News Releases
Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity 2008 fellowship recipients named
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Four incoming Valparaiso University law students have been selected for prestigious legal education fellowships sponsored by the Indiana Supreme Court to promote diversity within the legal profession.
Stephanie Gonzalez of Crown Point, Karrah Miller of South Bend, Daniel Reed of Muncie and Robert Elliott of Port Gibson, Mo., received fellowships to participate in the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity (ICLEO).
Each year, approximately 30 students who will be enrolling in Indiana law schools are chosen to participate in a six-week Summer Institute before they begin law school. This year’s institute is taking place at Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington.
“These students represent groups who have not traditionally been represented in the legal profession and would not ordinarily have the opportunity to pursue a legal education,” said Zahra Nwabara, director of admissions-operations at Valparaiso’s School of Law. “Enhancing the diversity of the law school and the legal profession as a whole benefits the legal system in the United States.”
Gonzalez has been working in the child support division of the Lake County prosecutor’s office for nearly two years and grew up surrounded by the law. Her father is a police officer and her mother graduated from Valparaiso’s School of Law.
“I’ve been interested in law school since middle school,” Gonzalez said. “The ICLEO program offers a great head start on law school and helps you develop the mindset that you need to succeed.”
Gonzalez said she chose Valparaiso’s law school because of its quality and the success of its graduates, noting that her boss, Lake County Prosecuting Attorney Bernard Carter, is a VU School of Law alumnus.
“I have heard nothing but positive things about Valparaiso from lawyers I’ve talked to,” Gonzalez said. “I also see the type of lawyers graduating from Valparaiso’s law school and the success they have had, so I think it’s a great place for me.”
A recent report co-sponsored by the American Bar Association and the Law School Admission Council show that the legal profession is less diverse than any other in the United States with the exception of civil engineering.
The institute includes classes on subjects such as legal writing and research, understanding and drafting contracts, and torts and civil procedures, along with final exams and a final paper. The fellows also typically visit federal and county courts, law firms and other sites.
The program provides a yearly stipend and helps each fellow locate summer employment after their first and second years of law school in positions at Indiana appellate courts, trial courts, government agencies, law firms or attorneys in private practice.
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