4/02/04—Boston College Law School is pleased to announce that Jennie Santos has been selected as the 2004-2005 Champy Fellowship award winner. The James and Lois Champy Fellowship Fund provides a $9,000 scholarship for the third year of law school to a financially needy student who has demonstrated a commitment to pursuing a public interest career.

"Ms. Santos was selected for this award from another pool of very qualified applicants," said BC Law Dean John H. Garvey. "She exemplifies the ideals set forth by James and Lois Champy for their fellowship, and we hope that this award will assist her as she continues to follow those ideals."

Santos has been a very active member of the Law School community, having served as Alumni Liaison for the Latin American Law Student Association, as Treasurer for the Black Law Student Association, as Coordinator for the Immigration and Asylum Program, and as a Student Representative for the Legal Assistance Bureau Executive Board.

Santos has worked as Law Clerk for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, as an Immigration Paralegal for the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Inc., and as a Lawyer Referral Service Advocate for the Broward County Bar Association. She also served as a Public Policy Advocate for the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault, as an International Relations Research Assistant for the Latin American Institute for Social Sciences, as a Latin American Program Assistant for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and as a Graduate Research Assistant for the Global Affairs Institute.

Santos will spend the summer at the ACLU in Detroit and plans to move to Michigan after graduation. “I would love to work for an organization such as the ACLU after graduation or a non-profit immigration organization,” she says.

The Champy Fellowship Program
Thanks to the generous contribution of James and Lois Champy (BC Law ‘68) the Champy Fellowship Program provides financial support to an outstanding second-year student who has demonstrated the intention and ability to work in the public interest and who is in need of financial assistance. Any second-year student pursuing a public interest career is eligible, though preference is given to students providing direct legal services to the disadvantaged and/or working in civil or human rights. The Champy Fellow receives a $9,000 scholarship in two disbursements during the third year of law school, which is to be used to pay educational expenses.