Nineteen Law Firms and Corporations Support Scholarship Program

San Francisco — September 20, 2011 — The California Bar Foundation today announced the awarding of $157,500 in scholarships to 21 California law students through its Diversity Scholarship Program. In its fourth year, the program is funded by a prominent group of donors, including many of California's top law firms and corporations, that have made multi-year commitments to the Scholarship Program, including $10,000 gifts in 2011. Scholarships are named after these donors, who include Calvo Fisher & Jacob LLP; Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP; Fenwick & West LLP; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Frederick and Christine Brown; Girardi & Keese; Howard Rice; Keesal, Young & Logan, A Professional Corporation; Lim Ruger Foundation; Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP; The Morrison & Foerster Foundation; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Foundation; Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP; Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; The Sidley Austin Foundation; SNR Denton; Southern California Edison, An Edison International Company; Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric; and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation.

"A vibrant, thriving justice system requires a legal community that reflects the diversity of California," said Douglas A. Winthrop, Foundation president and managing director and chair of Howard Rice. "The California Bar Foundation's Diversity Scholarship aims to bolster the pipeline of diverse individuals entering law school and ultimately becoming productive attorneys. This investment in the next generation of California's lawyers is a top priority for the Foundation in its efforts to build a better justice system."

With awards of $7,500, the Diversity Scholarship alleviates the significant financial burden of attending law school, which can leave recent graduates more than $100,000 in debt, and provides confidence-boosting recognition to law students during the crucial first year of law school. Recipients, who come from communities underrepresented in the legal profession, were selected from a competitive pool of more than 150 applicants based on academic excellence, financial need, and commitment to the community.

"This year's Diversity Scholarship winners include a former Marine dedicated to community service, the first Latina student body president at UCLA, a social service worker who became an advocate for victims of domestic violence after tragedy stuck her family, and the son of a Seminole chief committed to practicing Native American tribal law," said Peter Boutin, managing partner of the San Francisco office of Keesal, Young & Logan and chair of the Foundation's Scholarship Committee. "With their impressive accomplishments in the face of significant personal challenges, the 2011 Diversity Scholarship winners are an inspiration to us all."

The Foundation will distribute the Diversity Scholarship awards at a reception featuring Hon. Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Justice of California, on Thursday, September 22, at the offices of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco. The Foundation will also award $100,000 in Public Interest Scholarships to 23 California law students at the reception.

"Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips, LLP is excited to partner with the California Bar Foundation and demonstrate our commitment to diversifying the legal profession through the Diversity Scholarship Program," said Jack Yeh, a litigation partner and national chair of Manatt's Diversity Program. "Manatt is proud to be a sponsor of this year's Diversity Scholarship, which recognizes a select group of law students. These students have impressed us not only with their academic achievements and compelling life experiences, but also with their deep commitment to contributing to their communities."

Since the Foundation launched the Diversity Scholarship Program in 2008, it has awarded more than $575,000 to 91 California law students.

The complete list of 2011 Diversity Scholarship winners, by law school, is as follows:

California Western School of Law
Cassandra Carrasco Borjon — Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric Scholar

Loyola Law School
Heidy Lozano Pineda — Girardi & Keese Scholar
Sharitie Williams — Lim Ruger Foundation Scholar

Southwestern Law School
Stephanie Dianne Hyland-Zacarias — Board of Directors Scholar

Stanford Law School
Monique Loy — Gibson Dunn and Frederick and Christine Brown Scholar

Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Samantha Morales — Board of Directors Scholar

UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall)
Maria Sofia Corona Gomez — Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP Scholar
Yesica Hernandez — Howard Rice Scholar
Leilani Lipa — Keesal, Young & Logan Scholar
JeAnne Reyes — Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation Scholar

UC Hastings College of the Law
Melissa C. Gant — Fenwick & West LLP Scholar
Maya Dillard Smith — UPS and Morrison & Foerster LLP Scholar

UC Irvine School of Law
Cinthia Nataly Flores — Southern California Edison Scholar

UCLA School of Law
Tristan Bufete — Sidley Austin Scholar
Christina Lynn Burke — Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Foundation Scholar
Alexa Camarena — Manatt Scholar
Sadath Garcia — Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Scholar
John Haney — The Morrison & Foerster Foundation Scholar

University of San Diego School of Law
Jennifer Marie Barlock — Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP Scholar

University of San Francisco School of Law
Raymond Rollan — Calvo Fisher & Jacob LLP Scholar

University of Southern California Gould School of Law
Autumn Joy Anderson — SNR Denton Scholar

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. A nonprofit founded in 1990 and affiliated with the State Bar of California, the Foundation annually awards grants to California organizations conducting innovative law-related projects and scholarships to outstanding California law students.

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