Merced College to offer students new pathway to legal careers
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- Merced College launches California LAW Pathways next spring for law careers
- Program maps courses, offers faculty counseling, events and networking opportunities
- Partnership aims to boost local law school entry and diversify legal field
Merced College is planning a partnership with California LAW Pathways designed to help students chart an early path from community college to a law career. The new program is slated to begin next spring and will be open to current and incoming students.
The College, in tandem with California LAW, plans to identify courses across disciplines that will best prepare students for careers in the legal field. The program also offers faculty counseling, events where students can meet with legal professionals, and opportunities to network.
“Many people come into the center sharing they have an interest in the legal profession,” said Ernesto Hernandez, director of the career and transfer center at Merced College.
Joe Serena, dean of Allied Health and Public Safety at the College, said the program has deconstructed what a successful path to law school looks like for students “to be competitive and get into these schools.’”
The idea to partner with California LAW came from Merced County’s District Attorney Nicole Silveira, who grew up in Atwater and Livingston and attended Merced College before transferring to San Diego State University.
She said she talked with Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria about how to increase the number of local students on an early pathway to law school.
“We just don’t see as many people locally, here in Merced County, going to law school and then staying here to serve,” she said.
According to its website, California Law works with 95 partner schools throughout the state including high schools, community colleges, 4-year institutions, and law schools. Merced College had not been added to the list as of Oct. 22.
Hernandez said that Merced is perfectly situated to take advantage of this kind of partnership with lots of “opportunity gaps” to bridge and because of the area’s high concentration of Latino students. Data from the college’s 2023-24 annual report show that 64.9% of students identified as Hispanic. Merced College serves a high population of undocumented students, as well.
Some Merced College students have already completed courses that are now being added to the law pathway. Serena said he plans to reach out to those students and sell them on the program, “it might spark interest,” he said.
“It’s such a noble profession,” said Silveira, “and you can do so many things with it.”