Julie Mendoza ’25 is president and founder of the Education Law Association at the University of California, San Francisco School of Law.
At UC Law San Francisco, student organizations allow aspiring lawyers to connect with like-minded peers, build professional networks, and pursue their passions.
University of California Law student Julie Mendoza, 25, did just that this fall when she founded and became president of the law school's new Education Law Society. Mendoza explains why she started the organization to focus on an issue she is particularly passionate about: educational equity.
Q: What is the Education Law Society?
A: The mission of the Education Law Society (EdLS) is to build a coalition of attorneys, educators, and community leaders committed to educational equity. We also aim to create a legal career path to an organization dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers to education. Additionally, we connect law students with practicing attorneys who work at the intersection of education and law. It is a privilege to collaborate with other law students in pursuit of these goals.
Q: Why did you establish this organization?
A: I decided to create EdLS in response to problems I observed as an East Oakland public school educator. During her four years in the classroom, she witnessed declining literacy rates due to distance learning, school closures due to racial inequality, and a deepening shortage of teachers in core subjects. If left unaddressed, the damage caused by these problems will continue to worsen and may take generations to recover. For these reasons, improving public education must be a top priority for everyone invested in our future as a nation.
Q: What opportunities does EdLS offer students?
A: In addition to professional development, we also offer pro bono opportunities to law students through the Law Empowerment and Access Program (LEAP), for which I am the lesson planning chair. LEAP was founded by his Tussanee Reedboon '24, a UC School of Law SF student. The organization aims to empower young people by inviting law students to lead legal workshops at middle schools and high schools throughout the Bay Area. Demystifying the law and educating young people about attending law school is an important step toward making the legal profession more diverse. Facilitating a “Know Your Rights” workshop at the school where I was her 7th grade English teacher was a highlight of my 1L year with her.
Q: Why are you so passionate about educational equity?
A: I grew up in a low-income, single-parent household and attended 12 public schools from K-12 in the Bay Area. It was hard being constantly uprooted, but reading and accessing books allowed me to use my imagination wherever I went. It has been an essential part of my personal growth and development as a student, providing me with the tools to envision and pursue different worlds, paths, and ways of being. But similar opportunities are dwindling for young people, especially low-income youth of color.
In 2022, the Oakland Unified School District voted to close or consolidate nearly a dozen schools. According to KQED, 93% of affected students were low-income English language learners or foster children. A report released this year by California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said the closures would “disproportionately impact Black and low-income elementary school students, as well as students with disabilities and special needs.” Additionally, the effects of neighborhood school closures can be felt for generations. I will use my legal training to investigate decisions that disproportionately harm historically disenfranchised communities and advocate for access to free and equitable education.
Q: How is this organization advancing your career goals?
A: One of my goals as a future lawyer is to make the fight for educational equity a permanent part of my practice. Through EdLS and LEAP, I was able to set the foundation for achieving this goal. It not only provided me with valuable leadership experience, but also a community of inspiring, like-minded peers that I can call on for future projects.
For more information about EdLS or to volunteer with LEAP, please email juliemendoza@uclawsf.edu.
