Kathleen Johnston Back - Ventura County Bar Association

10 CITATIONS • NOVEMBER 2008An Extraordinary Alternative to Law SchoolBy Panda KrollCesar Chavez and Barbara Macri-Ortiz’daughter Gina.The walls of Ventura County attorneyBarbara Macri-Ortiz’s Oxnard homeoffice are covered with dozens of awards forher pro bono work. The one conspicuousabsence is a JD diploma: Macri-Ortizreceived her training on the job, rather than ina law school. Macri-Ortiz’s apprenticeship iscodified as the “law office” study program.The possibility of practical, as opposed totheoretical, training flies in the face of whatmost of us know. The highs and lows of ourlegal careers are mirrored by the highs andlows of our law school years. For many of us,the lows included intimidation at the hands ofbrilliant professors, as popularly depicted inthe 1970’s film, the “Paper Chase.” Moreover,accreditation standards for California’s manysmall law schools – heightened by the rise ofInternet correspondence courses – have beenthe subject of public debate. In contrast,the “law office” or “judge’s chambers”alternative to law school attendance isrelatively unknown.The educational component for attorneyadmissions is found in Business andProfessions Code section 6060, subdivision(e) and the State Bar’s Rules RegulatingAdmission to Practice Law in California.The Business and Professions Code providesthat, after completing at least two years ofcollege or successful completion of a collegelevel equivalency program, applicants neednot attend law school, but are eligible foradmission if they “stud[y] law diligently andin good faith for at least four years … [i]n alaw office in this state and under the personalsupervision of a member of the State Bar ofCalifornia who is, and for at least the lastfive years continuously has been, engaged inthe active practice of law.” Study is similarlypermitted in the chambers and under thepersonal supervision “of a judge of a courtof record of this state.” Apprentices mustpass the “baby bar” exam after completionof a first year of law study, and like theirlaw school counterparts, must pass the StateBar Exam. Rule VII of the State Bar Rulesadditionally spells out rigorous requirementsfor both apprentices and their supervisors,including study “during regular businesshours at least 18 hours each week,” and anexamination schedule. Supervisors are limitedto two apprentices, must personally superviseapprentices for at least five hours each week,and must complete detailed reports every sixmonths.www.californianeutrals.orgwww.californianeutrals.orgThere are fewer than 100 California attorneyswho have received their training through suchan apprenticeship. If each of these attorneyshas a unique story, not many can top that ofMacri-Ortiz, who, after two years of studyat UC Santa Cruz, worked directly underCésar Chavez at the United Farm Workersas a labor activist. Macri-Ortiz had alreadyworked for the UFW for over a decade andwas supervising the UFW’s Legal Departmentwhen Chavez decided to formalize theUFW’s legal apprenticeship program, andassigned UFW staff attorneys as supervisors.The program exemplifies one of Chavez’well-known tenets: “Ordinary people cando extraordinary things.” As a condition ofparticipation, Macri-Ortiz and her fellowapprentices committed to serve the Union asattorneys for two years after receiving theirbar cards. All six apprentices who completedthe UFW program passed the bar on theirfirst attempts. Macri-Ortiz reports that thestudy of law was an extension of her priorUFW collective bargaining experience, andprepared her well for the civil rights-relatedwork she does today.Mr. Carrington is “very knowledgeable. Insurance companiesrespect his opinion. Extensive trial experience (ABOT), excellentmediator, fair, objective arbitrator. Extraordinarily www.californianeutrals.orgcapable andforthcoming with efforts and involvement. He is very thoroughMr. and Carrington fair.” Quote is “very from knowledgeable. 2006 Consumer Insurance Lawyers Evaluations companiesrespect his opinion. Extensive trial experience (ABOT), excellentmediator, fair, objective arbitrator. Extraordinarily capable andforthcoming with efforts and involvement. He is very thoroughand fair.” Quote from 2006 Consumer Lawyers EvaluationsMr. Carrington is “very knowledgeable. Insurance companiesrespect his opinion. Extensive trial experience (ABOT), excellentmediator, fair, objective arbitrator. Extraordinarily capable andforthcoming with efforts and involvement. He is very thorough