Bloomberg Law’s second annual Law School Innovation Program recognizes groundbreaking innovations overall
“The Lawyers for America (LFA) program at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco innovates by repackaging the “medical-model” to fit the legal education structure.”
— Talia Thomas, Bloomberg Law Analysis, 2024.
A different way to learn to be a lawyer
A model for improving access to justice
What We Do and Why
It’s no secret that society suffers from a justice gap: a large unmet need for the assistance of lawyers. In addition, public law offices such as prosecutors, city attorneys, and public defenders often struggle to assure adequate legal services. Lawyers for America, Inc. (LfA), was founded to create the framework and support to enable legal nonprofits and public law offices to increase their legal manpower while simultaneously providing law students and new attorneys with practical training and valuable exposure to society’s unmet legal needs.
Lawyers for America, Inc., founded at UC Law SF (formerly UC Hastings), uses a “medical-model” for legal education. Students can focus on classroom learning for two years, then spend their 3L year as externs/fellows at a nonprofit or government agency. Students earn a large number of clinical units while also taking a classroom component headed by a faculty supervisor. Participating placements are eager to invest in their extern fellows’ education. Post graduation and “bar summer,” fellows return for a full year of paid service to the placement. Fellows are employees of LfA that year; placements pay a fee for each fellowship line. LfA participation is open to any ABA-accredited law school. Its benefits can be available to your students!
Who We Are
Lawyers for America, Inc. (LfA) is a California nonprofit corporation that has been granted IRS 501(c)(3) status. LfA’s mission is to improve the practical skills of new lawyers, to expand the availability of legal services for those who cannot afford lawyers, and to increase the ability of government and nonprofit legal offices to render such services.
The mission is accomplished by working with law schools, governmental organizations, and legal nonprofits to create two-year fellowships comprising a training year that is the students’ final year of law school and a service year that is their first as new attorneys.
What Our Fellows Are Saying
LfA helped me dive right into public interest work in environmental law. I received valuable feedback throughout my fellowship and developed a strong skill set to continue my public interest work with my placement organization. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue doing the work I went to law school to do.
Meredith Stevenson ’19, Fellow (and current Attorney) at Center for Food Safety
As a law student, I was eager to get off campus and start my legal career. Lawyers for America gave me that opportunity. As a third year law student, I responded to written motions, conducted dozens of hearings, and tried a misdemeanor jury trial. After passing the Bar exam, I was able to hit the ground running as a Deputy District Attorney. For law students who seek a learning experience outside of the classroom, LfA provides an opportunity to gain practical skills in a real-world learning environment.
Saron Tesfai ’14, Fellow at Contra Costa County District Attorney (later Sacramento County DA)
My time as an LfA fellow working at the Center for Biological Diversity was everything I could want and more. The fellowship provided me with a supportive and nurturing environment which allowed me to grow as a young attorney. It also provided me job security, which was a major stress reliever when studying for the bar. But most importantly, as a young attorney I was able to be an integral part of impactful cutting-edge environmental litigation. Just a week after finding out I passed the bar I was filing Clean Air Act cases. Becoming a LfA fellow was the best decision I could have made while in law school, and I would strongly recommend it.
Perry Elerts ’19, Fellow at Center for Biological Diversity (later Environmental Law Fellow at George Washington University Law School)
History
Lawyers for America, Inc., was founded by UC Law SF Professors David Faigman (now UC Law SF Chancellor and Dean) and Marsha Cohen in 2011 as a California nonprofit corporation with 501(c)(3) status.
The program was announced to UC Law SF students on July 2012, and the first applications were in late fall 2012. The first fellows, from the Class of 2014, started their work for LfA partners as externs in August 2013, graduated in May 2014, and resumed their fellowship work for pay in August 2014. The program has successfully continued since that time.
Public Information about Lawyers for America
Our most recent tax returns may be found here.
Learn How You Can Participate
Become a Fellow
Learn more about how you can take advantage of LfA, and the many benefits you receive as a fellow.
Become a Participant Organization or Law School
Learn more about how your organization or your ABA-accredited law school can work with Lawyers for AmericaTM to better prepare new lawyers. Contact us, or read more here.
Send a Donation
We accept standard cash and check donations at our office. The address and contact information are here.
“Equal justice under law is not merely a caption on the façade of the Supreme Court building. It is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society … it is fundamental that justice should be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status.”
Justice Lewis Powell Jr.
Lawyers for America 