Partnership with California State University, Bakersfield

The Kern County Law Library’s mission statement is to provide and maintain access to legal information resources for the legal community and residents of Kern County.

When residents of Kern County complete their education and begin work as members of the legal community, all too often, they relocate to other parts of the state.

A program has been created at Cal. State University, Bakersfield to introduce the future lawyers of Kern to key components in our county’s legal system, and hopefully inspire them to become permanent fixtures of Kern’s legal community.

Pre-Law students at Cal State are working as externs to perform supervised work in the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, private law firms, and the Kern County Law Library.

This page is devoted to highlighting the work of the externs who have worked at Kern County Law Library, where we hope to see them return as local practitioners after they are sworn in as members of the California State Bar.

Fall Term, 2021 – Jagr Alindajao

Mr. Alindajao is a student of History at CSUB, and was selected to be part of the first of what we hope will be many succesful semesters of externships.

Mr. Alindajao assisted the Kern County Law Library in numerous ways during his term, including, but not limited to:

•   Participating in revising the Kern County Law Library’s web content

•   Researching a host of subjects in order to provide self-represented litigants accessible information for common topics

•   Updating the print collection at Kern County Law Library

•   Updating out-of-date forms in form packets used by members of the public

•   Fielding customer inquiries via telephone and email, as well as during in-person appointments

•   Retrieving updated information to assist residents of Kern County in branch locations

Spring Term, 2022 – Benjamin Smothermon

Mr. Smothermon is a student of Criminal Justice at CSUB and is the recipient of his department’s award for Outstanding Graduate, the highest honor conferred by the department.

Mr. Smothermon’s contributions to the library were numerous during our reopening, and include:

•   Reviewed and updated library print collection, including California Code of Regulations, Matthew Bender Pleading and Practice, Rutter Group Practice Guides, and more

•   Performed site visits to local institutions for information to improve access to library patrons

•   Conducted telephone interviews with partner organizations for details regarding their services

•   Transcribed patron voice messages and returned patron calls for information and reference service

•   Enhanced patron-access video library with time stampes and outlines for reference materials

•   Reviewed statewide reference materials for appliation in Kern County, and applied this information to provide general assistance to visitors to the library

Mr. Smothermon contributed in ways which proved indispensible in allowing the library to reopen its doors to the public in a time of limited staffing.