).

Dan Healy earned his Juris Doctor in June 1986 from UOP McGeorge School of Law and his B.A. from UC Davis in1982. Prior to law school he worked with mentally ill inmates at a California prison (CMF). (1982-83) He was born and raised in Vallejo.

Hon. Audra Ibarra

Hon. Audra Ibarra was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the Santa Clara County Superior Court in December 2018. Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye appointed Judge Ibarra as a pro tem justice on the Second District Court of Appeal from June 2021 to January 2022. The California Assembly and Senate recognized Judge Ibarra for her national and statewide leadership and contributions to the legal profession and Asian American community with an Assembly Resolution in May 2024. Judge Ibarra is a former president of the California Asian Pacific American Judges Association and a former voting member of the Judicial Council. She currently serves on the Judicial Council criminal law advisory committee and previously served on its strategic plan for technology workstream. She is a founding member and the treasurer of California Women Judges.

She is a co-founder and the chair of the Santa Clara County Law Academies Advisory Council. She is the co-chair of both the Bench-Bar Coalition and the California Judges Association government relations committee. She teaches courses for judges at the Center for Judicial Education and Research. She is a guest faculty member at Stanford Law School. She co-writes the annual book California Objections Civil and Criminal with Judge Gregory H. Ward (ret.).

Judge Ibarra was certified as an appellate specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She earned a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of California at Berkley.

Valerie D. James, Esq.

Valerie D. James, Esq. has 15 years of higher education administration and 20 years of legal experience, Valerie D. James, Esq., serves as the senior assistant dean of admissions, financial aid, and diversity initiatives and director of the Center for Inclusion and Diversity at the University of Pacific (UOP) McGeorge School of Law.  

James’s experience includes serving as the assistant dean of student affairs at UC Davis Graduate School of Management, the inaugural assistant dean of admissions and scholarships at UNT Dallas College of Law, and the assistant dean of admissions and student affairs at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. She served as COO for KIPP Delta Public Schools in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, overseeing district operations and management of over 200 employees at five branch K-12 schools. 

James graduated magna cum laude with B.S., degrees in Professional and Technical Writing and Criminal Justice (2003) as well as a Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of Arkansas Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law (2008). She is admitted to practice in the State of Arkansas (2008) and before the U.S. Supreme Court (2023).  James serves on several DEI and access committees, including UOP’s DEI Leads and Anti-Racism Challenge Curriculum Committees and LSAC’s DEI Committee and RISE Alliance Workgroup.  James’ work focuses on advancing inclusion and access through pipeline and pathway programming and creating opportunities for students of color and first-generation students. She is a member of the Society for Diversity and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.

Justice Martin Jenkins

Justice Martin Jenkins, a San Francisco native, was confirmed as an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court on November 10, 2020, following his appointment by Governor Gavin Newsom. Before his appointment, he served for two years as the Judicial Appointments Secretary for Governor Newsom, and as a judicial officer for the 30 years before that — most recently as an associate justice on the First District Court of Appeal, from 2008 to 2019, as a United States District Court judge for the Northern District of California, from 1997 to 2008, and as a municipal and superior court judge in Alameda County, from 1989 to 1997. Justice Jenkins began his career with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, then worked for the United States Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division for two years, before returning to the Bay Area to work in private practice prior to his municipal court appointment. A dedicated community advocate, he regularly mentors law students from his alma mater, USF, and, through California LAW Pathways, works with young people interested in the legal profession.


