Patrick Malone & Associates announces 2021 winners of the firm’s Representing Real People law school scholarships
Washington, D.C.: The law firm of Patrick Malone & Associates is giving $21,000 in law school scholarships in 2021 in its “Representing Real People” program to encourage students to devote their lawyer careers to representing underserved individuals.
There are two winners of $5,000 scholarships and eleven of $1,000. The firm also is listing finalists who are not receiving a money grant but deserve recognition for their achievements and dedication.
This is the sixth year of the firm’s scholarship program.
“Once again we were overwhelmed with the many deserving applications we received,” Patrick Malone said. “We are so moved by the many stories of personal sacrifice and dedication of our applicants. When we set up this program, we planned to give only the two $5,000 scholarships, but we quickly saw the need to do more.”
The “Representing Real People” scholarships are intended for students committed to a career representing individuals, especially those of limited means. Suitable fields of law include immigration, tenant rights, employment (for individual employees and unions), family matters, disability rights, estates and trusts, criminal defense for indigents, and public interest law focusing on individual rights.
Here is the list of winners for 2021, with names, hometowns, law schools and some biographical details (mostly in the recipients’ words):
$5,000 scholarships:
Emily Grose of Menlo Park, CA; Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C. – Emily Grose graduated from University of California, Berkeley. For the past three years, she worked as a paralegal for the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia in its Family/Domestic Violence and Immigration Units. She is passionate about providing direct legal services to marginalized communities and plans to use her law degree to serve individuals who are not able to afford legal counsel.
Update 2022: Emily postponed her law school entry to 2022 and now will attend Stanford Law.
Kimberly Guffy of Russellville, KY; Nashville (TN) School of Law- Kim Guffy is a magna cum laude graduate of Trevecca Nazarene University, and just began her final year of studies at Nashville School of Law. Always interested in the law, Kim was motivated to pursue a J.D. after an encounter with Kentucky’s child welfare system in which she had to fight to keep her grandchildren from foster care. After graduation, Kim plans to practice in the fields of family and criminal law.
$1,000 scholarships:
Margarette Bergmann of the Bronx, NY; UCLA School of Law – Maggie Bergmann is an aspiring public defender. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, she worked at a public defender’s office in her native NYC. At UCLA Law, she is a member of the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law & Policy as well as the Critical Race Studies specialization.
Taylor Bushelle of Plummer, MN; Univ. of South Dakota Knudson School of Law- Ms. Bushelle grew up in rural Minnesota and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Agronomy. Taylor intends on practicing in a rural area where she plans to work towards increasing legal resources for rural Americans.
Victoria Chan of San Francisco CA; Golden Gate Univ. School of Law, San Francisco Raised in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Victoria Chan is an advocate for workers’ and immigrants’ rights. Using her bilingual language skills, cultural competency, and heart for the community, she plans to provide direct legal services and continue to empower and organize low-wage and immigrant communities as a public interest attorney.
Peter Colvin of Medial Lake, WA; Boston College School of Law – Peter Colvin is focused on advancing entrepreneurship opportunities for U.S. indigenous peoples. Peter was the only person of native ancestry graduating in 2021 from Princeton University, where he was awarded a degree in Chemical & Biological Engineering with certificates in The History and Practice of Diplomacy, and Engineering Management & Systems. He hopes to use his skills to assist local innovators.
Elizabeth Dayhuff of Huntington TN; Belmont University College of Law- Elizabeth Dayhuff graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee in 2020. She served the urban youth population in Knoxville, TN, as an AmeriCorps member. After she graduates from Belmont, she plans to advocate for and represent youth impacted by having a parent incarcerated in Tennessee.
Susan Fleurant of Chugiak AK; Univ. of Michigan Law School – Susan Fleurant is pursuing a J.D. and M.P.H. in Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan. During law school she has worked at the Minnesota Disability Law Center, Legal Services of South Central Michigan, AARP Foundation, and the Network for Public Health Law. Susan plans to practice disability rights law.
Jackelyn Gitlin of Damascus MD; Univ. of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law – Ms. Gitlin is a native Marylander who grew up in Montgomery County and went to school on the Eastern Shore. Before attending law school, she taught high school history and economics in Maryland, DC, and Virginia for the past seven years.
Darya Kaboli-Nejad of San Francisco CA; Univ. of San Francisco School of Law — Ms. Kaboli-Nejad is the daughter of two Iranian immigrants who was raised in Omaha, Nebraska. Prior to pursuing her passion in law, she was a Division I softball student-athlete at the University of Oregon. She plans to pursue a career in politics and run for public office at the State and Federal level.
Joanne St. John of Columbia MD; George Mason Univ. Scalia Law School, Virginia – Joanne St. John is formerly the Director of Program Development for the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence and has been serving victims of domestic violence for the last decade. She plans to use her legal education to continue her career in service to others.
Karlie Vida of Clare MI; Boston College School of Law – Karlie Vida received her degree in art history from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, then spent six years teaching English in South Korea and leading a volunteer group to help those rescued from human trafficking. After graduating from law school, she plans to help marginalized individuals successfully navigate the U.S. legal system.
Katherine Withers of Richmond VA: Chicago-Kent College of Law –Prior to law school, Ms. Withers received her master’s degree in environmental geography from King’s College London and worked in environmental conservation. She is looking forward to working in the intersection of science and law to address environmental issues through the lens of social justice.
Finalists:
- Jennifer Barretto of San Jose CA; UCLA Law School
- Ibrahim Bharmal of Cambridge, MA: Harvard Law School
- Emma Bissonnette of Boerne TX; Baylor Law School
- Katia Bouza of Houston TX; Univ. of North Texas, Dallas
- Juliana Chang of Oakland CA; Harvard Law School
- Adel Clemonds of Brooklyn NY; Boston College School of Law
- Katherine Collins of Stone Mountain GA; (undecided law school)
- Katia Cortes of East Dundee IL; Loyola Univ. Chicago School of Law
- Katelyn Deibler of Lancaster PA; American Univ. Washington College of Law
- Liam Hoover of Orchard Park NY; Harvard Law School
- Dominique James of Chicago IL; Yale Law School
- Rebeca Kinslow of Chico CA; Santa Clara (CA) University
- Rachel Lewis of Fresno CA; UOP McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento CA
- Lauryn Morris of Upper Marlboro MD; Emory Univ. (GA) School of Law
- Brenda Nguonly of Centreville VA; Univ. of New Hampshire Pierce School of Law
- Stephanie Turrentine of Harvest AL; Univ. of Virginia School of Law
