Website concept by Stoa Works. LAAC's current site is at laaconline.org.

Legal Aid Association of California New Attorney Pipeline

Closing next Equal Justice Works applications close September 17 in 9 days

The whole year

Fellowships Legal Aid Association of California

Public Interest Bar Fellowship

LAAC's own bridge fellowship. It funds the months between graduation and bar results, at a legal services organization that wanted you there.

What it is

Bridge fellowship, before the bar. A $16,000 stipend paid in three installments, and $1,500 to the host organization toward onboarding, State Bar registration, training and supervision.

400 hours over roughly six months, May or June through November or December.

Finding permanent employment in civil legal aid is difficult for recent grads, and this program creates bridge funding that allows graduates time to study for and take the California Bar Exam and build their resume and skills, while also providing that important capacity to legal services organizations.

We intentionally do not start our application process until after most other fellowships and staff attorney hiring has been completed, as we want law students to be able to pursue those opportunities fully.

The cycle

The 2027 cycle has not been announced. The dates below are the 2026 cycle as published, kept here because the shape of the year repeats.

2026 cycle dates
  1. 18 March Information session 3pm via Zoom
  2. 31 March Application questions posted A PDF of the questions, so you can draft answers before the form opens
  3. 3 April Applications open Reviewed on a rolling basis; earlier is better
  4. 7 April Solo matching and interviews begin Runs to April 25
  5. 12 April Joint applications encouraged by this date The number of joint applicants approved determines how many solo applications can be funded
  6. 15 April Applications close 5:00 pm
  7. 27 April Fellows notified Solo matching and interviews run April 7–25
  8. 8 May Paperwork due
  9. 15 May Pre-bar requirements window opens Limited pre-bar tasks, about eight hours, due by June 30
  10. 26 May First Fellow learning session May 26–29, mandatory
  11. 30 June Pre-bar requirements due
  12. 1 July Bar exam blackout period Fellows do not work during July Day not announced
  13. 17 August Fellows return to their host organizations
  14. 1 December Fellows celebration Placements complete October through December Day not announced

Magenta marks the dates you have to act on; sage marks what happens after that. An outline means the date has gone by.

Who can apply

  • May 2026 graduates receiving a JD, LLM or joint degree from an ABA-accredited law school in California may apply on their own or jointly with a host organization.
  • May 2026 graduates from California-accredited law schools may apply through the joint application process, having already matched with an eligible host organization.
  • Open only to graduates who have not yet taken the California Bar Exam and have not previously had the opportunity to take one.

What a host organization needs

  • 501(c)(3) status or fiscal sponsorship.
  • A legal agency, or a social services agency with a legal department, providing direct legal services, litigation, policy advocacy, or community lawyering.
  • Based, or with a satellite office, in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma or Yolo county. Organizations serving primarily rural Californians in other counties are also eligible.
  • May apply to host up to three fellows.

More for organizations thinking about hosting

The 2026 fellows

22 people at 20 organizations, from 7 California law schools.

  1. Connor Urschel Bay Area Legal Aid
  2. Keyera Mackabee California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA)
  3. Nicole Larson California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA)
  4. Victor Anzaldo Canal Alliance
  5. Michael Alloggiamento Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA)
  6. Ashley Menguito Dependency Legal Services
  7. Jacob Lusk East Bay Sanctuary Covenant
  8. Ruth Hernandez Family Violence Law Center (FVLC)
  9. Sarah Navarro For The People
  10. Michele Chadwick Homeless Action Center (HAC)
  11. Vanessa Mendivil Justice and Diversity Center (JDC)
  12. Kiana Ghorbanzadeh Justice At Last
  13. Jennifer Moller Legal Access Alameda
  14. Priscilla Ledezma Legal Aid of Sonoma County
  15. Jaime Gochez Legal Assistance for Seniors (LAS)
  16. Vanessa Peterson Legal Assistance for Seniors (LAS)
  17. Kiriana Zavala Legal Assistance to the Elderly (LAE)
  18. John Swindle Legal Link
  19. Selin Sindel LGBT Asylum Project
  20. Brian Recinos Oasis Legal Services
  21. Emily Pedro Open Door Legal
  22. Ivan Villegas UFW Foundation