Judge Judy Johnson

Judge Judy Johnson grew up the youngest of four daughters born to working class parents who fled indignity and limitation in the South to seek opportunity in California in the 1940’s. Her parents instilled a sense of boundless opportunity for those who worked hard, excelled in school and played by the rules. That her family’s race precluded even a chance at higher education in Texas made college an achievable expectation for all the girls in California. Excel indeed, Judge Johnson earned academic honors in the public schools she attended in Richmond, CA and a full scholarship to Stanford University in 1967.  In 1976, she graduated from King Hall Law School of Law at the University of California, Davis and was admitted to the bar.  While at Oakland Legal Aid attorney, Judge Johnson helped indigent citizens with their legal problems and joined other women lawyers to sue the Oakland Police Department for failing to respond to the calls of battered women seeking police protection and intervention.    That litigation not only changed domestic violence policies in Oakland but contributed to a national recognition that battered women were “crime victims” deserving of police protection.  In 1977, Judge Johnson was appointed Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where she specialized in prosecuting complex civil and criminal prosecution of major frauds, white collar crime, violations of California’s consumer protection.  As a lawyer Judge Johnson was a pioneer, achieving many “first” of its kind accomplishments.  She served as the first woman president of the Charles Houston Bar Association, northern California’s oldest Black bar association and in 1990 she was the first woman of color elected to serve on the governing board of the State Bar of California.  A champion of equal rights, Judge Johnson has always fought to promote diversity and secure equality of opportunity within the legal profession. In 1994, Judge Johnson was also the first woman and attorney of color to be chosen as the State Bar’s chief ethics prosecutor and the only person to date twice nominated and confirmed by the State Senate of California to serve in that position. When the State Bar was again in crisis, Judge Johnson again answered its call to become its Executive Director in May 2000, becoming the first woman and lawyer of color to serve in that capacity, responsible for administering an annual budget of approximately $140 million and a staff of 550.  With a tenure of eleven years, Judge Johnson is to date the longest serving State Bar Executive Director in California history.  In addition to her bar association activities, Judge Johnson has been extensively involved in community affairs, including serving as President of the Board of Directors of the California Consumer Protection Foundation, which since its establishment in 1991 efficiently distributed more than $30 million in cy pres funds to California’s underserved communities.  In 2011, The Recorder, the Bay Area’s legal newspaper, recognized Judge Johnson as one of twenty Women Leaders in the Law, admitted to practice for over 35 years, for their trailblazing contribution to the practice of law. Judge Johnson came out of retirement to accept an appointment by California Governor Jerry Brown to the Contra Costa County Superior Court in 2012, serving approximately 8 years until her retirement in 2021.  She now spends her time gardening, traveling, and supporting law-themed academies in California’s high schools. Started as a pilot project in 2011, there are now 23 law-themed academies promoting student education about our legal system and encouraging diverse students to aspire to careers as lawyers and judges.  In 2022, now retired California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye appointed Judge Johnson as Chair of the Trustees Nominating Committee which evaluates and recommends candidates for appointment to the State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees, the governing board of the nation’s largest state bar.

Linda Kingston

Linda Kingston is a retired public educator of 30 years. Serving five districts spanning her three-decade career. She has extensive experience with secondary instruction and leadership. As a director in Sacramento City Unified School District, she supported the districts CTE programs including the California Partnership Academies (CPA’s) from providing curriculum support, to master scheduling challenges to building partnerships with advisory boards and local community colleges.

Jesse Bethel High School Law Academy in Vallejo, California was built under her leadership while she was the principal. During her tenure Bethel’s Law Academy established a Restorative Practice Youth Court where law academy students processed school discipline cases through Restorative Practices. Created a partnership with Solano Community College for the Law Academy seniors to take two of the Law pathway courses in their senior year. As well as building strong relations within the community to support the students, which was imperative for the Law Academy’s success.

As a 5th generation Californian, she believes in the public school system. High Schools have an amazing energy. Dreams are created and supported, relationships matter, and it takes the whole community to support the child through high school. She looks forward to continuing the work of equity & inclusion in the field of Law to ensure that the educational dreams of our students are fulfilled. She graduated with a BA in History from California State University of Fresno and a MA in education from University of California Berkeley.

Ariel Kirshenbaum

Ariel Kirshenbaum is the Career Technical Education (CTE) Administrator for West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), which serves over 25,000 students across Richmond, El Cerrito, San Pablo, Pinole, and Hercules in the Bay Area. CTE integrates industry-specific skills into the high school experience, exposing students to a wide range of career options and equipping them with the tools needed to succeed in today’s economy. It also addresses students’ common question, “When will I ever use this?” while responding to industry concerns that “graduates lack the necessary skills to succeed.” At WCCUSD, Ariel oversees 24 high school career pathways, covering industries such as legal services, health science, engineering, information technology, welding, construction, media communications, radio, education, fashion, and business.

