Making a Difference and Serving Your Community with CLA This Law Day

By Daniel M. Cheung

Recently, I had a chance to serve as a volunteer judge for the San Luis Obispo County high school mock trial competitions. The high school students were exceptional, and as a non-litigator, I was impressed by their thoughtful and impassioned presentation of the fictional case!

This got me thinking about my “why” for becoming and continuing as an attorney. I went to law school, joined the profession, and – on good days – continue to practice law because of my desire to be of service. On good days, the part of the work I’ve enjoyed the most is the opportunity to be of service to my clients and the folks I interact with.

Law Day, held every year on May 1, is an opportunity to reconnect with our professional purpose and serve the local students who are the future of our communities, our country, and our profession. Since the first proclamation in 1958, Law Day has been set aside as a national day of service to celebrate the rule of law.

This year, CLA is partnering with the California Lawyers Foundation (CLF) and the California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC) to host in-person presentations at high schools across the state. All CLA members and California attorneys are encouraged to celebrate this day through an act of service that recognizes the importance of the rule of law and our shared responsibility as attorneys in upholding it. Solo and small firm lawyers are uniquely positioned to make a powerful impact on Law Day.

We invite you to celebrate Law Day as a day of service by presenting at a local high school or sponsoring the work of CLF and CLPC at high schools across California. Law Day provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share. Those students that I saw at the mock trial competition – and the students at your local high school – are the future of our state, country, and profession!

Help Us Share Real-World Legal Knowledge

Solo and small firm lawyers can bring a particularly valuable perspective to their local schools. You often handle a wide range of matters directly relevant to questions students and community members actually have. When you talk about what happens when someone signs a lease, gets into a car accident, starts a business, or turns 18 and gains new legal rights, you’re translating “law in the books” into “law in real life.” That practical, relatable lens can make the difference between a dry civics lesson and an eye-opening conversation.

Most solo and small firm lawyers are already deeply rooted in their community and often sponsor local schools, sports leagues, and community organizations. Law Day is a perfect opportunity to join colleagues around the country to celebrate the rule of law and cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal system.

Strengthen Your Network and Serve your Local Community

Volunteering for Law Day is a meaningful way to expand civic education, strengthen your network, and serve your local community. Young people are living in an increasingly polarized world and misinformation about the rule of law. Simply explaining how voting works, what a judge does, what due process means, or what rights someone has when interacting with police can give students tools to think critically and make informed decisions. For many, it will be the first time they meet a lawyer in person and can ask candid questions.

Those who are able to participate as a presenter will join at least one or two other attorneys from your local community through CLA or your local bar association. You can also donate to CLF to support the amazing work that they do every day in California schools!

Reconnect with Your Professional Purpose

Law Day offers a rare opportunity to reconnect with the “why” behind your choice to practice law. Day to day, it’s easy to get buried in billing, case management, and administrative tasks. Spending even an hour in a classroom explaining rights, responsibilities, and how the legal system works can be a refreshing reminder that the law is fundamentally about people, fairness, and opportunity. Many lawyers report feeling re-energized and more grounded in their professional purpose after participating in Law Day programs.

And the time commitment is manageable and support is readily available! CLA will provide ready-made curricula, slides, and handouts, so you don’t have to start from scratch or be an expert in every topic. You can focus on segments that fit your experience and comfort level and show up prepared with user-friendly materials already vetted by attorneys and educators.

Join Us in Making A Difference This Law Day

The impact that you can make is outsized compared to the investment. An hour or two in a classroom might inspire a student to pursue law, register to vote, advocate for themselves or their family, or simply feel less intimidated by the legal system. For a solo or small firm lawyer, that represents an incredibly high return on a relatively small investment of time. You are not just welcome at Law Day; you are essential. We invite you to visit the CLA website to see if your local high school is one of the CLPC schools. If not, please reach out to us and we are happy to help you reach out to your local high school! More information is available at www.calawyers.org/law-day-2026.

We also invite you to support the critical work that CLF does to improve access to justice and increase diversity in the legal profession. CLF invests in programs and partnerships that educate and inspire the next generation of legal professionals and the communities they serve. This year, we are raising funds for the Ruthe Catolico Ashley Scholarship, which supports aspiring lawyers from high school law academies and community college law pathway programs. More information about the CLF Law Day Fundraising Campaign is at www.calawyers.org/law-day-2026.

Daniel M. Cheung is the Chair of CLA’s New Lawyers Section, which represents and serves all California attorneys in their first eight years of legal practice. He currently serves as Deputy County Counsel at the County of San Luis Obispo, where he advises the Department of Airports and Department of Planning and Building. Daniel was born and raised in Los Angeles and is a proud second-generation Korean American. He is a graduate of UCLA, the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs, the Harvard Kennedy School, and NYU Law School.