Saturday Academy of Law (SAL)
Brown Rudnick LLP is a key supporter of SAL. Pictured, from left: Adrian Montero, teacher at Godinez High School; Cathrine Castaldi, Partner, Brown Rudnick; Krista Lopez, SAL Program Coordinator; Megan Blash, teacher at Godinez High School; Charles Cannon, Vice Dean, UCI Law; Cindy Landsiedel, Principal, Godinez High School.
UCI Law SAL students, teachers featured in Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation video >
The Saturday Academy of Law (SAL) at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, is a program that provides ninth grade students with a unique opportunity to improve their reading, writing and critical thinking skills while learning more about the legal profession and higher education opportunities.
At the conclusion of each session, families and supporters celebrate the students with a closing awards ceremony. More than 1000 students have completed the program since it launched in 2009.
The program creates a pipeline of law school candidates who represent the diverse backgrounds and experiences of Orange County residents, with the hope that many will return to their communities to serve underrepresented populations.
The first SAL graduates started college in fall 2012, and since then a majority of SAL alumni have enrolled in four-year colleges and universities across the country, including UC Irvine. In the inaugural SAL class, 61 percent of the students immediately enrolled in postsecondary institutions. See full list of colleges and universities where SAL alumni enrolled >
Commitment to a More Diverse Legal Profession
The most recent report from the American Bar Association found that the nation’s practicing bar is not representative of the diversity in the United States. The Saturday Academy of Law was created as an opportunity to expose students from diverse backgrounds to the practice of law, and help them understand that a career as an attorney is a viable option.
With a commitment to encouraging diversity in the legal profession, UCI Law has led SAL since 2009. From the beginning, our vision has been to reach as many ninth graders as possible. We are excited about the expansion of the SAL program to include three California school districts:
- Anaheim Union High School District
Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) serves over 27,000 students, who are primarily Hispanic (70%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (18%) with 21% identified as English language learners, and 78% qualifying for free or reduced-cost lunch. UCI Law has offered the SAL program to AHUSD 9th graders since 2017.
- Santa Ana Unified School District
Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) is the 15th largest school district in California with over 42,000 students, who are primarily Hispanic (96%) with 41% identified as English language learners, and 73% qualifying for free or reduced-cost lunch, far exceeding the county average of 53%. UCI Law has offered the SAL program to SAUSD 9th graders since 2009.
These two school districts, located in Orange County, represent the areas with the greatest need, highest percentages of English language learners and first generation high school students in our community. We are excited to see the positive impact this expansion will have on the new communities that it serves and the legal profession as a whole.
For High School Students
Application information is available here >
Program Dates
| Fall 2024 Session | Spring 2025 Session |
|---|---|
| October 5, 2024 | January 25, 2025 |
| October 12, 2024 | February 1, 2025 |
| October 19, 2024 | February 22, 2025 |
| October 26, 2024 | March 1, 2025 |
| November 2, 2024 | March 8, 2025 |
| November 16, 2024 | March 15, 2025 |
Opportunities for UCI Undergraduate Students
Interested in helping out and possibly going to law school later? Consider applying to work as a SAL undergraduate student assistant to either satisfy your Social Ecology Field Study assignment or get paid a competitive hourly rate. You will facilitate the lesson plan for the high students that we serve.
In the classroom, students learn a series of Supreme Court Cases pertaining to First Amendment rights in school and evaluate a hypothetical case at the end of the session. Undergraduate student assistants also have the opportunity to network with members of the law school community, local lawyers, and judges who present to the class.
Please send your inquiries to: SAL@law.uci.edu.
All of the UCI SAL undergraduate student assistant positions have been filled for the 2024-2025 academic year. Please revisit this page towards the end of spring quarter 2025 for opportunities to join SAL in the 2025-2026 school year.
Updated on 10/28/2024
Supporters
Learn more about supporting this program >
