By Fiona Hall

Do you see glimpses of a great future lawyer in your child? Maybe they surprise you with their logical thinking or ability to quickly sum up a situation. Or maybe they have a love of justice and are quick to stand up for others. 

It is important to encourage young minds to explore careers as soon as they show interest, and believe it or not, we need more lawyers in California.

The 2024 California Justice Gap Study by the California State Bar found Californians receive no or insufficient legal help for 85 percent of their civil legal problems, including housing, family and safety, consumer protection, and health care. According to the study, this is partly because there aren’t enough attorneys to serve rural areas. Sonoma County itself is identified in the report as having rural areas at risk of becoming attorney deserts.

We are working to bridge this justice gap by educating law students at Empire College of Law in Santa Rosa, California. Empire is one of Monterey College of Law’s four community-based campuses offering evening classes so our students can work during the day while earning their law degree at night.

We also offer a hybrid online option to reach beyond our local campuses. The school’s mission is to produce graduates who are dedicated to professional excellence, integrity, and community service. We achieve this in part by having local attorneys and judges as professors who bring vast practical knowledge to the classroom. We strive to make law school accessible by keeping tuition low and accepting applicants with an Associate Degree.

If I’ve inspired you to think ahead, you’re probably wondering ways you could set your child on a path that keeps the door open for law school in the future. Monterey College of Law’s president and CEO, Lisa Sperow, and I suggest these natural starting points:

Build a Love of Reading and Writing Law students spend hours each week digesting dense legal opinions. The best preparation? Encourage a love of reading now. Whether it’s novels, biographies, or news articles, reading widely trains comprehension and focus. Pair reading with plenty of writing — journals, short stories, or essays — to strengthen their ability to express ideas clearly.

Parent tip: Ask your child to explain a story they’ve read in their own words. This practice mirrors the way law students must distill complex information into clear and concise arguments.

Encourage Skilled Communication A good lawyer isn’t just a sharp thinker but also a strong communicator. Debate team, mock trial or Model United Nations are excellent ways to practice speaking clearly and persuasively. But learning to listen is even more important. Lawyers must fully understand opposing arguments and learn what matters most to their clients. It takes empathy and strong listening skills to uncover this information.

Parent tip: At family meals, invite kids to take turns playing “devil’s advocate.” It’s a fun way to practice communication skills while learning to reason and respect different points of view.

Expose Them to the Bigger Picture Lawyers work to solve problems that affect real people. Helping kids connect with their community early builds empathy and perspective. Volunteering at a local food pantry, attending a city council meeting, or following an issue in the news can spark curiosity about justice and fairness.

Parent tip: Encourage your child to pick a cause that matters to them and find a way to get involved. Passion fuels persistence and engagement.

Final Word for Parents There’s no single “pre-law” major. Law schools welcome students from philosophy to engineering. What matters most is strong reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills. In high school and college, classes in history, government, sociology, and economics provide especially strong foundations.

Whether your child ultimately becomes a lawyer, or something else entirely, these skills will serve them for a lifetime.

Fiona Hall is Campus Dean at Empire College of Law in Santa Rosa, CA. If interested in learning more about legal education or Empire College of Law, visit montereylaw.edu/index-empire.html.