October 22, 2020
Mesa College Announces Partnership with Cal LAW Pathway Program
Promoting Diversity in the California Legal Profession
By Office of Communications
San Diego, CA – San Diego Mesa College has announced a new partnership with California
LAW that will create a pathway for Mesa College students to complete their education
and enter the legal profession. Cal LAW collaborates with community colleges to encourage
diverse students enter the legal profession in order to represent the diverse population
of the state of California. Mesa College will begin accepting interested students
into its Pathway to Law School program in Spring 2021. Community colleges such as
mesa partnering in the program were chosen due to their high commitment to equity,
demonstrated by college leadership and resources that provide transformative educational
experiences and support for students on a pathway to a law career.
"As the leading college of equity and excellence, San Diego Mesa College is intentionally
committed to breaking down social barriers and ensuring the success of underrepresented
students at Mesa and beyond,” stated Dr. Isabel O’Connor, Vice President of Instruction
at Mesa College. "The partnership with Cal-LAW will provide Mesa students with a clearly
defined path to exploring the legal profession while receiving support services and
mentoring, as well as easier access to transfer to a university and then to a participating
law school."
Mesa students from all majors will be welcome to complete the interdisciplinary set
of courses designed to build the skills required for success in the legal profession.
They will also be paired with a mentor and participate in activities like a pre-law
club, law school visits, and Mesa's annual Constitution Day celebration.
California LAW (Leadership – Access – Workforce) is an organization created to be
the foundational structure that connects, communicates, collaborates, and coordinates
with programs working to help diverse students enter the legal profession. It consists
of 22 high school law academies created under the California Partnership Academy model
in a unique collaboration between the State Bar of California and the California Department
of Education.
Additionally, it includes members of the Community College Pathway to Law School initiative
with 29 community colleges throughout the state and 10 undergraduate institutions
and their law schools, resulting in an educational pipeline into the legal profession
created under the leadership of the State Bar of California's Council on Access and
Fairness. Participating undergraduate institutions and law schools include: UC Berkeley,
UCLA, UCI, UC Davis, Stanford, Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, University
of San Francisco, and USC.
For more information, please contact: Michelle Rodriguez, mrodrigu@sdccd.edu
To register and enroll, visit www.sdmesa.edu/Spring
Tags: Career Pathways, Cal Law, Guided Pathways, Cal Law Pathway, Law School
