A LAAC project
A legal aid career in California, mapped out.
Fellowship deadlines, the paths that do not need a fellowship, and the organizations across the state that hire new graduates before they pass the bar exam.
- California counties this pipeline has to cover
- 58California counties this pipeline has to cover
- organizations profiled so far, with more being added
- 12organizations profiled so far, with more being added
Where are you in the journey?
We remember your answer on this device and lead with what matters to you.
Why this exists
The pipeline breaks at predictable moments.
Focus groups with students, recent graduates, career services staff, and legal services organizations pointed at the same four turning points.
2L fall
Interview for the summer that becomes the career
Most legal aid careers begin with a 2L summer placement. Organizations start interviewing early, and rural offices often never reach a law school at all.
2L spring - summer
Build the host organization relationship
Project fellowships require a committed host months before the deadline. This is the step students find out about too late.
3L fall
Apply, or choose a different path
Fellowship applications land in September and October. Not getting one is normal, and it is not the end of a legal aid career.
After graduation
Work before the bar results arrive
Bridge roles, supervised practice, and accredited representative status let new graduates do real legal work while they wait.
Deadline watch
What closes next
Sample dates demonstrate how fellowship deadline tracking will work. Confirm every current deadline on the sponsor's official site.
Match portal
Tell us what you care about. We shortlist the organizations that need it.
A guided profile covering practice interests, languages, clinic experience, and where in California you can work. The portal ranks legal aid employers against that profile and shows you exactly why each one matched.
Open the match portalHiring new graduates?
Supervision planning, host organization checklists, and recruitment tactics built for small and rural offices.