PHILADELPHIA – Stradley Ronon and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania have announced that they are teaming up this year for the Stradley/APABA-PA Diversity Scholarship Program to identify, support and train exceptionally qualified diverse rising second-year law students and rising third-year evening law students. The program will provide the recipient with a $5,000 scholarship and a paid 10-week position during the summer of 2019. The student’s summer will be split between Stradley Ronon and the in-house legal department of a corporate partner.
The scholarship selection committee includes Stradley Ronon Partner Deborah Hong, APABA-PA President Ken S. Massey, and the General Counsel of the to-be-named corporate partner.
This is the third year Stradley Ronon has partnered with an affinity group for the scholarship program. Last year Stradley Ronon joined forces with the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania and in-house partner AmerisourceBergen Corporation. The Barristers Association of Philadelphia participated in the program’s inaugural year along with in-house partners Campbell Soup Company and InterDigital.
“We recognize the significance to the legal industry of cultivating and retaining diverse talent, and are proud to offer this scholarship program to the many promising diverse law students who are looking to launch their legal careers,” said Stradley Ronon Chairman William R. Sasso. “As diverse attorneys themselves, the selection committee understands the unique circumstances diverse law students and young attorneys face, and they are personally committed to helping them thrive.”
The scholarship will provide the recipient with both firm and in-house experience, as well as training on legal research and writing, an understanding and observation of legal proceedings and business transactions, and ongoing mentoring and support from members of the selection committee. The recipient will also be eligible for post-graduate employment with Stradley Ronon.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be a rising second-year law student or third-year evening law student at an ABA accredited law school and must have an exceptional academic record. They must also be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, a student member of APABA-PA or the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, and interested in practicing law in the greater Philadelphia area.
Stradley Ronon maintains a strong commitment to fostering diversity and full and equal participation and inclusion of diverse attorneys. The firm has a long and proud history of supporting diverse attorneys and diversity initiatives, including being a founding member of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group (PDLG), an organization of law firms and corporate counsel promoting minority-lawyer hiring and retention in the greater Philadelphia area. Stradley Ronon’s Diversity Committee, chaired by Counsel Brian Seaman, is committed to increasing the number of diverse attorneys who have been historically underrepresented, and who continue to be underrepresented, at law firms.
About Stradley Ronon
Counseling clients since 1926, Stradley Ronon has helped private and public companies – from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations – achieve their goals by providing pragmatic, value-driven legal counsel. With offices in eight strategic locations, our responsive team of more than 200 attorneys seamlessly addresses the full spectrum of our clients’ needs, ranging from sophisticated corporate transactions to complex commercial litigation.