Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers Offers 2009 Phillips Scholarship

Each year, the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers (WAAL) honors the professional career and community contributions of Attorneys Vel and W. Dale Phillips by awarding two scholarships in their names.

W. Dale Phillips practiced law in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1950 until his death in 1988. He was local and state President of chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and an active member of the Black Lawyers' Association; the State Bar of Wisconsin; the Boys Club of America; and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Vel Phillips practiced law in Milwaukee, Wisconsin until becoming a Distinguished Professor of law at Marquette Law School in 2002. In 1951, she became the first African-American woman to earn a law degree from the University of Wisconsin. She was the first African-American and first woman elected to the Milwaukee Common Council in 1956. She is the first African-American woman to serve as a state court judge. Phillips was also elected to statewide office as Secretary of State.

WAAL seeks to continue the legacy of W. Dale Phillips and other esteemed colleagues in the legal profession.

At its 2009 Annual Banquet, WAAL will award a scholarship to a law student who attends the University of Wisconsin Law School and a second scholarship of like amount to a student at Marquette University Law School.

To be considered for the scholarship, an applicant must:

1. complete the application;

2. have completed a full semester of law school and be returning for at least one more semester in the 2009/2010 school year;

3. be in good academic standing at the law school at the time of submitting the application;

4. sign an authorization permitting the Scholarship Committee to confirm your status with the law school;

5. provide three copies of the application;

6. be black or of African-American descent;

7. be committed to the goals of WAAL as exemplified by the life and dedication of W. Dale Phillips.

8. The postmark deadline is Monday, February 23, 2009. Additional instructions are included in the application.

APPLICATION

WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN LAWYERS

VELANDALE SCHOLARSHIP

DIRECTIONS:

Please type your responses; an electronic version of this application may be available upon request. You may attach additional sheets if the space provided for your responses in the application is not sufficient or if you prefer to generate your responses from your computer. Applications must be postmarked no later than February 23, 2009.

You are advised that the Committee applies varying weights to several sections of the application. The responses to the legal comment questions are heavily weighted.

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

NAME

MAILING ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP

TELEPHONE NUMBER

EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION:

For each undergraduate and graduate school you have attended, excluding law school, please include the following information:

SCHOOL ATTENDED

DATES

DEGREE

DEGREE DATE

Provide the following information about the law school in which you are currently enrolled:

(a) NAME OF LAW SCHOOL

(b) MONTH/YEAR YOU BEGAN

(d) EXPECTED MONTH AND YEAR OF GRADUATION

If you have attended any other law school, provide the following information as to each school attended:

SCHOOL ATTENDED

DATES ATTENDED

REASONS FOR LEAVING

EMPLOYMENT:

Please provide a copy of your resume.

PUBLICATIONS, ACTIVITIES, MEMBERSHIPS AND AWARDS:

List your publications by giving the name of any article or book, by whom or in what journal published, and date of publication:

List any honors or awards you have received, with dates included, before you began law school:

List any honors or awards you received, with dates included, while attending law school:

List any extra-curricular activities and organizations in which you are currently involved:

Provide any information about yourself that you believe is important for the Scholarship Committee to consider in evaluating your application. (You may attach an additional sheet if necessary. Do not allow your statement to exceed 250 words of double-spaced type.)

LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING:

Please provide a writing sample prepared for a law school class or writing competition. (10 page limit.)
LEGAL COMMENT:

Your response to the following questions should reflect personal thought and/or belief. The Committee uses the quotes from the responses below to introduce winners at our Annual Scholarship Award of Banquet.

1. Expand upon an issue you feel is pressing to the African American Community today. What

role, if any, do lawyers have in solving or changing the specific issue that you have identified? (4 page limit.)

2. What are the implications of the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.

(4 page limit.)

LETTERS OF REFERENCE:

Please provide two letters of reference. The letters of reference must accompany the application in a sealed envelope and be sent to the address listed below. Please list the persons who will offer a recommendation on your behalf:

NAME/TITLE

ADDRESS/PHONE

(1)

Relationship **:

(2)

Relationship **:

(3)

Relationship **:

** “Relationship” refers to the nature of contact between you and your reference. Briefly state what you believe the individual will report about you when contacted by the Scholarship Committee.

AUTHORIZATION FOR RELEASE OF INFORMATION: (Status verification)

I hereby certify that on the date of making this application, I was in good academic standing at the law school I am attending. I hereby authorize __________________ Law School to release standing or status information to the Scholarship Committee of the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers for the sole purpose of evaluating my application for the WAAL Scholarship Award.

Signature

Date

Send application to:

Leonard E. Martin

WAAL Scholarship Chairperson

P.O. Box 519

Milwaukee, WI 53201

Submitted by Ruth Robarts, Assistant Dean for Student & Academic Affairs on January 1, 2009

This article appears in the categories: Must-Know Info

Submit an Article