California Bar Foundation grants scholarships

From a Fulbright scholar to the youngest city commissioner in California history, the recipients of this year’s Diversity Scholarships are all standout students, many of whom have overcome significant obstacles on their path to becoming a lawyer.

Given by the California Bar Foundation to 22 first-year law school students attending law schools across the state, the scholarships will provide $7,500 to help students cover the cost of tuition and expenses. Over the years, the foundation has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships.

“As the center of philanthropy of California’s legal profession, the California Bar Foundation is committed to advancing important statewide programs like the Diversity Scholarship, helping dedicated and talented students launch their legal careers,” said Fred Brown, president of the Board of Directors for the Bar Foundation. “We congratulate this year’s recipients, and we will continue to work with our sponsors to build a California legal profession that represents the communities it serves.”

The Bar Foundation received more than 140 applications for this year’s diversity scholarships. The recipients are:

• Sabira Abdulhameed; California Western School of Law; Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP Scholar
• Jeanette Acosta, University of California, Hastings College of the Law; Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Scholar
• Nefi D. Acosta; University of California, Irvine School of Law; SDG&E & SoCalGas Scholar
• Guadalupe Aguirre; University of California Berkeley School of Law; Keesal, Young & Logan Scholar
• Crystal Araujo; University of San Francisco School of Law; California Bar Foundation Board of Directors Scholar
• Nancy Arevalo; University of California, Hastings College of the Law; Manatt Scholar
• Brenda Ayón Verduzco; Loyola Law School; Girardi | Keese Scholar
• Kyle Azi; Stanford Law School; Gibson Dunn & Frederick and Christine Brown Scholar
• Chris Ballard; University of California, Hastings College of the Law; The Morrison & Foerster Foundation Scholar
• Jennifer Binger; Stanford Law School; Margarita V. Rosenthal Scholar • Sharmalee Brooks-Gordon; University of California Berkeley, School of Law; Arnold & Porter LLP ScholarRandall Coard; University of California, Hastings College of the Law; Morrison & Foerster LLP and UPS Scholar
• Cindy Dinh; University of California Berkeley School of Law; Kilpatrick Townsend Scholar
• Christina Fletes; University of California Berkeley School of Law; Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation Scholar
• Christopher Garcia; Loyola Law School; Milstein Adelman, LLP Scholar
• Jenecia Martinez; University of Southern California; Fenwick & West LLP Scholar
• Benjamin Kahriman; University of San Francisco School of Law; Pacific Gas and Electric Company Scholar
• Maitria Moua; University of California, Los Angeles School of Law; Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP Scholar
• Eduardo Ramirez Castro; University of California Davis School of Law; Lim Ruger Foundation Scholar
• Evelyn Rangel-Medina; University of California Berkeley School of Law; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Foundation Scholar
• Ruby Renteria; Santa Clara University School of Law; Dentons US LLP Scholar
• Ashley Williams; Southwestern Law School; The Sidley Austin Foundation Scholar