UC Merced Community and Labor Center | Legal Aid at Work
Central Valley Worker Justice and the Law Student Clinic Training Project
Fall 2025 - Spring 2026
Are you interested in helping workers in the Central Valley enforce their workplace rights? Apply to become a Student Counselor in the UC Merced Community and Labor Center’s Central Valley Worker Justice & the Law Clinic Training project!
Student Counselors will receive training and guidance directly from experienced attorneys from Legal Aid at Work, interview workers who are seeking help with workplace issues, and provide workers with one-on-one guidance about their rights.
All UC Merced students are eligible to apply for this opportunity. To apply, you must complete the form below and confirm your commitment to all nine clinics and training days. Apply to become a Student Legal Counselor with the UC Merced Community and Labor Center’s Central Valley Worker Justice & the Law Clinic Training project!
Student Counselors will:
- Receive trainings about California employment law
- Serve as “counselors” during workers’ rights legal clinics once a month
- Receive one on one guidance from an experienced legal aid attorney
- Interview workers about their workplace issues, and help advise them about their legal options
- Commit to attend all clinics and trainings (schedule below)
Program Dates: September 19, 2025 - April 29, 2026
Fall 2025
| Date | Time | Location | Presentation Topic |
| Friday, September 19, 2025 | 12:30 PM-3:30 PM | On-Campus Location TBD |
Orientation / Fundamentals of Employment Law |
| Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM | Zoom | Employee Status / Wage & Hour Law + Workers’ Rights Clinic |
| October 22, 2025 | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM | Zoom | Discrimination & Harassment + Workers’ Rights Clinic |
| November 19, 2025 | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM | Zoom | Unemployment & Disability Benefits + Workers’ Rights Clinic |
| December 10, 2025 | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM | Zoom | Health & Safety / Workers’ Compensation + Workers’ Rights Clinic |
Spring 2026
| Date | Time | Location | Presentation Topic |
| January 28, 2026 | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM | Zoom | Family-Medical Leave & Accommodations + Workers’ Rights Clinic |
| February 25, 2026 | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM | Zoom | Immigration Issues in the Workplace + Workers’ Rights Clinic |
| April 1, 2026 | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM | Zoom | Labor Unions & Organizing Rights + Workers’ Rights Clinic |
| April 29, 2026 | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM | On-Campus Location TBD |
Clinic Debriefing |
The application questions below may be completed in a separate document, but you must answer all the questions. To submit your application or to learn more about the Central Valley Worker Justice and the Law Student Clinic Training Project, contact us at communitylabor@ucmerced.edu.
Application Deadline: September 11, 2025
