MCCA Announces Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Winners

MCCA Announces Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Winners

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. (MCCA) has announced its 2012 class of Fellows and Scholars under the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program.

The goal of the scholarship program is to promote academic excellence and diversity in law schools by awarding scholarships to law students from disadvantaged backgrounds to help defray their educational expenses.

The scholarship program is open to individuals that will be enrolled full-time in a three-year J.D. program. Once the scholarships are awarded, the program requires each recipient to maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0 or its equivalent each year. Fellows are awarded $10,000 during each of their three years of law school, while Scholars receive a one-time award of $10,000. All Fellows and Scholars also receive ongoing professional development support and mentoring. The program is supported by companies and law firms that help sponsor awards.

The following Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Winners are set to graduate in 2012:

Fellows

• Alemayehu Ayanaw, Microsoft Corporation Fellow: Mr. Ayanaw, a graduate of the University of Missouri, is attending Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.
• Nila Bala, Microsoft Corporation Fellow: Ms. Bala graduated from Stanford University and is attending Yale Law School.
• Edwin Lindo, Microsoft Corporation Fellow: Mr. Lindo graduated from the University of the Pacific and now attends the University of Washington School of Law.
• Alejandro Callirgos, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Fellow: Mr. Callirgos graduated from the University of Miami and attends the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law.
• Demi Williams, McGuireWoods LLP Fellow: Ms. Williams is a Pepperdine University graduate and is now studying at the University of California’s Berkeley School of Law.

Scholars

• Jennifer Castillo, Arnold & Porter LLP Scholar: Ms. Castillo is a graduate of Boston College and is enrolled at Boston College Law School.
• Kendri Cesar, Crowell & Moring LLP Scholar: Ms. Cesar graduated from Dartmouth College and is attending Harvard Law School.
• Peter Chin, John Deere Company Scholar: Mr. Chin is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and is attending the University of Maryland School of Law.
• Bejide Davis, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Scholar: Ms. Davis is a graduate of Spelman College and is enrolled at Emory University School of Law.
• Elio Gonzalez, Nixon Peabody LLP Scholar: Mr. Gonzalez is a graduate of Texas A&M University and attends UCLA Law School.
• Kelvan Howard, Baker & McKenzie LLP Scholar: Mr. Howard is a graduate of the University of Florida and holds a Ph.D. from the University of California Berkeley. He attends the University of California’s Berkeley School of Law.
• William Moon, Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP Scholar: Mr. Moon graduated from the University of Michigan and is now enrolled at Yale Law School.
• William Perry, Robert Half Legal Scholar: Mr. Perry is a graduate of the University of Florida and is attending New York University School of Law.
• Diane Rish, Day Pitney LLP Scholar: Ms. Rish is a Tufts University graduate and is enrolled in the University of Virginia School of Law.
• Freddie Stokes, Kilpatrick Stockton LLP Scholar: Mr. Stokes is a graduate of Alabama A&M University and now attends the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
• Karla Turner, King & Spalding LLP Scholar: Ms. Turner is a graduate of Fisk University and is now a student at Vanderbilt University Law School.
• Timothy Wong, Groom Law Group, Chartered Scholar: Mr. Wong graduated from the University of Washington and is attending Northwestern University School of Law.

“MCCA is pleased to welcome another distinguished class of Fellows and Scholars to its scholarship program,” said Lori L. Garrett, MCCA’s Managing Director, Southeast Region. “These students represent the future of the legal profession, one that is stronger through greater diversity. This is the goal shared by MCCA and the companies and law firms that sponsor the awards.”

The Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program was developed in 2005 by MCCA and its supporters: corporate legal departments, law firms and legal services providers. The Scholarship Program was named for Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr., a visionary leader in the legal profession and founder of MCCA.

The Minority Corporate Counsel Association advocates for the expanded hiring, promotion, and retention of minority attorneys in corporate legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA furthers its mission by publishing research on achieving diversity and best practices in the legal profession, honoring innovative diversity programs with its Employer of Choice and Thomas L. Sager awards, and assisting diverse law students through the MCCA’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Gay and Lesbian Law Association, and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Founded in 1997, MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and also has a Southeast regional office in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, go to mcca.com.