The Law Academy, established in 1997 by then BASF President Judge Jeffrey Ross, is a program that encourages, inspires and increases career opportunities for high school students at San Francisco’s Balboa High School. Attorneys Ryan Sandrock and Steve Berninger co-chair the Law Academy Mentor Committee.

Judges, attorneys, law students, paralegals and other legal staff with a four-year college degree are welcome as mentors.

Creative and inspiring curriculum is built into several core classes where junior and senior students learn basic legal concepts and 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. The students receive direct work experience and school credit as paid interns in law firms and legal corporations during the summer between their junior and senior years.

Other opportunities to get involved with the Law Academy program include inviting students to special events in the legal community including public speaking appearances, lectures and debates; andinviting students to tour your law office.

If your firm is interested in employing a Law Academy summer intern or sponsoring an intern at a legal nonprofit, please email Jareem Gunter at jgunter@sfbar.org.