A state bar commission recently awarded a grant to the UCLA School of Law and two other law schools to help new lawyers launch and develop firms to help clients who are unable to afford high-priced attorneys.
The grant, awarded by the State Bar of California’s Commission on Access to Justice, was awarded to Pepperdine University School of Law and Southwestern Law School along with UCLA’s law school, according to a Monday press release. The statement did not include the amount of the grant.
According to a June press release from the National Association for Law Placement, only about 64 percent of recent law school graduates obtain jobs that require passing the bar exam shortly after graduating. And fewer recent graduates start new law firms.
The law schools will develop the Modest Means/Incubator Project in partnership with local legal aid organizations and the L.A. Law Library, according to the UCLA release.
About four to five recent graduates from each of the law schools will be trained in beginning law firms to assist low-income populations at the one-year incubator. The training will focus on management, communicating with clients and managing cases, according to the statement.
Compiled by Sam Hoff, Bruin senior staff.