MCCA® is pleased to announce its inaugural class of fellows and scholars under the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program. The program was founded to prime the diversity pipeline by helping law students meet their financial needs, in addition to exposing them to a group of leaders who can help mentor and successfully guide their early entry into the profession. MCCA's goal is to help produce a diverse group of young lawyers who are prepared to lead and reshape the legal profession.
Through the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program, MCCA has committed $380,000 to its inaugural class of 18 students, which represents the largest single financial commitment ever made by a legal association in support of diversity scholarships. Ten corporate fellows will receive $10,000 per year for each of their three years of law school, and eight students will receive a scholarship award of $10,000. All will receive our ongoing professional development support, including an invitation for a paid internship in a leading corporate law department.
These law students, and the organizations that are sponsoring them, embody the diverse perspectives and experiences that MCCA advocates in the legal profession. Join us in congratulating these award recipients. We also sincerely thank the organizations noted below for sponsoring these law students.
Abbott Laboratories/Boeing Fellow
Student: Brenda Pacouloute
Law School: Washington University School of Law (St. Louis)
Undergraduate School: Spelman College
Undergraduate GPA: 3.52
Adorno & Yoss LLP Scholar
Student: Andrea Arias
Law School: Emory University School of Law
Undergraduate School: University of Pennsylvania
Undergraduate GPA: 3.81
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Fellow
Student: Patricia Astorga
Law School: Cornell Law School
Undergraduate School: New York University
Undergraduate GPA: 3.88
Baker & McKenzie Scholar
Student: Bendita Malakia
Law School: Harvard University Law School
Undergraduate School: Columbia University
Undergraduate GPA: 3.89
Collier Shannon & Scott, PLLC Scholar
Student: Ebony E. Smith
Law School: Georgetown University Law Center
Undergraduate School: Howard University
Undergraduate GPA: 4.0
DOAR Litigation Support & Trial Services Fellow
Student: Samuel Roe
Law School: New York University School of Law
Undergraduate School: Seton Hall University
Undergraduate GPA: 3.80
DuPont Company Fellow
Student: Tarik Gause
Law School: Georgetown University Law Center
Undergraduate School: Howard University
Undergraduate GPA: 3.82
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Scholar
Student: Martha Casillas
Law School: University of California Los Angeles Law School
Undergraduate School: Harvard University
Undergraduate GPA: 3.55
King & Spalding LLP Scholar
Student: Nathan Perez
Law School: Harvard University Law School
Undergraduate School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Undergraduate GPA: 3.78
Meritas Scholar
Student: Theodore Bynum, III
Law School: Washington University School of Law (St. Louis)
Undergraduate School: Washington University (St. Louis)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.88
Microsoft Corporation Fellow
Student: Heidy Abreu
Law School: Cornell Law School
Undergraduate School: Dartmouth College
Undergraduate GPA: 3.68
Microsoft Corporation Fellow
Student: Joseph Steve Franco
Law School: University of California-Hastings College of Law
Undergraduate School: University of California-Berkeley
Undergraduate GPA: 3.68
Microsoft Corporation Fellow
Student: Maria Jones
Law School: University of California-Hastings College of Law
Undergraduate School: Pacific Lutheran University
Undergraduate GPA: 3.57
Pfizer Inc. Fellow
Student: Emily Liu
Law School: University of Buffalo Law School
Undergraduate School: Ithaca College
Undergraduate GPA: 3.97
Principal Financial Group Scholar
Student: Timothy Reed
Law School: University of California Los Angeles Law School
Undergraduate School: University of San Francisco
Undergraduate GPA: 3.81
Sara Lee Company Fellow
Student: Gerron McKnight
Law School: Indiana University of School of Law
Undergraduate School: University of Kentucky
Undergraduate GPA: 3.83
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Fellow
Student: Chastity Bedonie
Law School: University of California Los Angeles Law School
Undergraduate School: Arizona State University
Undergraduate GPA: 3.80
Wheeler, Trigg & Kennedy LLP Scholar
Student: Rosario Daza
Law School: University of Washington School of Law
Undergraduate School: Stephen F. Austin State University
Undergraduate GPA: 3.82
From the January/February 2006 issue of Diversity & The Bar®