Palomar College Receives Grant for Law Program

SAN MARCOS — Palomar College receives grant for current and future aspiring law students in the Law, Public Policy and Society program to help create new pathways towards four-year universities and law degrees.

The Law, Public Policy and Society program falls under Palomar’s Business Administration Department and has recently received a $99k grant for its students. Given to the program by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, they are hoping to use it to expand its outreach and pathways for future law students.

These opportunities are now being offered to high school students attending San Marcos High School, Mission Hills, and Twin Oaks, as well as college students at Palomar.

In an interview with The Telescope, Dean of the Arts, Media and Business Administration department Justin Smiley said, “The grant is offered through the [California] State Chancellor’s office in support of really diversifying our pool of people that are working within the legal professions in California.”

With pathways to schools such as CSU San Marcos and San Diego State University already in place, they are also working to help connect students to other four-year universities.

“It’s to support our transfer degree, but also help create a pipeline from high school students through community college, CSU or UC, and then law school. So we’re in the middle trying to connect all these pieces together,” explained Smiley.

Another goal for the program now is to help make sure students that are interested in pursuing a law degree are able to clearly understand the steps to take towards that. With the transfer degree that Palomar offers for its Law students to hopefully get a streamlined process into a four-year university.

The program is also looking to help students through some of the events it has planned and is currently planning. One of which being an upcoming Diversity Career Panel that will be taking place at the San Marcos campus on Sept 25 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Another event that is being planned will be taking place at the Vista Court House that will have students to meet judges and other professionals in the legal world. This event will allow students to learn more about the professions they might choose to enter, and will be posted on here.

“The grant is really connecting those pieces but then also providing more outreach for students to just be aware of the program and take part. We’re hoping to expand and really clarify that [pathway],” said Smiley.

More information on Palomar’s Pathway to Law School can be found here.