Farella Braun + Martel Awards 2016 Diversity Scholarships

SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, 2016 – Farella Braun + Martel LLP is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2016 Diversity Scholarships. Farella is awarding a total of $30,000 in scholarship grants to three Bay Area first-year law students. Dell Inc.’s Legal Department collaborated with Farella’s Diversity Scholarship Program Committee to award the scholarships and is providing the students with Dell tablets.

 

The scholarship program is open to 1L Bay Area law students of underrepresented groups whose background or personal experience would otherwise contribute to the diversity of the legal profession. Scholarship recipients are chosen based upon a combination of merit and financial need. To date, the firm has awarded $350,000 in scholarships to 69 local first-year law students.

 

This year’s scholarship recipients:

 

Mary Griffin attends the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where she is a staff editor of the Berkeley Business Journal, a member of the Law Students of African Descent and Women of Color Coalition and a volunteer with Juvenile Hall Outreach. She earned her B.A. in political science from UC Berkeley. Mary is pursuing a legal education to enable her to more effectively advocate for at-risk families in her community. She also plans to create a nonprofit to centralize community resources in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

 

Amy McKelvey attends the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where she is a clinic volunteer in Hastings Legal Advice and Referral Clinic. She earned a B.A., cum laude, from Chapman University Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Amy plans to use her law degree to become a public interest attorney and advocate for foster youth and teenage mothers. This summer she will intern with The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Paul Monge-Rodriguez attends the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. He is a member of the Coalition for Diversity, La Raza Law Students Association, Boalt Hall Queer Caucus and is a UC Berkeley Graduate Assembly law school delegate. He is a community advisory committee member for the San Francisco Public Education Enrichment Fund. He earned a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University and a B.A., summa cum laude, in sociology and global studies from UC Santa Barbara. Paul is dedicated to making local laws more responsive to the needs of San Francisco’s low income and immigrant communities and is pursuing a legal career to be an effective policy leader. This summer he will be a legal intern with Legal Services for Children in San Francisco.

 

“Congratulations to this year’s inspiring recipients, each of whom impressed our selection committee with their outstanding academic accomplishments and dedication to the community,” said Erica Villanueva, Farella insurance recovery partner and co-chair the firm’s Diversity + Inclusion Committee. “We were pleased to have members of Dell’s Legal Department take part in the program again this year. Our firms share a commitment to increasing diversity and supporting outstanding diverse students on their way to becoming lawyers.”

 

“Dell believes that diversity is fundamental to success. We are thrilled to participate in Farella Braun + Martel’s Diversity Scholarship Program for a third year. The law firm continues to impress us with their commitment to their community and we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute in whatever way we can,” said Laura Coleman, vice-president of litigation at Dell.

 

Farella Braun + Martel represents clients throughout the United States and abroad in sophisticated business transactions and complex commercial, civil and criminal litigation. Farella lawyers are known for their imaginative legal solutions, dynamism and intellectual creativity. With an unwavering service ethic and interdisciplinary team approach, the firm is committed to advancing clients' objectives in the most effective, coordinated and efficient manner. Founded in 1962, the firm is headquartered in San Francisco and maintains an office in the Napa Valley focused on the wine industry. www.fbm.com

 

 

Contact:

Cheryl Loof

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

415.954.4433 / [email protected]