New Scholarship Honors Lifelong Work of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

NEW YORK, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of women lawyers who served as Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York are launching a scholarship project to provide financial assistance and mentoring support to women law students.

The When There Are Nine Scholarship Project was created in partnership with the Federal Bar Foundation, a New York-based tax-exempt organization, and was founded by a group of alumnae from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, following the passing of United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Project's mission is to honor the lifelong work of Justice Ginsburg by creating a scholarship, related programming, and mentorship that will advance equity and diversity within the legal profession and continue the late Justice's many efforts to expand career opportunities for women attorneys.

Eligible scholarship recipients include deserving women law students who embody the spirit reflected by Justice Ginsburg's achievements in the face of adversity. In addition to financial support, scholarship recipients will receive mentoring and career advice from a mentorship circle composed of SDNY alumnae.

"We want to honor Justice Ginsburg's legacy by helping women entering or in law school with financial difficulties. Women who may not see a path to success right now, but who, if given the chance and the same mentoring, support, and guidance we benefitted from, would make superb lawyers," said Rebecca Monck Ricigliano, a partner in Crowell & Moring's White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement Group, who spent nearly a decade at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York serving in various supervisory roles, and who serves on the Project's Steering Committee. 

The idea for the Project was born the weekend that Justice Ginsburg passed away. Justice Ginsburg had been a role model for many of the women in the Southern District of New York's alumnae community who admired her deep intellect, work ethic, and commitment to family and friends. Over a series of emails about the profound impact Justice Ginsburg had on all their lives, alumnae discussed how they could celebrate and honor her legacy. Ricigliano had the idea of paying forward what they had gleaned from Justice Ginsburg's path to success and their own experiences supporting each other with a scholarship to help women become lawyers by providing financial support and a network of women attorneys to help guide scholarship recipients as they enter the legal profession. The group seized on the idea.

"Justice Ginsburg's passing happened during a dark time," said Dani R. James, co-chair of the White Collar Defense and Investigations practice at Kramer Levin and a former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, who serves on the Project's Steering Committee. "I am proud of my fellow alumnae for not giving in to despair and instead drawing inspiration from her life to create this important initiative."

A Brooklyn native, Justice Ginsburg graduated first in her class from Columbia Law School while raising her young daughter and supporting her husband through his cancer treatment.

"Justice Ginsburg was a trailblazer and pioneering advocate for women's rights," said Carrie H. Cohen, a partner at Morrison & Foerster LLP and a former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York State Attorney General's Office, who serves on the Project's Steering Committee. "Justice Ginsburg repeatedly overcame the gender discrimination she would later spend the better part of her career seeking to eradicate in the courts, and her advocacy and the cases that she won and ruled on opened doors for so many women. This is our way of giving back to her and continuing her legacy." 

"One of our earliest decisions was naming the Project. We drew inspiration from Justice Ginsburg's vision for true equality and equity for women, which is exemplified by her response to a recurring question about the number of women on the Supreme Court," said Amanda Kramer, a partner in the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice at Covington & Burling LLP, who served as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York for 11 years, including in supervisory roles, and who serves on the Project's Steering Committee. "When asked 'when will there be enough' women on the Court, Justice Ginsburg answered, 'when there are nine.' Although her answer was shocking to some, she matter-of-factly and accurately pointed out that 'there'd been nine men, and nobody's ever raised a question about that.'"

"This is more than just a scholarship fund. Our hope is to sponsor these young women and ensure that they get internships and jobs that will expose them to the highest level of the law—public service," said Jessica Ortiz, a partner at MoloLamken and a former federal prosecutor and chief of the Narcotics Unit at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, who oversees the Project's Selection Committee.

"By promoting diversity in the legal profession and mentorship between generations of lawyers, as well as by honoring the late Justice Ginsburg who served for many years as Circuit Justice, the scholarship fits well with the mission and goals of the Federal Bar Foundation and Federal Bar Council," said John "Sean" Coffey, president of the Foundation and a partner at Kramer Levin. "We were honored to be able to support the alumnae of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York by providing organizational support for this meaningful endeavor, as this group of lawyers is such an important part of the legal community we serve."

