For me, I just didn’t want to stop there.” LMJ recipients continue to blaze a trail in the higher
echelons of the corporate community, while commonly dem- onstrating a commitment to serve the routinely exploited or neglected segments of society. Melanie Jean-Noel, a member of the 2009 class, entered the fi eld during a calamitous year for corporate law fi rms, one marred by pervasive layoff s. But
I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN LAW SCHOOL HAD I NOT BEEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. I WANTED TO KEEP GROWING AND ADVANCING AND UNDERSTANDING THE FRAMEWORK OF OUR SOCIETY.— T.R. Bynum III
advantage of going to law school full-time, during the day, as opposed to night programs balanced by work. “To juggle a full-time job and study law is obviously very diffi cult. Grades may suff er,” says Jean-Noel. “I’m not 100 percent sure (what I’ll be doing three years from now) to be honest with you. I still see myself practicing law. One thing is for sure, I think I’m well-positioned to have access to a variety of positions. Another thing I’m sure of is the help that the LMJ scholarship gave me.”
From former recipients practicing law in the corporate world to students presently enrolled in law school, all LMJ scholarship benefi ciaries acknowledge the intrinsic value and advantage of the scholarship’s core objective: to promote the representation of socio-economic diversity in the corporate law world.
“Our clients represent an ethnic, cultural and religious mix. It’s better for their needs if the people serving them have an inherent understanding of their needs,” says LMJ 2010 graduate class member April Gu, a 28-year-old associ- ate in project fi nance at New York-based Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. “T e LMJ scholarship program goes a long way in encouraging students, who otherwise might be shut out, to explore these opportunities.”
need Gu and her fi rm work extensively with natural resource 36
due to her rich personal and professional experience and the fi nancially sound condition of the Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP fi rm, she became a litigation associate directly out of law school upon passing the New York Bar. She works in a variety of diff erent litigation sectors and has extensive experience in intellectual property issues. T e Atlanta native has also engaged in pro bono work
that exemplifi es both the fascinating and altruistic outreach of many LMJ recipients. In 2010, as the Haitian com- munity in the U.S. felt the impacts of the earthquake that ravaged their homeland, Jean-Noel jumped at the chance to help those in the New York City region. “T e U.S. government allowed the Haitian people who
were in the U.S. at the time of the earthquake to stay in the U.S. and seek protective status,” said 28-year-old Jean- Noel, part Haitian by heritage and a Creole speaker. “T e problem is that a lot of people who aren’t from the U.S., and don’t speak English, have diffi culty applying for protective status. … Obviously people who have been displaced might fi nd it intimidating and diffi cult to apply for protective status. T ey needed people who could speak Creole and lawyers who could help them fi ll out the application.” Jean-Noel commends other aspects of the LMJ scholarship,
in addition to the fi nancial award, as critical to the success she currently enjoys. Although MCCA is currently explor- ing ways to initiate a formal mentoring and job placement program, Jean-Noel says MCCA staff members independently guided her on her path and helped her land summer positions that ultimately provided an edge. She also notes the inherent
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MAY/JUNE 2013
projects abroad, primarily in South America, and within the United States, as well. Gu largely analyzes contracts and drafts documents for current and future projects. Much of the fi rm’s work, she says, has a signifi cant impact on the growth of developing economies, a fundamental interest for Gu throughout her academic and professional career. She expected to be in her current position as associate
despite the struggles of the law fi eld’s fi nancial condition during her transition into full-time employment. T e perseverance of individuals such as Gu serve as motivation to those deciding whether to enter law school in these times of lingering economic distress. According to the Law School Admission Council, law
school applications have dropped 20 percent from the same time last year and 38 percent since 2010. In 2004, there were roughly 100,000 applicants to law school while 54,000 students applied in 2013. Without the LMJ scholarship pro- gram, 2015 graduate class member Anthony Pettes says his decision-making process would have been distinctly diff erent. “It’s defi nitely something that weighed heavily on the
decision to go to law school. I’ve already thought maybe I should start working again. So this has been really helpful,” says 34-year-old Pettes, a Marine Corps veteran of the war in Iraq and a father of three. Pettes is currently enrolled at Duke University School of Law. “T e level of commitment MCCA has shown is something I’m really thankful for.” Pettes envisions himself as a practicing patent attorney
following graduation. Although most LMJ recipients enter the law fi eld, some chose other career destinations. An assis- tant professor of medicine at the University of California,
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