Pathway to Law
Foothill Pathway to Law
At Foothill College, we are members of the Cal Law Pathways network. The video below provdes an overview of the organization.
Foothill's Pathway to Law is your local access point for the Cal Law Scholar's program and certificate. Our program gives you the opportunity to earn the certificate while taking courses focused on your interest and building skills that will improve your success in law school!
As part of our Foothill program, you will engage with other motivated students, have access to advising targeted to the certificate and future enrollment in law school, and participate in unique networking and information sessions facilitated by the Foothill Pathway to Law program.
Participating Law Schools
- California Western School of Law
- Chapman University, Fowler School of Law
- Loyola Law School
- McGeorge School of Law
- Pepperdine University, Caruso School of Law
- Santa Clara University School of Law
- Southwestern Law School
- UC Law, San Francisco
- UC Berkeley School of Law
- UC Davis School of Law
- UC Irvine School of Law
- UCLA School of Law
- University of San Diego School of Law
- University of San Francisco School of Law
- University of Southern California Gould School of Law
- Western State College of Law
To join the Foothill Pathway to Law program, students must:
- Be a currently enrolled Foothill student
- Have completed one quarter of credits at Foothill College
- Submit an application and pass a review
- Attend the required asynchronous orientation and complete the required orientation assessment
Foothill's Pathway to Law Certificate
Using the courses outline below, students at Foothill who wish to obtain the Cal Law Scholar Certificate will fulfill the requirements of the program, as listed on the California Law Pathways Resources for Students website.
Successful completion of the listed coursework will result in the designation of the Cal Law Scholar on a student's transcript.
*Note courses with asterisks: You may only count this course for ONE of the required elements of the certificate.
| Cal Law Scholar Certificate Requirement | Foothill Course(s) Satisfying the Requirement |
|---|---|
| Street Law course, Street Law-based course, or Law and Democracy | SOC 15 or BUSI 18 |
| English Composition or Equivalent | ENGL 1B*, ENGL 1BH*, ESLL125, ESLL 237, NCEL 437, ESLL 26 |
| Critical Thinking or Equivalent | ENGL 1B*, ENGL 1BH*, ENGL C1001, ENGLC100H, PHIL 1 |
| Argumentation and Debate or Persuasion or Equivalent | COMM 1B, COMM C1000, COMM C1000H |
| Statistics or Equivalent | STAT C1000, Math 17, PSYC 7, SOC 7, Math 217 |
| U.S. History - any time-period | HIST 17A, HIST 17B, HIST 17C |
| Introduction to American Government or Equivalent | POLS C1000 |
Foothill College's Unique Resources
Foothill College offers pathway students several unique resources. Students participating in the pathway program obtain
- Career Exploration opportunities
- LSAT Prep Advice
- Application Support
- Two faculty members and a dedicated counselor to help ensure all of your questions regarding law school and the certificate are answered!
- Field trips to the California Supreme Court, the 9th Circuit Court, County and Local courts!
- Career panels featuring local attorneys and career discussions
- Panels featuring current law students who discuss their experiences in law schools from across the country
- LSAT trivia nights featuring food and fun!
- Free library of resources for check-out
- Once/quarter LSAT prep session by faculty member
Advising
About Your Pre-Law Advisors
Ryer
Ryer has over a decade of experience teaching online, in-person, and in hybrid modalities. They believe that learning is a collaborative process that requires hands-on application. Their research interests include borders, bordering, and bodies; gender constructs and political power; higher education, Queer theory, and the philosophy of science. Ryer earned an M.A. in Political Science, San Francisco State University, an M.A. in History, Arizona State University, and an Ed.M. Adult & Continuing Education from Rutgers University. Additionally Ryer holds certificates in Nuclear Deterrence (Harvard Extension School), Human Resources Development (Rutgers University), Higher Education (Rutgers University), and Online Teaching and Learning (CSU East Bay).
Sara
Sara Callow (she/her) is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science and College of Letters and Sciences at Montana State University and an adjunct instructor of Political Science at Foothill College. She is excited to work with all students interested in exploring careers related to the legal profession and has been working in higher education for the last 20 years. Sara is on the executive board for the Western Association of Pre-Law Advisors (WAPLA) and has earned a micro-credential Advising First Generation Students and another in Career Advising from NACADA (The Global Community for Academic Advising) and COE (the Council for Opportunity in Education).
To Get Started
Please contact one of our Foothill pre-law advisors!
- Ryer at ryerkerri@fhda.edu
- Sara at callowsara@fhda.edu
Contact UsKerri Ryer, Political Science Department ChairBuilding 3000, Office 3001650.949.7649 ryerkerri@fhda.edu |
