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A Gateway to Success

Generous gifts from alumni and friends open doors of opportunity for GW Law scholars


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By Jaime Ciavarra and Jamie L. Freedman

Paying for a top-quality legal education—never an easy feat—has become increasingly daunting in recent months, as the worldwide economic crisis hits deep at the pockets of prospective law students and their families. The George Washington University Law School is meeting the challenge head-on, thanks to the generosity of a devoted group of GW Law alumni and friends who have established scholarship funds and endowments for deserving students.

“Few gifts directly affect students like scholarships,” says Rich Collins, executive director of law school development. According to Collins, individuals, firms, and classes are creating a growing number of funds to enable talented young men and women to attend GW Law, regardless of their ability to meet the high cost of tuition. “The opportunity presented by scholarship gifts is particularly important today, as students face a difficult job market and significant debt,” he says.

Class scholarship funds are growing at an unprecedented rate, Collins adds. “Recent classes, including the classes of 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, have set a new standard by focusing their gifts on class scholarship funds,” he says. “Their collective efforts have inspired other classes to direct reunion gifts for scholarships—including the classes of 1973 and 1978.”

Endowments are another popular form of giving because they ensure support in perpetuity. “The principal of the gift is invested, and the annual income is used for the designated purpose,” Collins explains. “For many donors, establishment of an endowed scholarship or fellowship is a way to give something back and provide future generations with the same opportunities they have enjoyed.”

On the pages that follow, we recognize the donors of GW Law’s scholarship funds, along with the talented, passionate students who are benefiting from them.


Jonathan D. Janow, JD ’08

Recipient of the Thomas Searing Jackson Scholarship


Jessica McConnell

An inherent problem solver, Jonathan Janow knew a career in law would complement his analytical side. “The law provides me with a vehicle to try and solve a wide array of problems by reasoning through them and determining what steps might be successful,” he says.

Janow, who received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the University of Maryland in 2002, assumed much of the responsibility for financing his GW Law education. Receiving the Thomas Searing Jackson Scholarship, Janow says, was a distinct privilege. “I remain grateful,” he adds. “The scholarship has helped to ease the financial burdens associated with getting a law degree at a top school like GW.”

In his first year out of GW Law, Janow currently serves as a law clerk to Hon. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Next fall, he will serve as a law clerk to Hon. Judge Julia Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

Janow, who graduated with highest honors and as a member of Order of the Coif, says it was a challenge to quickly turn from the theoretical nature of law school to the busy docket he encounters each day, but he maintains that GW Law has helped shape him as a professional. The support from his alma mater continues after graduation, he adds. “As I hope to practice in Washington, I feel as though I am surrounded by GW Law friends and associates here in D.C. and that this will provide an invaluable network going forward.”


Bill Chemnick, JD ’08

Recipient of the Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation Clinical Scholarship


Jessica McConnell

Before law school, Bill Chemnick spent two years with Teach for America in a low-performing South Bronx middle school. Through mediation workshops and mentoring, Chemnick helped teach his students that they were worthy of respect and could resolve conflicts nonviolently. “From my experience, I realized that I could improve a community,” he says, “by showing individuals how to constructively advocate for change.”

Chemnick carried that ambition with him to GW Law, where he was awarded the 2007-08 Lehrman Foundation Clinical Scholarship and worked as the student director for the Law School’s Civil and Family Litigation Clinic. At the clinic, where law students serve economically disadvantaged clients, Chemnick says he discovered the most important lessons of his legal education. “I learned that a successful public interest attorney must not only possess strong legal reasoning skills but also the ability to form a close, personal relationship with his or her clients, the sensitivity to understand and properly respond to a client’s personal challenges or special needs, and the tenacity to work within a legal system that often disfavors underprivileged clients,” he says.

Chemnick, who received his undergraduate degree from Colorado College, also joined the International Human Rights Clinic as a GW Law student and volunteered at a juvenile detention center in Alexandria, Va., where he taught incarcerated youth about their constitutional rights. Today he works as a first-year litigation associate pending admission at Schulte Roth & Zabel in New York.