Ariel holds a BS in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from Yale University and an MA in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University. Originally on the path to attend medical school, Ariel discovered her true calling in education while teaching math at Richmond High School. 

As the Coordinator for Career Technical Education (CTE) at West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), Ariel is motivated by a desire to help students navigate the often challenging question of “what to be when you grow up.” Acknowledging the privilege of having grown up with college-educated parents who introduced her to the power of networking and mentorship, she is committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of their background or zip code, have access to similar opportunities for exposure and connection. 

Ariel is dedicated to expanding students’ awareness of the diverse post-secondary options available, including trades apprenticeships, university pathways, and certification programs. She firmly believes that every student has unique strengths and passions waiting to be unlocked. She is also a strong advocate for mentorship, diversity, and workforce diversification as a means of driving change and fostering success in future generations.

Patricia Lee

Patricia Lee serves as Vice Chair of the California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CPLC). Also, she is currently Chair of the ABA Council on DEI in the Educational Pipeline (Pipeline Council)) and has served as immediate past Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Public Education and former chair of the ABA Center for Diversity and Inclusion and of the ABA Advisory Council for Diversity and Inclusion. She is a recipient of the prestigious ABA Spirit of Excellence Award. She was a founding board member for California LAW Pathways and continues to serve on the board. She retired as the Special Assistant for Diversity and Bar Relations at the State Bar of California where she served as initial staff liaison to the State Bar Council on Access & Fairness (COAF), addressing issues along the diversity pipeline through a variety of initiatives covering high schools, community colleges/undergraduate pathways, bar exam issues, legal employer practices, and judicial diversity.  Her legal and advocacy practice of law focused on public interest and access to justice, serving in the San Francisco and Santa Clara County legal services programs in various capacities including VISTA attorney, staff attorney, managing attorney, executive director and Chief Administrative Officer, as well as founding director of the Santa Clara County Office of Women’s Advocacy. Ms. Lee received her BA from the University of California, Berkeley and is a graduate of Hastings College of the Law (now UCSF Law).  She was admitted to the State Bar of California in February 1972. 

Princess Leon

Princess Leon:  “At many moments in my High School career, … [the] Law Academy was my main source of inspiration and support. I grew very connected to and protective of the Law Academy, I went on as many field trips and took as many opportunities to learn as possible. Through Law Academy, I met many compassionate professionals who I continue to look up to. The Law Academy taught me to be bold, courageous, and advocate for myself and my peers. I even lobbied on behalf of Law Academy at the State Capitol and eventually advocated for Vallejo to our congressional representative, Mike Thompson in DC. I pursued two internships while in High School with mentors I found through the mentorship program. I do not think I would have held on to these aspirations this closely and for this amount of time if it were not for the structure of Law Academy and the guidance and care of my teachers and mentors.”

Mario Lopez

Mario Lopez, born in San Francisco, and raised in Marin County, Mario is the proud son of immigrants from Guatemala and El Salvador, and is the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer at UC Law SF.

As a member of the Chancellor and Dean’s Office, and Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group, Mario oversees campus-wide diversity initiatives, including diversity partnerships, implementing campus climate recommendations, first-generation programming, the California Scholars Program, and diversity recruitment. Additionally, Mario is a strategic partner with various departments, including the Provost & Academic Dean’s Office, Enrollment Management, Career Development Office, LEOP, Human Resources, Student Services, and Advancement.

Prior to his current role, Mario served as the Associate Director of Admissions, Diversity Initiatives, & Community Partnerships and later as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives at UC Law SF. Before joining UC Law SF, Mario worked for 10 years in the financial services sector from 16-26 earning his investment licenses, and served on various school, community, and government boards prior to law school. During his time as a student at UC Law SF, Mario was on the UC Law SF Trial Team, fundraising chair for La Raza Law Students Association, and interned for President Obama at the White House in the National Economic Council during his third year of law school, where he also served in a leadership role as the co-chair of the Legal Professional Interest Group. Recently, Mario was awarded the 2022 UC Law SF Latinx Law Students Association alumni of the year, as well as the UC Law SF Legal Education Opportunity Program (LEOP) Luminary Award.

