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San Francisco Law Academy

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The San Francisco Law Academy is a program that encourages and increases career opportunities for underserved and ethnically diverse students in Balboa High School in San Francisco.

Creative and inspiring curriculum is built into several core classes where junior and senior students learn basic legal concepts, interview and job skills which prepare them to join the workforce directly out of college. The legal community contributes greatly by mentoring and hiring Law Academy students as summer interns. These students realize personal strengths that they may not otherwise discover.

Law Academy Weekend Institute 

In an effort to expand the program beyond the walls of the classroom, the program includes a weekend institute on a local Bay Area campus. Designed to expose students to complex legal ideas and to establish connections with legal professionals and academics, the summer institute further encourages students to attend four-year universities and reinforce the skills that they've developed throughout the year.  More than 100 students have benefitted from this weekend retreat between 2008 and 2009 on the San Francisco State University campus.

Donate to the Law Academy and help make the 2011 legal institute a reality!

Award Winning

The Law Academy has been honored by the San Francisco Unified School District and by the San Francisco School-To-Career Partnership as a model School-To-Career program and has received the Lexis/Nexis National Association of Bar Executives (NABE) Public Service Achievement Award.

How Can I Help?

Become a mentor, hire a law academy intern or explore other volunteer opportunities.

If you cannot make a commitment to mentor, but would like to inquire into hiring a summer intern or other ways of contributing, email Jayne Salinger at jsalinger@sfbar.org.

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Who Can Volunteer

Attorneys, law students, paralegals and other legal staff with a 4-year college degree not specific to the practice of law are welcome as mentors.

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Becoming a Mentor

Our mentors have these primary responsibilities:

  • Attend an orientation session held prior to the start of the school semester
  • Commit to mentoring a small group of Juniors one day a week for 1.5 hours over a 7-week period during both the Fall and Spring semesters
  • For the 2011-2012 school year, mentoring sessions occur on Mondays. You have two options: second period from 9:27-10:39 a.m., or third period from 11:14 – 12:21 p.m. Please contact Law Academy Co-Chairs:  Katharine Chao, kchao@nossaman.com or Ryan Sandrock, rsandrock@sidley.com for specific dates of mentoring sessions.
  • As a mentor you will meet students in small groups and assist teachers in instructing your students in a pre-determined curriculum, which includes legal research, resume writing skills, writing a personal statement, public speaking, and legal history
  • Mentors work with students to increase their awareness about social justice and current events

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Other Volunteer Opportunities

  • Invite students to special events in the legal community including public speaking appearances, lectures and debates
  • Organize a "Day in the Firm" where students come to your law office for a tour
  • Hire a Law Academy summer intern. Internships are 5 to 8 weeks in duration beginning in mid-June to August. The students can work from 20 to 40 hours weekly depending on their summer school schedule.
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Steps to Volunteering

If you wish to become a Law Academy mentor, contact Law Academy Mentoring Committee Chair Ryan Sandrock at rsandrock@sidley.com.

If you are interested in organizing a special event or in hiring a Law Academy student for a summer internship, contact Jayne Salinger at jsalinger@sfbar.org.

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