Kristalyn Joy Loson, JD ’09

Recipient of the Glen A. Wilkinson Scholarship


Jessica McConnell

After completing her business degree at the University of Miami, Kristalyn Loson worked at a United Way helpline and witnessed the desperate need for legal assistance, especially among those in low-income communities. “I realized how lucky I was to be given the opportunity to attend law school,” she says.

Inspired by her post-college experience, 3L Loson has chosen to pursue the specialized area of nonprofit law, which she hopes to use in a career counseling the United Way or other organizations. Loson, who is a member of the Public Contract Law Journal and the Equal Justice Foundation, says receiving the Glen A. Wilkinson Scholarship has helped her focus more intently on her future career path. In particular, the generous award has allowed her to seek out opportunities such as judicial internships, instead of having to search for part-time jobs to pay the bills. She says the experience has been unparalleled.

“When I originally chose GW, I realized that I was attending a big, nationally ranked school over smaller, more intimate environments,” she says. “However, I have been surprised to really feel part of a close-knit community. The award has made me feel more connected to GW and the alumni community.”

Loson, who is also a Thurgood Marshall Scholar and coordinates all internal and external mock trial competitions as president of the Mock Trial Board, says she is inspired to make a difference.

“I am so appreciative of the award and hope someday to return the favor to another student,” Loson says. A legal education, she adds, leads to “a rewarding career and a chance to gain skills that could be used for the betterment of the community.”


Joseph R. Oliveri, JD ’08

Recipient of the Raymond F. Hossfeld Scholarship


Jessica McConnell

As a Writing Fellow and Dean’s Fellow for GW Law’s Legal Research and Writing Program, Joseph Oliveri says he learned valuable lessons from everyday experiences. He worked with skilled faculty members, mentored fellow students, and co-taught first-year advocacy courses and classes on legal research and writing. These strong academic relationships, he says, helped shape his schooling. “It is often said that an institution’s people are its greatest resource, and this is certainly true of GW Law,” Oliveri explains.

Oliveri, who graduated with highest honors and as a member of Order of the Coif, used his writing know-how as managing editor of The George Washington Law Review, where his essay “Converse-Erie, The Key to Federalism in an Increasingly Administrative State” was published in 2008. An alumnus of Harvard, Oliveri was also involved at GW Law on the Moot Court Board and was vice president of external affairs and treasurer of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board.

In his legal studies, Oliveri says he has been fortunate to work closely with two judges. He interned with Hon. Richard J. Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and today he is clerking for Hon. Edward C. Prado of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. He says he is proud to learn from two brilliant jurists and mentors. He is also thankful, he says, for the legal education, generous scholarship, and unmatched opportunities for discovery at his Law School alma mater.

As a GW Law student, “I grew tremendously as both a legal thinker and writer,” Oliveri says. After his clerkship, Oliveri will join Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Scholarships

Harriet C. Beasley Scholarship

Established in 1995 through the bequest of Harriet C. Beasley to provide scholarships for law students.

William E. Booth Memorial Scholarship

Established in 2005 in memory of William E. Booth, JD ’79, by his colleagues at the Boston office of Fish and Richardson; to provide support for a student who holds an undergraduate degree in science or engineering, is pursuing intellectual property law, and is in the top 20 percent of his or her class. Preference is given to students who were elected to Tau Beta Pi as an undergraduate.

Roger N. Boyd Scholarship

Established in 2002 in memory of Roger N. Boyd—founding partner in the Washington firm of Crowell & Moring and visiting lecturer at GW Law—by friends, family, and business associates; to provide a scholarship stipend for the GW Law student who serves as the editor-in-chief of the Public Contract Law Journal.

Mildred Gott Bryan Scholarship

Established in 1964 by Mildred Gott Bryan, JD ’32, to provide scholarships for law students.

Samuel M. and Mary T. Burgess Scholarship

Established in 2003 by the estate of Samuel M. Burgess, LLB ’24, LLM ’25, and Mary T. Burgess to provide scholarships for law students.