The Project is very grateful for the wise counsel of many educational experts (each of whom provided valuable insight to the Project), and also wishes to acknowledge the generous professional contributions of The Pensery (which designed the Project's logo pro bono), Crowell & Moring LLP, Covington & Burling LLP, and Morrison & Foerster LLP (which each provided pro bono legal counsel to assist the Project with various organizational, intellectual property, and tax matters), Skadden Arps, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Crowell & Moring LLP (which provided pro bono IT, marketing, and PR support).

About the When There Are Nine Scholarship Project

The When There Are Nine Scholarship Project was established in 2020 in partnership with the Federal Bar Foundation by a group of women lawyers who served together as Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Southern District of New York. The Project's mission is to honor the lifelong work of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by creating a scholarship and related programming that will advance equity and diversity within the legal profession and continue the late Justice's many efforts to expand career opportunities for women attorneys.

For more information on the When There Are Nine Scholarship Project, visit here. The Project is funded exclusively by charitable contributions. Donations to the Project can be made here.

Mission Statement

When There Are Nine Scholarship Project

Established by Alumnae of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in Memory of the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The When There Are Nine Scholarship Project (the "Project") was established in 2020 in partnership with the Federal Bar Foundation (the "Foundation") by a group of women attorneys who served together as Assistant United States Attorneys in the Southern District of New York.  The Project's mission is to honor the lifelong work of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by creating a scholarship and related programming that will advance equity and diversity within the legal profession and continue the late Justice's many efforts to expand career opportunities for women attorneys.

Justice Ginsburg was a trailblazer and pioneering advocate for women's rights.  A Brooklyn native, she graduated first in her class from Columbia Law School while raising her young daughter and supporting her husband through his cancer treatment.  Justice Ginsburg repeatedly overcame the gender discrimination she would later spend the better part of her career seeking to eradicate in the courts, and her advocacy and the cases that she won opened doors for so many women.  The founding members of the Project, all of whom had the privilege of serving in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, benefitted greatly from Justice Ginsburg's efforts and, upon her passing, established the Project to honor her legacy by encouraging future generations of women to pursue rewarding careers in the law and making those career choices financially accessible.

The Project will provide financial support to deserving women law students who embody the spirit reflected by Justice Ginsburg's achievements in the face of adversity ("Recipients").  In addition to funding, Recipients will receive mentorship and support from the alumnae of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and their professional communities as well as from the Federal Bar Council ("FBC") and the Foundation.  The Project embraces Justice Ginsburg's view that "We should not be held back from pursuing our full talents, from contributing what we could contribute to the society, because we fit into a certain mold — because we belong to a group that historically has been the object of discrimination."

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The Project is administered by the Foundation.  The Foundation is a New York 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that supports the activities of the FBC, which is an association of lawyers who practice in federal courts within the Second Circuit, to which Justice Ginsburg was assigned.  The Project's four committees are comprised of alumnae of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, whose shared community, sense of purpose, and identity as public servants led to the establishment of the Project and who have agreed to make the Project a philanthropic priority. 

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Project Details:  Description, Criteria, Requirements, and Benefits

Project Organization

Four committees support the work of the Project.  The Steering Committee oversees all aspects of the Project, including the specific responsibilities below.  In addition to the Steering Committee, the Project is also served by its Selection, Mentoring, and Fundraising Committees, the chairs of which are ex officio members of the Steering Committee.  Alumnae from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York serve as committee members.

Scholarship Award

The amount of the scholarship and number of Recipients shall be in the sole discretion of the Steering Committee and shall vary from year to year depending on level of funding and number and quality of applicants. 

Criteria

The Selection Committee shall recommend to the Steering Committee for its approval the required and preferred criteria for Recipients.  Recipients shall be chosen by the Selection Committee with possible assistance from other alumnae of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York as designated by the Selection Committee.  The recommendation of the Selection Committee shall require approval by the Steering Committee in consultation with the president of the Foundation and the president and executive director of the FBC. 

