With pride, MCCA recognizes the graduation of the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program’s Class of 2010. Arguably more than its predecessors, this class has witnessed dramatic changes in hiring in the legal profession, due to the ongoing economic uncertainty. Despite these major adjustments during their matriculation, this dynamic class has risen to the challenge, and every student is working very hard to keep their entrance into the legal profession on track.
“This class of graduates has a determined spirit,” shares Lori Garrett, MCCA’s managing director of the southeast region and manager of the program. “More students have earned judicial clerkships in this class than in any other graduating class. I attribute that to their academic success while in law school, and their flexibility in responding to the decline in large-firm hiring right out of law school.”
These students represent some of the brightest diverse minds of the next generation, and MCCA applauds their tremendous accomplishments.
The Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program awards fellowships and scholarships to aspiring attorneys with strong academic records who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have a passion for diversity issues. The scholarship program was developed by the MCCA and its supporters in 2005. The program is named for the attorney whose visionary leadership stimulated the formation of MCCA. The program nurtures the academic and professional careers of an outstanding group of law students, while priming the diversity pipeline in the legal profession.
The program helps law students meet basic financial needs, such as tuition, books, and fees. Fellows receive $10,000 per year for three years, while scholars receive a one-time award of $10,000. Students also receive professional development support, such as career counseling, cover letter and resume review, interview tips, and assistance securing paid summerinternship opportunities.
The scholarship program is generously sponsored by some of the most admired companies and law firms in the country. To date, and with the help of each and every sponsorship dollar, MCCA has distributed more than $1.4 million in awards. DB
If your company or law firm is interested in becoming a sponsor of the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program, please contact Lori Garrett at (404) 870-4619, or by email at lorigarrett@mcca.com.
| Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program Class of 2010 | |
| Fellows | Scholars |
| Michael Anderson University of Pennsylvania Law School Microsoft Corporation Fellow Patton Boggs LLP (Washington, DC) | Francis Arvelo University of Pennsylvania Law School Adorno & Yoss LLP Scholar College Forward (Austin, TX) |
| Samika Boyd University of California, Berkeley School of Law Gordon & Rees, LLP/Palm, Inc. Fellow | Pauline Chow University of Wisconsin Law School Kelley Drye Collier Shannon Scholar |
| Jerome Coenic-Taylor University of Iowa College of Law Vault, Inc. Fellow | Noelle Chung Stanford Law School Patton Boggs LLP Scholar Steptoe & Johnson LLP (Los Angeles, CA) |
| Jessica Corsi Harvard Law School Crowell & Moring LLP Fellow Pursuing Ph.D., University of Cambridge | April Gu New York University School of Law Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Scholar Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy |
| William Nevin University of Alabama School of Law Microsoft Corporation Fellow | Elissa Johnson Loyola University Chicago School of Law Crowell & Moring, LLP Scholar Pursuing Joint Degree (J.D./Masters in Social Work); expected graduation December 2010 |
| Dalisai Nisperos University of Pennsylvania Law School Microsoft Corporation Fellow Clerkship, Judge Lisa M. Rau, Common Pleas Court (Philadelphia, PA) | Leslie Lang Harvard Law School King & Spalding LLP Scholar Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (New York, NY) |
| Estephanie Resnik University of Florida Levin College of Law The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Fellow | Brandon Loggins University of Illinois College of Law Wheeler Trigg Kennedy LLP Scholar Thompson Coburn LLP (Chicago, IL) |
| Jonathan Steele University of California, Berkeley School of Law Microsoft Corporation Fellow Clerkship, Judge Alok Ahuja, Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District (Kansas City, MO) | Natalie Sanders Harvard Law School Robert Half Legal Scholar Latham & Watkins LLP (Washington, DC) |
| David Zhou Yale Law School Vault, Inc. Fellow Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (New York, NY) | Alexander White Georgetown University Law Center Baker & McKenzie Scholar Clerkship, Judge Eric T. Washington, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals (Washington, DC) |
| Permanent employment | Shannon Wilson New York University School of Law King & Spalding LLP Scholar |
From the May/June 2010 issue of Diversity & The Bar®