Scholarship, Fellowship Recipients Appreciate Donors' Generosity

Scholarships and fellowships-often named after UM Law Alumni, beloved faculty members, or law firms-play an essential role in helping finance the education of many talented UM Law students.

Along with Law School-sponsored scholarships (such as the Soia Mentschikoff, Harvey T. Reid, and Miami Scholars programs), student loans, and part-time employment (a maximum of 20 hours per week for upper-division full-time students), named donor scholarships and fellowships make attending UM Law possible for many who might otherwise need to look elsewhere.

Like the Law School scholarships mentioned above, donor scholarships and fellowships are awarded on the basis of merit, although other factors (such as need, race, ethnicity, or interest in specific fields of law) may also be taken into consideration.

With annual tuition and fees at nearly $26,000, about 97 percent of UM Law students receive some kind of financial assistance. Approximately 40 percent of students receive aid from scholarships or fellowships.

Donor scholarship and fellowship recipients who appear in the photograph on this page were asked how their awards affect their legal education. The following are some of their responses:

"This scholarship has lifted a heavy burden from my shoulders. As I look into the future, I feel very lucky and extremely grateful to have this money, especially because I don't feel anymore like I have to pick a job based on how much money I will make in order to pay off my school loans."

Celina E. Contreras, 3-L
Thomas E. & Dorothy Bartshe McDougall Scholarship

"My fellowship through the Center for Ethics and Public Service has provided me with an amazing opportunity to supplement my legal training. I have had exposure to some of the cutting edge issues that face the legal profession and been introduced to many of the local leaders in the law."

Stephen Hauptman, 3-L
Center for Ethics and Public Service Fellowship

"The Kozyak, Tropin and Throckmorton Scholarship is a generous donation that supports minority law students with an interest in trial advocacy. But far more valuable than the scholarship itself is the friendship that I am developing with members of the law firm. In future years, I am sure I will still be in touch with my mentors John Kozyak and Cheryl Glickler. As the KTT scholarship recipient, I look forward to giving back the money to the community and setting an example for others."

Nathalie Cadet
Kozyak, Tropin & Throckmorton Scholarship

"The Hausler Scholarship has been one of the great honors of my academic career. I intend to practice transactional law in the public interest sector, and this scholarship has helped make that goal attainable. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity."

Marianne Scarborough, 2-L
Richard A. Hausler Scholarship

"The scholarship bridged the gap for me, giving me an opportunity to study full time and to immerse myself in UM Law's exciting academic community."

Jay C. Robbins, 3L
Gerard Ehrich Scholarship

"The enormous generosity of the King scholarship has provided me the freedom to choose the type of law I want to practice. I am not forced to balance my commitment to public interest law with the need to survive financially. It has motivated me to do my best work and not take this opportunity for granted."

Allyson R. Dulac, 1-L
Ann Wrenn-King Memorial Scholarship

"The scholarship certainly determined my decision to come to the LLM program in comparative law at UM, which I am finding an extraordinary and enriching experience-not only for the outstanding level of the faculty, but also for the talented students with whom I am having the opportunity to interact."

Luis La Torre (Peru)
Claude M. Olds Memorial Scholarship Fund

"Since I am paying for my entire education by myself and have no income (as I entered law school right out of undergrad), the scholarship has allowed me to take out one less student loan. It has eased my financial burden and is greatly appreciated beyond what words could describe."

Alyson Dion, 1-L
Priscilla Jewett Schneller Scholarship

"My scholarship has allowed me to pursue my passion for serving the public. After graduation, I hope to become a prosecutor. Instead of worrying about loans, I will be able to enjoy practicing law and maybe even make a difference, the very reason I came to law school in the first place."

Fara Gold, 2-L
Priscilla Jewett Schneller Scholarship

"The scholarship I received has enabled me to change professions in the middle of my life. My obligations to my family made me reluctant to take on the debt to pay for law school. After all, I would have had a lot less time to pay it off than my younger colleagues. The Reid Scholarship, however, gave me the opportunity to study law without the anxiety of loans and repayment, and I am deeply grateful."

George Franklin, 3-L
Harvey T. Reid Scholarship

"The Bradley Scholarship has aided me tremendously in closing the gap in financing my legal education. I am the first in my family to attend college and the first to continue further with my education. I would like to thank all the donors and alumni who have made these scholarships possible through their contributions. They allow each of us to focus on our education and reach our full potential."

Roma Perez, L-2
Dan Bradley Memorial Scholarship