Mario earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Davis, earned his Juris Doctor from UC Law SF, and is a member of the California Bar. Outside of work, Mario is a 12-time marathon finisher, is a sports aficionado, fluent in Spanish, and enjoys international travel and cooking.

Jerrilyn Malana

Jerrilyn Malana is a Chief Deputy District Attorney with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, where she serves as chief of human resources and special counsel. With over 1,000 employees, the DA’s Office is the largest legal employer in the region. Prior to joining the DA’s Office in 2016, Jerri spent more than 16 years as an Employment Law attorney and Shareholder with the global employment law firm of Littler Mendelson. At Littler, she represented Fortune 500 clients and local businesses in employment – related litigation. Jerri is a dynamic public speaker, and an effective and engaging trainer on employment law topics. She regularly speaks on equity, diversity and inclusion matters including strategies to address bias in the workplace. Jerri is passionate about community service and civics education and helping the next generation to succeed.

Jerri is the immediate past Chair of the Civic Engagement & Outreach (CEO) Committee for the California Lawyers Association. She also serves on the statewide Power of Democracy steering committee, which implements the Chief Justice of California’s civic education initiatives. Jerri is an active member of the California Civic Learning Partnership for San Diego County, which seeks to improve civic education in grades K to 12. In addition, she serves on the California Supreme Court’s State Bar Trustees Nominating Committee.

Jerri was the first Asian Pacific American attorney to serve as President of the San Diego County Bar Association, which is the region’s oldest and largest legal organization. She is a past President of Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego. She is also a past President of the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Alumni Association, and past Chair of Chancellor’s Associates. Jerri presently serves as a Trustee on the UCSD Foundation Board.

Jerri served on the State Bar of California’s Council on Access & Fairness. She is a former Co – Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Employment & Labor Relations Law Committee for the Section of Litigation. Jerri also served on the Executive Committee of the Bench – Bar Coalition (BBC) in California. She was a founding Advisory Board member for the Academy of Law at Crawford High School in San Diego.

Jerri was inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame as a “Trailblazer”. She has been recognized by many other organizations for her work in the community including being named a “Trailblazer” by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

Ann I. Park

Ann I. Park is a Partner in the Los Angeles office of the national law firm, Foley Mansfield, specializing in the defense of complex toxic tort and mass tort actions.  In 2022-2023, Ms. Park served as the first Asian American President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), one of the largest voluntary bar organizations in the nation, with 20,000+ members.  A graduate of Harvard College and UCLA Law School, Ms. Park was recognized in 2022 as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal, and in 2024 she received the Diversity Impact Award from LACBA.Since 2007, Ms. Park has organized the LACBA High School Mentoring Program at Wilson High School in East Los Angeles, as part of the California Law Academy Program.  The Mentoring Program brings lawyers and judges to Wilson and other local high schools to mentor diverse students and encourage them to pursue careers in the law. 

Angellina Querol

Angellina Querol: “… we are young people making a change; a chance the government was not doing or helping. It showed me how the law comes into play and how I can make changes myself. I learned to step up in responsibility and persevere not only by myself but also with those around me.”

Cathy Ruffing

Cathy Ruffing brings nearly three decades of classroom experience to her role as Senior Director of Street Law’s teacher professional development programs and curriculum development efforts. She has both designed and taught high school law courses and is the go-to person for high school law teachers and educators wishing to implement practical law courses at their schools. She co-directs the annual Supreme Court Summer Institute and travels across the country bringing high-quality professional development to social studies teachers. She is co-author of Street Law: A Course in Practical Law Teacher Manual and United States Government & Civics and accompanying inquiry journal. Cathy has a bachelor’s degree from The University of Pennsylvania and a certification in secondary school social studies from The George Washington University. She is a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certified teacher.

Pedro Ruiz

Pedro Ruiz: “I began my law and government career path with my enrollment in Richmond High School’s Law Academy, where I cultivated my passion for the intricacies and study of legal frameworks.”

Katrina Traylor Rice

Katrina Traylor Rice is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 15 years of teaching experience in urban secondary classrooms. She began her career at June Jordan School for Equity, in San Francisco, and then began working at her former high school, Jesse M. Bethel High School, in Vallejo, where she was the lead teacher of the Law Academy. Currently, Katrina is the Coordinator for Teacher Residency for the Vallejo City Unified School District.