Jacob Burns Merit Scholarship

Established in 1988 by Jacob Burns, LLB ’24, and The Jacob Burns Foundation to annually award substantial grants to first-year Juris Doctor candidates without regard to financial need in order to attract our nation’s most promising legal scholars.

Charlton M. Clark Law Scholarship

Established in 1989 by Elizabeth Clagett Clark through a planned gift in memory of her father, LLB 1898, LLM 1899, DCL 1900. The eventual proceeds will support students enrolled in the Law School who have demonstrated financial need.

Faye F. and Sheldon S. Cohen Scholarship

Established in 1992 by Hon. Sheldon S. Cohen, JD ’52, and Faye F. Cohen to support scholarships for full-time students. Preference given to students concentrating in tax or business law.

Manuel F. Cohen Memorial Scholarship

Established in 2005 by gifts of various donors in memory of Manuel F. Cohen to support scholarships awarded at the discretion of the dean.

Douglas E. Davidson Merit Scholarship

Established in 2004 by Douglas Davidson, JD ’71, to provide tuition assistance to allow the Law School to attract candidates of the highest caliber.

Dennis Dearing Scholarship

Established in 2000 in memory of Dennis Dearing, JD ’72, by his family and friends to provide scholarship support. Preference given to students focusing on intellectual property law.

Charles Worthington Dorsey Memorial Scholarship

Established in 1976 upon the death of Harryman Dorsey, LLB ’31, through his bequest in memory of Charles Worthington Dorsey to provide scholarships for law students.

Clifford A. Dougherty Law Alumni Scholarship

Established in 1994 in honor of Col. Clifford A. Dougherty, JD ’64, to support scholarships for students who are immediate family members of GW Law alumni. Dougherty served as director of alumni relations in the Law School after retiring from the U.S. Air Force.

Darrell L. Dreher Scholarship

Established in 2000 by Darrell Dreher, JD ’73, to provide assistance for evening law students with dependent children responsibilities.

Irene and Jared M. Drescher Scholarship

Established in 2000 by Irene and Jared M. Drescher, JD ’67, to support scholarships for Law School students with demonstrated financial need.

John Howard Earle Scholarship in Antitrust Law

Established in 2000 through the bequest of Elizabeth Rebecca Earle Heckmann in honor of her brother John Howard Earle, JD ’49, LLM ’50, for scholarships awarded at the discretion of the Law School.

Lori and Dan Efroymson Scholarship

Established in 1998 by Lori and Dan Efroymson, JD ’72, to support need-based scholarships at the Law School.

Marcus B. Finnegan Memorial Fellowship

Established in 1996 in memory of Marcus B. Finnegan, LLM ’57, to support an annual award to a graduate student in the field of intellectual property.

The James A. Gass Scholarship

Established in 2007 by James A. Gass, JD ’73, to support scholarships providing financial assistance to qualified degree candidates at GW Law. First preference will be given to students from developing countries.

Goldman-Shapiro Scholarship

Established in 2002 by Steven M. Goldman, JD ’76, and Robert P. Shapiro, JD ’67, to provide scholarship support for individuals pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at GW Law. First preference will be given to students who express a desire to pursue a legal career in the state of New Jersey.

Maxine Relle and Augustus S. Goodyear Scholarship

Established in 1995 through the bequest of Augustus S. Goodyear, LLM ’28, to support annual awards to one or more students in pursuit of their legal education.

Gary C. and Leslie B. Granoff Scholarship

Established in 1986 by Gary Granoff, JD ’73, and Leslie Granoff to support scholarships for GW students who have demonstrated financial need, including law students.

A.J. Harris II Scholarship

Established in 2001 by Arthur James Harris II, JD ’68, to provide tuition assistance to qualified students who have no other graduate degrees. First preference will be given to students from Michigan who have expressed interest in pursuing careers involving public service and/or legislative advocacy.

Patricia Roberts Harris Scholarship

Established in 1986 through the bequest of Patricia Roberts Harris, JD ’60, to provide scholarship support for an entering first-year student whose promise reflects the values of academic excellence and social betterment exemplified by Harris’ life and career. Harris was a GW Law professor and the first woman and the first African-American to hold three cabinet posts in a single administration.

