The School of Law continues to focus on transforming the legal education experience and, for the fifth straight year, 100% of its incoming first-generation college graduates received aid.
First-generation students are supported by approximately 25 scholarships, including the First-Start Scholars Program, which was established by 1982 alumna Kathelen V. Amos and the Daniel P. Amos Family Foundation.
These scholarships help students at the law school who are the first in their families to attend college through monetary aid as well as other offerings.
Students can take part in programming especially designed for this cohort that focuses on professional and social opportunities. One such initiative was the Preparing to Practice Series for second-year students, which was co-led by Henry G. Garrard III (J.D.’70), a member of the School of Law’s Board of Visitors, and First-Start Coordinator Amanda J. Fox (J.D.’14).
In this program, students participated in small group sessions that exposed them to the practicalities of the legal profession. Topics ranged from a panel discussion with Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley staff about the variety of supporting roles at private firms to a roundtable discussion with attorneys from different practice areas sharing how to build relationships and model leadership as practitioners. The highlight of the series was a trip to visit U.S. District Court Senior Judge for the Northern District of Georgia Richard W. “Rick” Story (J.D.’78) at his chambers in Gainesville.
Other offerings included a regular coffee hour, an etiquette dinner, financial planning classes, bar preparation assistance, networking events and a first-year student academic enhancement program called “Checks & Balances.”
Board of Visitors member Henry Garrard (J.D.’70) and First-Start Coordinator Amanda Fox (J.D.’14) led the Preparing to Practice Series that culminated in a visit to U.S. District Court Senior Judge Rick Story’s (J.D.’78) chambers. Present are (l. to r.): Hunter Payne, Ikram Ali Mohammed, Daisy Gonzales, Garrard, Yaritzi Ortega, Presley Sneed, Eman Mistry, Doraly Blanton and Fox.
