On Oct. 24, 2026, UCR held its inaugural Pre-Law Conference, made possible by a partnership between the UCR Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC) and the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).

“This idea came from former dean of CHASS, Daryle Williams, and his connection with HNBA,” said Charles Scruggs, director of the PPAC. “Daryle approached me and professor John W. Cioffi, Department of Political Science and Chair of Law & Society, in late 2025 about this idea, and we thought it would be a great event for our campus.”

This partnership with the Hispanic National Bar Association reflects UCR’s commitment to the Hispanic community, which dates back to its designation in 2008 as the first Hispanic-Serving Institution in the UC system.

“This event exemplifies the power of collaboration across UCR,” said Louie Rodriguez, Vice Provost Dean of Undergraduate Education. “Our students thrive when we work together, and this is already a strong feature of UCR's culture.  This event showed the power of such collaboration by demonstrating that big things can happen when we collectively set a goal and go.”

Students had the opportunity to engage with legal professionals, including attorneys, judges, law students, speakers, mentors, volunteers, and others. They spoke with volunteers during tabling and participated in sessions such as Law School Admissions 101 and Speed Mentoring.

“The path to a legal career can feel unfamiliar, especially if you don’t know any lawyers or have someone who can help you navigate the process,” said Jeremy Haldeman, Executive Director of the Hispanic National Bar Association and President of the HNBA VIA Fund. “This conference gave students direct access to people who could answer their questions, offer candid advice, and help them see what is possible.” 

Conference sessions gave students opportunities to network and communicate with professionals in close gatherings like Speed Mentoring, which had about four students to one volunteer, ensuring that students could get their questions answered and make essential connections.

“It’s really important for students to connect with these professionals to hear about the profession, what they do, and to learn that this isn’t always a straightforward pathway,” Scruggs added. “My hope is that students will make connections with people to better understand how they can move forward in their own academic and career journey.”

With the expertise of experienced volunteers, undergraduate students gained insights into a career in law and resources to help them get an early start on applications, whether through test-preparation classes or advice on time management.

Winston, a participating first-year student, said that his favorite part of the event was talking to the practicing attorneys and people at law schools. “I’m learning so much about what goes on through the law school process, how it feels to be a law school student and what it feels like to be an actual lawyer as well,” he added.

“So much of the work I do at HNBA is about creating opportunities, opening doors, and helping people see possibilities for themselves that they may not have imagined yet,” said Carla Martin, Director of Strategic Partnership & Pipeline Initiatives for the HNBA. ”I'm incredibly grateful to everyone at HNBA and UC Riverside who invested their time, ideas, and energy into making the conference happen. If even one student left thinking, ‘Maybe I really can do this,’ then all of the work behind the scenes was worth it.”

The PPAC and HNBA established this conference with the vision of supporting students and creating student success in their law journeys. It was beneficial because it supported pre-law students by providing spaces for them to make meaningful connections to the information legal professionals shared through presentations, panels, and tabling.

“The UCR/HNBA conference was significant, as it addressed many questions, concerns, and needs that pre-law students have shared with advisors and faculty,” Scruggs added. “Many of the conference panelists and mentors talked about being first-generation in college and law school, and that spoke to many of our conference attendees, as about half of the UCR student body is first-generation undergraduate degree-seeking.”