Gus Lee, a best-selling author and 1976 UC Davis law school graduate, will speak at the King Hall Outreach Program graduation lunch on Aug. 11. He will address 30 graduates of KHOP, a unique law school preparation program for disadvantaged college students.

Lee, who grew up in a rough neighborhood in San Francisco before attending West Point and UC Davis, has gone on to write five best-selling novels and is a sought-after motivational speaker. The lunch is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the ARC Ballroom on campus, and Lee is expected to speak at 1:30 p.m. His talk will be open to the media.

The program, open to students with high academic potential that come from educationally or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, demands a two-year commitment from students during their junior and senior years. They attend special classes during the academic year and participate in four-week workshops during the summer.

Participants prepare for law school by taking LSAT preparation, logical reasoning and writing skills classes during the school year, and also have the opportunity to meet with law students and professors and participate in application workshops and a mentorship program. During the summer sessions, students learn the ins and outs of applying to law school.

The program began in 2001 with eight participants and has more than tripled in size during the past five years. Nearly 60 students have participated in the program, and 10 graduates are now enrolled in law school. Last year, the program saw its first former participant receive a law degree.

Lee, like many program participants, had a difficult upbringing. The son of Chinese immigrants, his mother died when he was 7 years old. He was raised by a ruthless stepmother in the harsh Panhandle neighborhood in San Francisco. After three years at West Point, Lee got his undergraduate and law degrees at UC Davis. He served as a prosecutor for the Army and as an executive for the State Bar of California before trying his hand at writing. His early life experiences served as the basis for several of his books.

Kevin Johnson, associate dean of the law school, said Lee would be an inspiring figure for King Hall Outreach Program graduates, based on his ethnic and economic background and what he has achieved.

"Gus is an esteemed alum who is an accomplished author and an inspirational speaker," Johnson said. "He's also from a group who until recently you didn't see very often in law programs."

Lee has written the best-selling novels "China Boy," "Honor and Duty," "Tiger's Tail" and "No Physical Evidence," and a memoir, "Chasing Hepburn." Two of the books are in film development.

After his keynote speech, Lee will do a book signing.