Sheppard Mullin Supports Scholarship Program

San Francisco — April 26, 2011 — The California Bar Foundation today announced the awarding of scholarships to 15 aspiring public interest lawyers from California law schools to assist with the costs associated with taking the California Bar Exam. This year's recipients of the Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarship have worked in labor unions, led health education programs at San Quentin State Prison, supported microfinance programs in rural Mexico, and volunteered at a wide range of legal services organizations. One of the top awards is named after the program's lead sponsor, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, which has made a multi-year commitment to the program.

"With a long tradition of giving back to the community, our firm is proud to support the California Bar Foundation's Bar Exam Scholarship," said Guy Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin. "The Foundation's Scholarship Program provides much needed financial assistance and public recognition to recent law school graduates who are dedicated to serving their communities as legal aid attorneys, public defenders, and advocates the underrepresented. Our support for this program is a meaningful investment in the next generation of public interest attorneys and in the Foundation's efforts to ensure access to quality legal services for all Californians."

The Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarship is one of the few scholarship programs in the country that provides bar exam-related support for public interest lawyers-to-be, who typically graduate from law school with more than $100,000 in student loan debt. Unlike classmates who have private employers subsidizing the cost of studying for and taking the exam, these students often take on additional debt or paid employment, which can interfere with their study time, to finance their Bar exam preparation. The Foundation is giving California BARBRI Bar Review Courses valued at more than $3,500 each to all 15 scholarship recipients. The top five recipients also receive $2,000 cash awards.

"Investing in the next generation of public interest lawyers is a cornerstone to building a better justice system. Through our Bar Exam Scholarship, we help aspiring public interest lawyers overcome one of the final hurdles in becoming practicing attorneys – successfully passing the bar exam," said Douglas A. Winthrop, managing director and chair of Howard Rice and president of the Foundation. "With their commitment to the community, passion for public interest work, and impressive academic and work achievement, this year's Bar Exam Scholarship recipients are inspiring and give us great hope for the future of the legal profession."

Nominated by their law schools, the 15 Bar Exam Scholarship recipients have demonstrated a commitment to public service, including hundreds of volunteer hours at legal clinics and other nonprofit organizations and past employment in a variety of community service settings, impressive academic records, and an average educational loan debt of more than $130,000. Recipients' plans after graduation include Equal Justice Works Fellowships, federal judicial clerkships, indigent criminal defense work, and positions at legal services organizations working on issues of immigrants' rights, domestic violence, and employment discrimination.

The Foundation launched the Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarship in 1997 in memory of Imelda Rosenthal, a Guatemalan immigrant, small businesswoman, and tireless community volunteer. Foundation Past President Herb Rosenthal and his wife, Margarita, continue to support the program with a generous annual contribution. In addition, for the past six years, BARBRI Bar Review has provided the Foundation with discounted bar review courses for the top winners. Since 1997, the Foundation has awarded more than $260,000 in cash awards and bar review courses to nearly 250 graduates of California law schools.

The complete list of 2011 Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarship winners, by law school, is as follows:

Golden Gate University School of Law
Nicole Edwards-Masuda


Loyola Law School
Veronica Brin Yuspraikh Aragon


Santa Clara University School of Law
Brandon Fields


Stanford Law School
Michael Caesar
Joelle Emerson
Maureen Keffer
Alexandra Lampert


University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
Lily Harvey
Tia Katrina Taruc Canlas


University of California, Hastings College of the Law
Amanda Jancu


University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law
Kenia Acevedo
Alicia Virani — Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton Scholar

University of San Francisco School of Law
Dana Marie Isaac


University of Southern California Gould School of Law
Maisha D. Jamerson
Matthew C. Watts

About the California Bar Foundation
The California Bar Foundation is committed to building a better justice system for all Californians. We champion full and equal access to the justice system, invest in the next generation of California's lawyers, educate Californians about their rights and responsibilities under the law, and promote philanthropy throughout the legal community. Founded in 1990, the Foundation annually awards grants to California organizations conducting innovative law-related projects and scholarships to outstanding California law school students. For more information, please visit our website at www.calbarfoundation.org.

Media Contact:
Leslie Hatamiya
Executive Director
(415) 856-0780 ext. 303
lhatamiya@calbarfoundation.org