$1.4 Million Awarded to KCBF Bar Scholars Since 1970
By Marzette Mondin
In the early 1970s, the King County Bar Association responded to a request from the University of Washington School of Law to provide scholarship funds for students of color who had begun to enter the school in larger numbers. Many of these well qualified candidates would not have been able to attend the law school without the financial aid that these targeted scholarships provided. The Association's initial contribution was $10,000. In 1979, the King County Bar Foundation was established to assume the role the Association had preformed up to that time of providing scholarship funds to students of color at UW's law school. Over time, the program expanded to benefit students at the Seattle University School of Law as well.
On November 10, 2009 the Foundation held its annual Bar Scholar Reception at the Seattle law offices of K&L Gates. Approximately 50 guests, including donors, former scholarship recipients, board members and college faculty and staff were on hand to honor the 2009/2010 Bar Scholar Recipients. Robert Mitchell, administrative partner at K&L Gates, KCBF President Steve Ellis, and KCBA President James Andrus welcomed guests. Dean Kellye Testy (UW) and Dean Annette Clark (SU) also gave remarks before introducing their class of bar scholar recipients. Also La Rond Baker (3L, UW) and Angeline Thomas (2L, SU) shared how the KCBF minority law student scholarship fund has enabled them to pursue a legal career.
The Foundation is one of the largest single providers of scholarships for minority law students in the state of Washington. Last year, $112,500 was distributed to University of Washington and Seattle University law schools for this purpose. Since 1970 a total of $1,437,850 has been awarded to more than 500 students. Fifty percent of these exceptional students are now practicing in King County.
The Minority Law Student Scholarships given annually by the Foundation represent one aspect of its three-pronged mission to increase diversity in the profession. The three-fold agenda is to increase diversity in the profession, provide financial assistance to minority law students, and increase retention of minority lawyers in King County law offices.
For more information about this and other Foundation programs, please contact Marzette Mondin, Development Director, at 206.267.7100.
