Patrick Malone & Associates announces 2022 winners of the firm’s Representing Real People law school scholarships
Washington, D.C.: The law firm of Patrick Malone & Associates is giving $22,000 in law school scholarships in 2022 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 twelve of $1,000.
This is the seventh year of the firm’s scholarship program.
“We received many, many deserving applications, and we were so moved by the stories of personal sacrifice and dedication of our applicants,” Patrick Malone said.
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 2022, with names, hometowns, law schools, and some biographical details (mostly in the recipients’ words):
$5,000 scholarships:
Marygrace E. Piskorowski of Batavia NY; SUNY at Buffalo School of Law – Marygrace is a maternal-newborn registered nurse who aspires to practice immigration law. She has been inspired to begin a new career path after volunteering with individuals seeking asylum in the United States and Canada. Upon graduation, Marygrace hopes to work with individuals recently released from immigration detention seeking to build new lives in the United States. She also plans to use her nursing expertise to influence healthcare policy in the United States by increasing access to quality healthcare among vulnerable populations.
Meredith Sullivan of Yarmouth, MA; University of California Berkeley School of Law – Meredith Sullivan graduated from the Dual BA Program between Columbia University and SciencesPo and later earned her MPhil from the University of Cambridge. Back in her home state of Massachusetts, she has worked as a housing paralegal at Northeast Legal Aid, assisting tenants in eviction cases and working alongside local tenants organizing groups. At Berkeley Law, Meredith hopes to continue to protect fundamental human rights, like housing, and gain further experience with direct client services and public interest law.
$1,000 scholarships:
Chandler Cole of Springfield VA; Duke University School of Law – Chandler graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. After five years as an Army Engineer officer, she is pursuing law in hopes of advocating for other veterans and their families.
Katelyn Deibler of Lancaster PA; American University Washington College of Law – Katelyn completed her undergraduate at American University. She hopes to practice employment law and help victims of discrimination, retaliation, and harassment in the workplace.
Alyson Diaz of Miami FL; University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School – Alyson Diaz graduated from Duke University in 2021 with a major in Public Policy and History. In her year before law school, she worked as a case manager for a nonprofit organization that supports sex trafficking survivors’ journey towards restoration. She hopes to use her legal education to meet the critical legal needs of sex trafficking survivors in her hometown of Miami, Florida.
Najma Ahmed Mohamed of San Antonio TX; University of the District of Columbia David Clarke School of Law –Najma Mohamed was born in Somalia and came to San Antonio, Texas, where she lived for undergraduate studies at San Antonio College majoring in Criminal Justice and at the University of Texas at San Antonio majoring in psychology with a minor in sociology. She says: “My ultimate career plan is be an advocate for my fellow immigrants by giving them a voice on how to navigate the immigration system.”
Sarah O’Farrell of Fresno CA: University of California Berkeley School of Law
– Ms. O’Farrell is an aspiring environmental justice attorney. After graduating from the University of California Berkeley, Ms. O’Farrell served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panamá. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was brought back to the U.S. where she worked as a paralegal for two years focusing on representing whistleblowers and fighting on behalf of those who have been harmed by the fault of others.
Katherine Poore of Tuscaloosa AL; University of Virginia School of Law – Katherine Poore graduated with High Distinction from the University of Virginia in 2019. Then she taught English in France and worked in book publishing. After graduation, Katherine plans to work in the public interest sector providing quality legal representation to marginalized individuals whose access to such representation is often limited.
Daniel Pope of Chicago IL; Marquette University School of Law – Daniel Pope has been a chef for twenty years and is transitioning to a career in law to advocate for the immigrant communities whose needs his experience in kitchens has laid bare. He is a summa cum laude graduate of political science of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
Janis Palma of San Antonio TX: Washington University (St. Louis) School of Law – Janis Palma is a non-traditional student who, at 67, is seeking a law degree in order to pursue and promote research in language access for Limited English Proficient (LEP) litigants, defendants, and other parties at interest, such as parents of minors and juveniles. She comes from a professional background as an interpreter and translator for the federal courts, with a Master’s in history and literature.
Eva Romero-Sutherland of Cypress TX; University of California Los Angeles School of Law – Eva is a native Texan and mother of two. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she worked as a public-school educator for nearly a decade. At UCLA Law, she is a member of the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law & Policy. She plans to use her legal education to continue her career in service to others.
Margaret Sheely of Minnetonka MN; University of St. Thomas Law School – Margret Sheely wants to help families with children with disabilities. She was inspired by serving as a personal caregiver. She says: “My law education will give me the tools to communicate the law in a way that empowers those within my community and creates a more equitable space for those with disabilities.”
Lucas Thornton of Teachey NC; University of North Carolina School of Law – Lucas Thornton graduated with Highest Distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022. After law school, he intends to become a criminal defense attorney while also writing novels in his spare time.
Grace Wenstrom of Galesburg IL; University of Virginia School of Law – Grace Wenstrom graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism & mass communication and a certificate in human rights. Over the past three years, she has worked with legal aid and child advocacy organizations in her hometown, and, most recently, completed an internship with the Immigrant & Employee Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Grace plans to practice within the public interest realm and advocate for those facing intersectional barriers to justice.
