ANGWIN: The California Legal Pathways Collaborative has partnered with Pacific Union College, the Napa County Superior Court, Pacific Union College Preparatory School, and St. Helena High School to bring a 10-week "Introduction to Law" dual credit course to high school and college students in the region, the organization announced on October 6. Napa County Deputy District Attorney Shashawnya Worley will lead the course on the PUC campus, alongside attorneys, judges, and others in the legal profession.
The course is a pilot, and the first time the collaborative has brought its mentorship, curriculum, internship, and scholarship resources to a four-year college. High school juniors and seniors who take part will earn college credits they can carry into their undergraduate education. Pacific Union College has a pre-law program and a political studies degree, but until now it has not offered an Introduction to Law course. The college's own announcement describes it as a 100-level course beginning in the fall 2026 quarter, open to PUC students and to high school students in the College Early program, with coursework in criminal law and its constitutional aspects and a mock trial to be held at the Napa County Courthouse.
Why Worley said yes
Worley, who also serves as the High School Mock Trial Program Coordinator for Napa and Sonoma counties, said she agreed quickly when asked to lead the pilot. "I think it is important, specifically for younger people, to understand how the law affects every day decisions, how our society operates, and how the legislature and the courts make changes impacting our lives," she said. An attorney for close to nine years, she said mentorship was decisive in her own career: seasoned attorneys mentored her, and she wants students to have the same.
The justice system and the courts are much more than what you see on TV.
The people behind it
"This program will offer a gateway to students to help them understand and explore different options and careers focused on the law," said Milbert Mariano, dean of PUC's School of Arts, Humanities, and Professions. He noted the college is known for its pre-med, nursing, and dentistry programs but has never offered an Introduction to Law. Napa County Superior Court Executive Officer Bob Fleshman said the court is heavily involved in civics education in the community: "The justice system and the courts are much more than what you see on TV."
The collaborative has a track record in the state: what began as six high school Law Academies in 2010 has grown to 28 programs, founded by attorney Ruthe Ashley, who the announcement notes was the first Filipina and only the second Asian Pacific American woman elected to the State Bar of California Board of Governors. The collaborative is an education partner of the California Lawyers Foundation, the charitable arm of the California Lawyers Association, described as the state's largest volunteer bar association with 50,000 members.