Katrina has taught high school English and history at all grade levels, and loves teaching students to be engaged readers of history, literature, and the world around them. Katrina is deeply passionate about creating healing-centered classrooms through trauma informed care practices including restorative justice, mindfulness, and culturally sustainable curriculum. She holds a M.A. in Education from Stanford’s Teacher Education Program, a B.A. from UC Santa Cruz in American Studies, and is currently working her doctorate in education through the CANDEL program at UC Davis. When she’s not shaking things up in the world of education, she can be found reading historical fiction, conquering Beyonce’s dance moves, or delighting at the world with her four young children.

Hon. Fumiko Wasserman

Hon. Fumiko Wasserman graduated from Narbonne High School at the age of 16 and went on to obtain her B.A. and teaching credential from UCLA.  After teaching in the South Bay, she obtained her J.D. from Loyola Law School, where she was on Law Review and the Dean’s List.  After clerking for the Honorable Terry J. Hatter, Jr., Judge Wasserman became the first Asian American woman appointed Assistant United States Attorney in the United States.   She was appointed to the Municipal Court in 1986 and elevated to the Los Angeles Superior Court in 1989 by Governor George Deukmejian.  She served on the California Commission on Judicial Performance, the Judicial Council’s Access and Fairness Committee, and as Chair of the Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER).  Her many awards include the Joan Dempsey Klein Distinguished Jurist Award from California Women Lawyers (for the advancement of women), the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Trailblazer Award, and the Constitutional Rights Foundation Judge of the Year.  Judge Wasserman mentors new judges, lawyers, and at-risk youth.  She has taught at USC and Loyola Law School and judicial colleges.

Jen Wheeler

Jen Wheeler is senior director of teacher professional development and curriculum at Street Law, Inc. She leads Street Law’s deliberation program, which helps teachers master the use of deliberative discussion to build positive relationships across differences. She also leads Street Law’s work geared toward middle school students. Jen taught social studies for seven years in Baltimore City and directed curriculum development projects and teacher professional development programs at the Baltimore Urban Debate League. Jen has a Master of Arts in teaching, with a specialization in secondary education social studies, from Johns Hopkins University.

Han Mi Yoon-Wu

Han Mi Yoon-Wu is the Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions for the University of California system. She has worked in admissions at the University of California Office of the President for 24 years, and the chief admissions officer for the UC system since 2018. During her tenure at UC, she has provided steadfast leadership in developing and implementing equitable admissions policies and technology solutions for the University of California. As a first-generation college graduate, she has dedicated her professional career to promoting access to higher education for students from all walks of life. Ms. Yoon-Wu holds degrees from Drake University and Stanford University.

EXCELLENCE AWARDS RECIPIENTS

EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP

Honorable Elizabeth Macias – Former Advisory Council Chair, Santa Ana High EGM Legal Studies Academy

Judge Elizabeth Guerrero Macias

Judge Elizabeth Guerrero Macias is the first in her family to graduate from high school. She is a first-generation Mexican American. She was born to teenage parents who spoke limited English and had an elementary school education, but an extraordinary work ethic. Although her father is now retired, she proudly calls herself the daughter of a gardener because it demonstrates what is possible with hard work, support, and opportunities.

After law school, Judge Macias worked at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California. She spent the next 14 years working out of the Ronald Regan Federal Building in Santa Ana, California, defending persons accused of some of the most serious federal crimes. In December 2012, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. appointed Judge Macias to the California Superior Court in Orange County. She was the third Latina to be appointed to serve Orange County. Within three years, she was the supervising judge of the Central Justice Misdemeanor Criminal Panel. In 2018, she became the first Latina appointed to serve on the court’s felony trial panel where she sits today.  

In addition to her responsibilities as a trial judge, Judge Macias serves as faculty for the Center for Judicial Education and Research, teaching judicial officers. She serves on several boards and committees: California Latino Judges Association (CLJA), Immediate Past President; California Judges Association, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee, co-chair; Judicial Council’s Advisory Committee on Providing Access and Fairness, Racial Justice Working Group, chair; Advisory Board for Santa Ana High School’s Legal Studies Academy, former chair; and Governor Newsom’s Orange County Judicial Selection Advisory Committee. Judge Macias is also a founding member and chair of the California Affinity Judges Association Coalition (CAJAC) and a founding member and Vice President of the Orange County Association of Affinity Judicial Officers (OCAAJO).  

