Law Academy was established in 1997 as a collaborative project of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) under the leadership of then-BASF President Judge Jeffrey Ross. Since its founding, the program has served students at Balboa High School, providing academic, mentoring, internship, and career-development opportunities designed to introduce underrepresented and underserved students to the legal profession and law-related careers.

Since 2004, Balboa High School has offered a Law Pathway for its junior and senior students through the San Francisco Unified School District and the Bar Association of San Francisco. 

Volunteer attorneys mentor juniors in the classroom and give students the skills to work as interns the following summer. Law firms, in-house departments and public interest organizations hire law academy interns for six-week paid internships in the summer. These internships give students valuable experience and insight into professional environments. 

Seniors also have the opportunity to attend City College and earn concurrent credits in the administration of justice department. 

Date/Time

Fall and Spring Semesters
October – April
Session 1: 8:40am – 10am
Session 2: 10:20am – 12pm 

Location

Balboa High School - 1000 Cayuga Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112

Demographics

• 94% graduate high school
• 67% attend UC/CSU
• 66% are low-income

Impact

“Coming from my background, being an attorney always seemed out of reach. Both my parents are immigrants and they’ve never been to college. Even though they try to help me in whatever ways they can, there are still many areas that they’re unable to help me in. If I become an attorney, I will be able to help people, starting with my parents.” (Law Academy Student)

How Firms Can Get Involved

• Mentor: Attorney mentors are assigned a small group of students to mentor on a project during fall and spring semester. We ask mentors to commit to 5 weeks in the fall semester and 7 weeks in the spring semester on Wednesdays between 8:40am – 12pm at Balboa High School. To sign up as a mentor contact educationalprograms@sfbar.org.
• Guest Speaker: Attorneys that wish to be guest speakers can email educationalprograms@sfbar.org with their name, title, firms name, email, phone, headshot, bio, and availability to speak. Attorneys can share their journey through law school and their experience at law firms on Wednesdays between 8:40am-12pm at Balboa High School. 
• Summer Internships: Host a summer intern for up to 20 hours per week for 6 weeks during the summer from June - July. Firms will need to sign an MOU with our Community partner Opportunities 4 All and pay a fee to host students. To express interest in hosting a student contact educationalprograms@sfbar.org.