2026 Lifer School
Saturday, March 14 | 9:30 AM-4:30 PM PT
UCLA School of Law | Room 1357
Los Angeles
registration and light breakfast at 9:30 AM. Program Begins at 10 am.
In celebration of our 20th anniversary, Lifer School is returning to Los Angeles through a partnership with the UCLA Prison Law & Policy Program and the UCLA Criminal Law & Policy Consortium. This full-day, interactive educational event brings together trauma-informed practices, legal expertise, and the leadership of people with lived experience to deepen understanding of California’s discretionary parole process.
Although this event is free for the community, due to limited capacity this year, advance registration is required to reserve your spot. Attorneys can earn 4.25 MCLE credits.
Who is Lifer School for?
Family members, friends, loved ones, advocates, legal professionals, and anyone who wants to learn how to better support incarcerated people preparing for parole.
What does the event offer?
Education and insight on how California’s parole process works, how parole decisions are made, and practical tips and strategies for a parole hearing. Throughout the day, participants will have the opportunity to explore the legal framework governing parole, experience a live mock parole hearing, and take part in hands-on workshops that address both the legal requirements and trauma-informed support beneficial throughout the process.
In addition to foundational parole education, this year Lifer School is creating space to dig into some of the most recent issues affecting people seeking release today, including restitution and EDD-related barriers, Medication-Assisted Treatment records, and eligibility considerations tied to sentence structure and credits. Workshops are tailored to different audiences, offering guidance for loved ones supporting someone through parole, community members interested in advocacy, attorneys seeking training in parole representation, and people looking for tools to challenge parole denials, even without legal counsel.
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the parole process, concrete tools they can share with people inside, access to robust set of helpful resources before and after the event, and a better understanding of upcoming parole-related policy and legislation and how to engage in advocacy.
If you are formerly incarcerated and on parole and need any assistance in gaining permission from your Parole Office to attend the event, please contact info@uncommonlaw.org for assistance.