California Lawyers Foundation (CLF), and its educational program, California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC), have joined forces with Street Law, Inc., a globally recognized leader in legal education, to launch a pilot project bringing on-the-ground civics engagement, law-related learning, and career resources to at-promise high schoolers across California. Funded through a prestigious grant awarded to Street Law, Inc. by the Law School Admissions Council, Inc. (LSAC), the capstone initiative will result in the development of an educational Toolkit aligned with the California State Seal of Civic Engagement.
CLF is the charitable arm of California Lawyers Association (CLA), the largest bar association in California, with more than 50,000 members. CLPC has established 27 high school Law Academies in both large metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, and smaller communities, such as Fresno and Antioch. Each year more than 3,100 sophomores, juniors, and seniors participate in the CLPC Academy programs, with its educators utilizing curriculum provided by Street Law, Inc. The enormously successful and rigorous course of study combines learning and mentorship, providing a pathway for graduates to become attorneys or explore law-related careers.
CLPC leaders and educators from both northern and southern California have agreed to volunteer for the Law and Policy Capstone Initiative, identifying classroom needs, advising on content, and testing materials to ensure the Toolkit is practical, relevant, and effective. The Toolkit will provide teachers with instructional materials, implementation tools, and practical guidance for designing law and policy-focused capstone projects.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with Street Law and its vast reach with educators,” explains Ruthe Ashley, CLPC Founder. “We will test the toolkit with four CLPC Law Academies, then grow the project statewide with the ultimate goal to bring these resources with Street Law to high school law programs across the nation.”
CLF Deputy Director, Janett Cabanero, applauds CLPC’s commitment to bring the pilot to its Law Academy classrooms. “CLPC has always been on the cutting edge to give students faced with challenges the chance to realize their dreams and pursue careers in the legal field. Our mission is to improve access to justice and increase diversity in the legal profession, and CLPC continues to grow its outreach in new and meaningful ways to accomplish this mission.”
“Civic engagement can be a powerful entry point to understanding law, public policy, and public service,” says Ashok Regmi, CEO, Street Law, Inc. “By helping students investigate community challenges and develop solutions, this initiative not only strengthens civic learning but also opens the door to careers that many young people may never have considered.”
As noted by Ashley, the Toolkit is being developed to both satisfy senior capstone requirements as well as support California educators and students pursuing the State Seal of Civic Engagement. The project is designed to create a scalable model that can help schools across the country connect civic engagement, law-related learning, and career exploration.
To learn more about CLF and CLPC, please visit: https://calawyersfoundation.org/