Jesse Bethel Law Academy Earns Top State Honor and Student Scholarship Recognition

VALLEJO, Calif. — The Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD) proudly celebrates the achievements of the Jesse Bethel Law Academy, which was honored with the Premier Law Academy Award at a statewide symposium hosted by the California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC), a program of the California Lawyers Foundation, on June 21, 2025. This distinction recognizes over a decade of transformative work guiding students toward law, public service, and community leadership careers.

Founded in 2012 through the collaborative vision of Judge Dan Healy, Ruthe Ashley, Dr. Ramona Bishop, and Linda Kingston, the Jesse Bethel Law Academy has become a cornerstone of legal education and mentorship in Vallejo. Since its inception, the program has graduated more than 650 students, many of whom have pursued higher education in law at institutions such as the University of California, Davis, the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, and Santa Clara University School of Law.

Led by educators including Katrina Traylor Rice, Daniel Martinez, and Karen Cheng, the Academy emphasizes hands-on learning, community engagement, and social justice. Its alumni have gone on to serve the Vallejo community as police officers, educators, and restorative justice facilitators, furthering the Academy’s mission to uplift and serve.

At the same symposium, Samara Garcia, a graduating senior of the Law Academy, was awarded a $1,500 scholarship to support her educational journey as she enters UC Davis this fall. 

Reflecting on her experience, Samara shared:

“I would first like to share that there is no academy like the Law Academy. The teachers are incredibly dedicated to their students and constantly go above and beyond to show their support. Imposter Syndrome kept me from applying to the Ruthe C. Ashley Scholarship for a long time. The encouraging words of my Law Academy teachers finally gave me the confidence to apply. The scholarship money I received will go toward my remaining tuition balance at UC Davis, where I will study political science.”

Garcia’s dedication and aspirations have been strengthened through mentorship from Academy alum Ashley Menguito, who is entering her final year of law school at UC Davis, where Garcia will be attending undergrad. They already plan to meet throughout the school year to continue their mentor/mentee relationship. Their connection highlights the power of the Law Academy’s enduring network, and Garcia already plans to give back by mentoring future students when she begins law school.

Representatives attending the symposium were Karen Cheng, teacher at Jesse Bethel High School; Lilibeth Mora, VCUSD professional learning manager; Dr. Latyna Young, VCUSD trustee; Ruthe Ashley, chair of the California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC); and Katrina Rice, EdD, VCUSD Coordinator of Teacher Residency—a team whose leadership and commitment have helped make these milestones possible.

The CLPC symposium brings together legal pathway programs from across the state with a mission to diversify California’s legal profession through education, equity, and access. The recognition of Jesse Bethel Law Academy reflects its alignment with this mission and its ongoing contributions to student opportunity and success.

VCUSD congratulates the Jesse Bethel Law Academy team, its students, and community partners on this well-deserved honor.