Individuals who consistently live and self-identify as women regardless of their gender assignment at birth, and meet the following criteria are eligible to apply for a scholarship:

• Entering law school in the current or upcoming academic year or currently enrolled in law school in the United States in an accredited J.D. program
• Demonstrated financial need
• Commitment to academic achievement

Applicants must submit a resume, law school and college transcripts, and a statement of financial need.  Applicants must also submit responses to short answer questions reflecting on the following:  their career aspirations in the law; perspectives on leadership; connections to, or aspirations to practice in, New York; challenges that applicants have overcome; and other information that would be helpful to the Selection Committee.  Applicants must provide at least three references.  Finalists will be required to interview with the Selection Committee.

Although not required, applicants are encouraged to have a demonstrated interest in public service.  While U.S. citizenship is not a requirement, there is a preference for applicants who intend to practice law in the United States following graduation from law school.

Use of Scholarships

Recipients are required to use financial awards to pay for tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance at law school, or for fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for courses at the law schools attended by the Recipients.

Benefits

In addition to a financial award, the size of which will be determined by the Steering Committee, Recipients will be assigned a circle of mentors to provide support and guidance throughout law school and in the early stages of the Recipients' careers.  The mentors will provide professional advice and counsel and introduce Recipients to their larger professional communities and networks based on Recipients' interests.  In addition, the Project will offer and provide access to professional development programming for Recipients.  The Mentoring Committee shall oversee the selection of the mentors and coordinate all programming for Recipients.  In collaboration with the Foundation, Recipients shall be granted free membership in the FBC for the two years following graduation from law school and shall be permitted to participate in FBC meetings and events while in law school, including an invitation to attend at least one FBC American Inn of Court meeting.

Depending on availability of funds, Recipients may apply for and receive a stipend to allow Recipients to forego paid summer employment during law school and instead secure unpaid public service-oriented internships.  The availability and amount of such stipend shall be determined by the Steering Committee in its sole discretion.

Recipient Requirements

Recipients agree to maintain regular communication with their mentors as described above and to actively participate in the Project's mentorship programming.  In addition, within six months of graduating from law school, Recipients shall provide the Project with a written description of the impact of the scholarship on their legal career.  The Project, the Foundation, and the FBC shall be able to use such writing in their sole discretion, including for promotional materials related to the Project.  Recipients also shall agree to be reasonably available for outreach and development work by the Project, the Foundation, and the FBC.

Fundraising Committee

The Fundraising Committee shall oversee, in consultation with the Foundation, all fundraising efforts.  In addition, the Fundraising Committee shall coordinate an annual event at which Recipients will be honored.

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Members of the When There Are Nine Scholarship Project's Steering Committee include:

Carrie Cohen
Carolina A. Fornos, Co-Chair of the Mentoring Committee
Margaret Garnett
Dani James
Amanda Kramer
Sharon Cohen Levin, Chair of the Fundraising Committee
Jessica Ortiz, Chair of the Selection Committee
Cristy Phillips
Rebecca Monck Ricigliano
Jocelyn Strauber
Wendy H. Waszmer, Co-Chair of the Mentoring Committee
Rebecca Baskin, Committee Secretary
Lisa Umans, Committee Secretary

Members of the When There Are Nine Scholarship Project's Selection Committee include:

Helen Cantwell
Emily Daughtry
Beth Goldman
Nola Heller
Barbara Jones
Joan Loughnane
Jessica Ortiz, Chair
Danielle Giffuni, Committee Secretary
Katherine Stein, Committee Secretary

Members of the When There Are Nine Scholarship Project's Mentoring Committee include:

Jillian Berman
Carolina A. Fornos, Co-Chair
Nicole Friedlander
Jane Levine
Tatiana Martins
Parvin Moyne
Wendy H. Waszmer, Co-Chair

Members of the When There Are Nine Scholarship Project's Fundraising Committee include:

Katy Choo
Mylan Denerstein
Nancy Kestenbaum
Sharon Cohen Levin, Chair
Christine Meding
Danya Perry
Elaine Wood
Amanda Shami, Committee Secretary  
Lisa Mendola-D'Andrea, Committee Secretary

Media Contact:
Rebecca Carr
Communications Director
+1 202.508.8835
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE When There Are Nine Scholarship Project