George S. Hastings Intellectual Property Fund

Established in 1991 by Jane Hope Hastings in memory of her husband, George Hastings, JD ’27, to support scholarships, research, and related activities—including the purchase of books—in the field of patent and intellectual property law.

William N. Hedeman Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Established in 1996 by family, friends, colleagues, and clients of William Hedeman, JD ’68, LLM ’72, to provide annual support for an outstanding student with financial need and demonstrated commitment to protection of the environment or preservation of natural resources.

HoJo Scholarship in Animal Law

Established in 2007 by Julius Fleischman to provide a scholarship for a student with demonstrated interest in the field of animal law. The scholarship is named in memory of Fleischman’s beloved dog. Preference will be given to students who are U.S. citizens, full-time students, and are active in the Animal Welfare Program or in the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Raymond F. Hossfeld Dean’s Scholarship

Established in 2003 by Raymond F. Hossfeld, JD ’34, Foundation to support one Hossfeld scholar in each entering class, chosen on the basis of merit and need, who will continue into the second and third years.

Howrey & Simon Scholarship

Established in 1982 by the Howrey & Simon law firm to provide tuition support for law students with financial need.

Jim J.M. Hwang Scholarship

Established in 2007 by Jim J.M. Hwang, MCL ’77, to provide a scholarship for qualified Juris Doctor or post-Juris Doctor program candidates enrolled at GW Law.

Thomas Searing Jackson Scholarship

Established in 1989 by the law firm Jackson & Campbell in honor of Thomas Searing Jackson, JD ’35, to provide scholarships for students attending GW Law.

John S. Jenkins Scholarship

Established in 2003 by friends, family, and colleagues of Dean John S. Jenkins, JD ’61, to support scholarships for law students who have prior or current military service. Jenkins devoted 18 years of service to GW Law.

William P. Keith Law Student Scholarship

Established in 1997 by the estate of William P. Keith, JD ’33, and Louise C. Keith to provide scholarships for law students.

Law School Scholarship Fund

Established in 1989 through the bequest of Dorothy Dubois Walker Beach, the Terry Michael Duncan, JD ’92, Memorial Fund, and other gifts to provide scholarships for law students.

Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation Clinical Scholarship

Established in 1987 by the Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation to provide a partial scholarship for the third-year law student who serves as student director of the clinical program.

S.N. Ferris and Berniece Luboshez Memorial Fund

Established in 2000 through the bequest of Berniece Luboshez to support student scholarships and loans “for students who have had to overcome any social, political, economic, racial, physical, and/or other restraints during their lifetimes.”

Manatt-Phelps Scholarship

Established in 1988 by Hon. Charles T. Manatt, JD ’62, and Thomas D. Phelps, JD ’63, to support scholarships for students enrolled in the Law School.

Leah B. McCartney Scholarship

Established in 1984 by Leah B. McCartney, JD ’54, to provide financial assistance to students of law, regardless of background.

Robert Netherland Miller Scholarship

Established in 1985 by the Miller & Chevalier Charitable Foundation in memory of Robert N. Miller, founder of the Miller & Chevalier law firm, to provide scholarships for law students.

The Momsen, Leonardos Endowment

Established in 1964 by the law firm Momsen, Leonardos & Cia and the estate of Richard P. Momsen, LLB ’12, to support scholarships for Brazilian law students or law graduates to study U.S. law.

The Honorable Gerald J. Mossinghoff Fellowship for Graduate Research in Intellectual Property

Established in 1997 by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America to support awards to law students pursuing an LLM or SJD in intellectual property law, with preference given to students specializing in the pharmaceutical field.

Col. Charles M. and Elizabeth S. Munnecke Law School Scholarship

Established in 2000 through the bequest of Elizabeth Munnecke, in memory of her late husband, Charles M. Munnecke, LLM ’57, to fund Law School scholarships.

