Law Students and New Lawyers Division

Topical articles written by CAJC Board members aimed at attorneys at the beginning of their career.

• Read past articles here.

Law students and young attorneys should be welcomed into our CACJ network by seasoned professionals! CACJ wants to ensure that these youngsters learn from the best, in an environment free of judgment! These days, the field is cut-throat! We have to rely on our CACJ coalition to instill a sense of principled ethics in young attorneys. Our internship program is growing and there are attorneys throughout the state looking for students to put them on a path towards success!

Employment Link

Internship Link

Attorneys, please draft a description of the internship you offer and send it via email to tara@cacj.org

MCLE credit without having to leave your computer? Sign me up! The Trial and Procedures Webinar Series is a resource for NLDs at all levels. The most fundamental aspect of criminal representation boils down to trial preparation. CACJ Trial Series Webinars provide lectures on tactical skills that many new attorneys overlook. The first five webinars correspond with the first five articles in Volume 1 of the NLD Newsletter.

• Self Study webinar link is here.

CACJ NLD members are a talented lot. Thus, as they continue to learn from our seasoned members, they pay it forward by interacting with law students throughout the State. CACJ regional representatives most recently visited University of San Francisco School of Law, University of La Verne College of Law, Western State University College of Law and University of California, Hastings College of Law to address the significance of legislative advocacy, explore trending topics in the field and enhance career networking skills. Our active NLD members cultivate the spirit of the defense with a physical presence in law societies and classrooms- where intimate advice supplements textbook procedure.

• CACJ Foundation Gideon Scholarship- CACJ recognizes more than fifty years that have passed since the high courts declared that states have an obligation to provide defendants with adequate defense for the poor. Gideon vs. Wainwright is one of those monumental cases that demonstrates the uphill battle that the public faces when charged by the state. We recognize that financial burdens also affect CACJ law students who seek to enhance the criminal justice system.
  
• Joyce O. Yoshioka Scholarship: Joyce Yoshioka, former member of CACJ's Board of Governors and outstanding criminal defense attorney, died on June 28, 1990, at the age of 42, after a three-year battle with cancer. Joyce served as Ventura County's Chief Deputy Public Defender for six years and before that, worked for the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office as a trial lawyer and supervisor. As a tribute to her career dedicated to helping others, CACJ has established through the CACJ Foundation the Joyce O. Yoshioka Scholarship Fund. Each year, attorneys, paralegals, law students or investigators involved in criminal defense work are awarded full tuition grants to the following CACJ programs. Tuition grants awarded for 2013 are the 2014 CACJ/CPDA Capital Case Defense Seminar, DUI Rules of the Road Seminar, Appellate Practice Seminar and the Annual Fall Criminal Defense Seminar. Scholarships are available to CACJ members only and are not transferable to third parties or to future programs.
• Jerry Kenkel Memorial Scholarships: Established on behalf of Jerry J. Kenkel, Past President of CACJ, these Scholarships provide the opportunity for pre-law students from the California State University, Chico, to Attend CACJ’s Annual Criminal Defense Seminar to see things from the defense perspective. Click here for more information.

Mixers and networking events serve numerous purposes--the first of which is fun! Although our membership spans the entire country, CACJ is a close-knit community. We sympathize with the struggles of the convicted, and we share a forward vision of the Criminal Justice System. The unique fusion of private-practice attorneys and public defenders provides CACJ members with distinctive angles from which to view procedural hurdles imposed by the Justice system. Whether reconnecting with long-time members at the Fall Member reception, sharing stories with law students or networking with local colleagues, CACJ members genuinely value the relationships strengthened at our regional mixers and networking events!