Judge Macias’ work has received honors and recognition. In 2017, she was honored as Latina Judge of the Year by the Hispanic National Bar Association, Judge of the Year by the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association and Be the Change Award recipient by the Orange County affinity bar associations. On June 3, 2017, Santa Ana High School, her alma mater, named their Legal Studies Academy the Elizabeth G. Macias Legal Studies Academy. In February 2019, California State University Fullerton recognized her with the Vision and Visionaries Award. In September 2019, the Mexican Government presented her with the Ohtli (Camino) recognizing her work advancing Mexican citizens in the United States. In October 2019, the Orange County Women Lawyers Association recognized her as Judge of the Year. In March 2021, the California Judges Association recognized her with the Bernard S. Jefferson Award for her distinguished service in judicial education. In September 2021, the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Orange County, recognized her as Judge of the Year. In September 2024, the California Women Lawyers will recognize Judge Macias with the Joan Dempsey Klein Distinguished Jurist Award.

EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

Allen Mooney – Lead and Law Coordinator, Richmond High Law Academy

Allen Mooney

Allen Mooney is a teacher and lifelong learner. He has worked at Richmond High School for the last 30 years where he taught English, Latin, Psychology, Forensic Science and Law classes. In 2005 he started the Richmond High School Law Academy and has been the lead teacher since then, except when he was successful at convincing anyone else to take on that role.  Prior to his employment at Richmond High School he worked as a grad student instructor, painting contractor and administrative assistant. He earned a BA in Classical Languages and an MA in Comparative Literature (Greek, Latin and Sanskrit) from UC Berkeley, five teaching credentials from the State of California and an arc welding certificate from Lincoln Electric in Cleveland, Ohio. He married the same year that he started teaching and now has three stepsons and three grandchildren. Allen enjoys coaching mock trial, keeping his house from falling apart and fingerpicking folk music on his guitar.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS RECIPIENTS

Angellina Querol

Jesse Bethel High School, Vallejo (2020) UC Santa Barbara

BA in Sociology and Political Science (2024) ($1000)

Princess Leon

Roosevelt High School, Los Angeles ($1000)

Pedro Ruiz

Richmond High School, Richmond ($1000) Sponsored by LSAC

Alison Hwang

El Dorado High School, Placentia ($1000) Sponsored by Fastcase

TRAILBLAZER AWARDS RECIPIENTS

McClatchy High Law and Public Policy Academy, Sacramento

Chris Voisin – LPPA Coordinator

Stephanie Finelli – Advisory Council Chair

Florin High Law and the World, Elk Grove

Carlos Garcia – Lead and LAW Coordinator

Sgt. Sam Flores – Advisory Council Chair

DeAnza High Law Academy, Richmond

Kathleen Trempy – Lead and Coordinator

Honorable Judy Johnson – Advisory Council Chair

Crawford High Law Academy, San Diego, CA

Raymond Beattie – Coordinator

Honorable Selena Epley – Advisory Council Chair

Cabrillo Academy of Law and Justice, Long Beach

Scott Newman, Lead and Coordinator

Honorable Debra Cole – Advisory Council Chair

Wilson Law Magnet, Los Angeles, CA

Quetzal Roura – Lead and Coordinator

Ann Park – Advisory Council/Mentor Chair

CA Legal Pathways Collaborative: Created in 2023 as the First Pathway Project for the California Lawyers Foundation. Mission: Fostering increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession through collaboration between the California Lawyers Foundation and the California High School Law Academy partners. Vision: A legal profession that reflects the richness of California.

The California Legal Pathways Collaborative is an initiative supported by the California Lawyers Foundation. The California Lawyers Foundation (CLF) is a 501(c)(3) organization.

We are committed to accessibility! Virtual events are equipped with closed captioning. To request an in-person accommodation, send us a note at accessibility@calawyers.org or contact us at 916-516-1760 for assistance.

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