National Congress of American Indians/Charles A. Hobbs Scholarship for Indian Students

Established in 2000 by Charles A. Hobbs, JD ’57, to support scholarships. The first preference will be given to Native American students pursuing Juris Doctor degrees at GW Law.

The Bernard Nordlinger Scholarship Fund

Established in 2007 by Bernard Nordlinger, JD ’33, to provide need-based scholarships to matriculants in GW’s Juris Doctor program, with a preference for students who earned an undergraduate degree from GW or reside in the greater Washington, D.C., area.

Arthur C. Perry Endowed Scholarship

Established in 1999 through the bequest of Katherine Wicks Perry, in memory of her husband, Arthur C. Perry, LLM ’26, to provide scholarships. First preference will be given to native-born Americans enrolled in GW Law.

Phi Delta Delta Fraternity Scholarship

Established in 1957 by Phi Delta Delta Fraternity to provide scholarship support, preferably for a woman in the first-year class.

Marguerite Langdale Pizer Scholarship

Established in 2005 upon the death of Vernon Pizer in memory of his late wife, Marguerite Langdale Pizer, JD ’42, to fund Law School tuition. First preference will be given to a female student chosen on the basis of merit.

Elaine P. Rosenthal and Robert J. Rosenthal Fund

Established in 2005 by the Rosenthal estate to provide tuition support. First preference will be given to men or women 30 years old or older who are entering law school or returning to complete a JD or post-graduate degree program.

The Samantha Scholarship in Animal Law

Established in 2006 by Julius Fleischman in memory of his beloved dog to provide a scholarship for a full-time student with demonstrated interest in the field of animal law. Preference given to U.S. citizen students who are active in the Animal Welfare Program or in the Student Animal Legal Defense Funds.

John T. and Virginia H. Sapienza Scholarship

Planned gift established by John T. Sapienza in 1993 to provide scholarships for law students.

George H. and Mae L. Scatterday Scholarship

Established in 2000 by the estate of George H. Scatterday, JD ’36, to provide scholarships for law students.

Harold L. and Frances E. Schilz Scholarship

Established in 2001 by Harold, JD ’32, and Frances Schilz to support Law School evening students.

Walter L. Schwartz Scholarship

Established in 2001 by Priscilla Hodes Schwartz in memory of Walter L. Schwartz, JD ’68, to provide scholarships for students pursuing a Juris Doctor degree.

J. B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Public Service Fellowship

Established in 1995 by the J. B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Charitable Trust and University matching gifts to award stipends to third-year law students on the basis of academic merit and commitment to public service. Recipients are required to work approximately 20 hours each week serving non-profit service organizations in the Washington metropolitan area.

Randolph C. Shaw Graduate Fellowships in Administrative Law

Established in 1987 by the Randolph C. Shaw, LLM ’23, Trust to award graduate fellowships in administrative law.

Donald C. Snyder Scholarship

Established in 1987 through the bequest of Velsie H. Snyder in memory of her husband, Donald Snyder, LLB ’41, to support scholarships for students at the Law School.

James Douglas Welch Memorial Scholarship

Established in 1989 by the law firm Popham, Haik, Schnobrich & Kaufman Ltd. in memory of James Douglas Welch, to support scholarships for full-time or part-time students.

Frank S. Whitcomb Scholarship

Established in 1971 by the estate of Frank S. Whitcomb, LLB 1903, to provide scholarships, preferably for young men pursuing a legal education.

Glen A. Wilkinson Scholarship

Established in 1985 by the F. W. Symmes Foundation in memory of Glen A. Wilkinson, JD ’38, to provide scholarship grants to students pursuing a Juris Doctor degree. Wilkinson was former chairman of the GW Board of Trustees.

J. McDonald Williams and Judith K. Williams Scholarship

Established in 1987 by J. McDonald Williams, JD ’66, and Judith K. Williams to support scholarships for GW Law students and advance the University by enabling it to enroll promising students who may need financial assistance to attend.

Alice C. and James O. Wright Merit Scholarship

Established in 2002 by the Alice C. and James O. Wright, JD ’38, Foundation to provide financial assistance to the most qualified students enrolled in the Law School.