4/10/07--Boston College Law School is pleased to announce its second- and third-year public interest scholarship awardees for the 2006-2007 academic year.

Champy 2L Scholarship
The Champy fellowship was established due to the generous contribution of Lois and James Champy (BC Law '68) to provide financial support to an outstanding second-year student who has demonstrated the intention and ability to work in the public interest.  The Champy Fellow will receive a $10,000 scholarship during the third year of law school.

This year's award recipient is Emma Winger.  Winger has been very involved in the community during her two years at BC Law.  She currently serves as the President of the Public Interest Law Foundation and the President and Co-founder of the Criminal Justice Law Project.  She has also been instrumental in developing the new voluntary Pro Bono Program.  Winger has worked for the Immigrants' Rights Project of the ACLU and will intern this summer for the Federal Public Defender's Office in Washington D.C.

Drinan Family Fund Award
The Drinan Family Fund Award awards $20,000 over two years to a graduating student who will pursue a public sector career.  This year's recipient is Rebekah Mandell.  Mandell will pursue a career in Vermont to develop systemic, community-based solutions to social justice problems. 

During her three years at Boston College Law School, Mandell has been active with the National Lawyer's Guild, and currently serves as the president.  She has interned at the Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau as a special assistant to the supervising attorneys, and worked as a research assistant for Professor Arthur Berney.  She has worked during her summers at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and for the Vermont Forum on Sprawl.  Before law school, Mandell worked for Americorps VISTA.  She worked on sustainable development in Quito, Ecuador and was a street youth educator in Mexico City.

Edward T. Bigham III Scholarship
This scholarship was established in memory of Edward T. Bigham, III, (BC '75, BC Law '78) who served as an Assistant District Attorney in Massachusetts.  The scholarship provides financial support to an outstanding third-year student who intends to pursue a career as a district attorney.  This year's recipient is Jeffrey Rogan.
Rogan will begin working next fall as a law clerk for the Clark County (Nevada) District Attorney in Las Vegas.  He has worked as a student attorney at the Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau for the last two years.  He interned his first summer with South Middlesex Legal Services and his second summer for the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. 

--The Keefe Family Scholarship
--The Robert S. Pitcoff Memorial Scholarship
--The David H. and Mary Murphy Posner Law Scholarship
These three scholarships are for current third-year students who have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in the public sector.

Keefe Family Scholarship: Erin Book
Book will clerk next year for the Honorable Judge Denis Cohen of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in her home state.  Her plan is to become a public defender.  She worked her second summer in the Rhode Island Office of the Public Defender and she has participated in the BC Defenders Clinic through which she worked on a high profile murder case in Suffolk Superior Court.

Pitcoff Scholarship: David Grimaldi
Grimaldi will work as a public defender next Fall for the Committee for Public Counsel Services in Massachusetts.  He is the Law School's current Champy Scholar.  He worked his first summer at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau and his second summer for the Los Angeles County Public Defender.  During his third year of law school, as part of our Criminal Justice Clinic,  Grimaldi has represented indigent clients in Dorchester District Court.

Posner Scholarship: Nicole Liguori
Liguori will clerk next fall for Justice Mark Green of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.  After that clerkship,  she will pursue a career in government.  Throughout law school, Liguori has volunteered with Shelter Legal Services and she serves as co-chair this year.  She worked during her summers at the Rhode Island Office of the Public Defender and at the U.S Attorney's Office.  She is also participating in the Attorney General's Office clinical program.