RECORD NUMBER OF AT-PROMISE STUDENTS TO GRADUATE FROM LAW ACADEMIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA; 23% INCREASE OVER 2025

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Lawyers Foundation (CLF) announced today that a record number of high school seniors are graduating from Law Academies across northern, central, and southern California. The Law Academies are organized by the California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC), in partnership with CLF and the state's underserved high schools, enrolling more than 3,100 at-promise students annually.

Nearly 1,000 students have completed the three-year, rigorous civics and government engagement curriculum, a 23% increase over 2025. The CLPC Law Academies provide a path for students interested in legal careers from high school, into undergraduate and law school, and through to the legal profession. Students graduating from the highly successful CLPC Academies go on to work in the legal sector and today include public defenders, in-house counsel, and private law firm attorneys.

"The growth in the number of graduates is really inspiring," says CLF President Jerrilyn Malana, a Chief Deputy District Attorney with the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. "This is rigorous coursework and requires a long-term commitment. We are so proud of these students and their dedication to their education. They exemplify the Foundation's mission that California's legal profession be reflective of our diverse population."

CLF is the nonprofit education and charitable arm of California Lawyers Association (CLA), the largest volunteer Bar association in the state with 50,000 members. The CLPC Law Academies are the premier program of CLF and were founded by attorney Ruthe Ashley through California Department of Education grant legislation in 2010. There is a significant disparity between California's population and its active, licensed attorneys. For example, according to the State Bar of California, while 37% of the state's population identifies as Latino, just 6% of its attorneys represent this population. Ashley herself made history in 2014 when she was elected as the first-ever Filipina to the American Bar Association's Board of Governors.

Originally, CLPC established six Academies. Today, judges, lawyers, and academics provide study, mentorship, internships, and job opportunities to thousands of students attending schools where at least 50% and as high as 90% of students are recognized as disadvantaged and largely consider themselves people of color. The high schoolers are given special opportunities to meet with legal leaders and legislators, hear court cases, attend symposiums, and experience firsthand an array of legal career opportunities.

"The law academy project has been a labor of love for 15 years with the vision of building a legal pathway and profession that reflects the rich diversity of our state," explains Ashley. "Each graduating senior receives a CLPC certificate which helps in their future educational endeavors whether it's in law, a law-related career, or any other educational pathway followed. We are extremely proud of each student, the teaching teams, and the hundreds of lawyers and judges who volunteer their time for these students who are our future."

CLF and CLPC rely largely on charitable contributions to serve the public. Through generous contributions, the organizations awarded more than $50,000 in student scholarships this past year to high school, undergraduate, and law school students. Judges and attorneys contribute thousands of volunteer hours each year, sharing their time to help students study, connect with legal professionals, and gain access to resources which might not be available otherwise.

It is important to CLF and CLPC that the Law Academies be located in both large, metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Oakland, and Sacramento, as well smaller, outlying communities like Antioch and Lompoc.

Congratulations to the 2026 CLPC Law Academy graduates attending the following schools: 

Northern California
Andrew P. Hill High School – San Jose
C.K. McClatchy High School - Sacramento
De Anza High School – Richmond
Deer Valley High School - Antioch
Florin High School – Sacramento
Jesse M. Bethel High School - Vallejo
Luther Burbank High School - Sacramento
Oakland Technical School – Oakland
Richmond High School - Richmond
Yerba Buena High School – San Jose

Central California
Bullard High School – Fresno
Roosevelt High School – Fresno

Southern California
Cabrillo High School – Lompoc
Crawford High School – San Diego
El Dorado High School - Placentia
John W. North High School – Riverside
Narbonne Senior High School - Harbor City
Pasadena High School - Pasadena
Santa Anna High School – Santa Anna
Woodrow Wilson High School – El Sereno

To learn more about supporting CLF and its academic and scholarship programs, please visit: https://calawyersfoundation.org/.

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

SOURCE California Lawyers Foundation