Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 15 February 2001 — Page 39

The Muncie Times, February 15, 2001, page 39

Marshall program get $4 million in U.S. scholarship funds

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Low-income and minority students who have not had the opportunity or resources to attend law school may soon be given a chance to pursue their dream of a legal education under a new fellowship program funded through the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Congress this year allocated $4 million for the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO), a project of the American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education, to implement the Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity Program. Authorized in the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998, CLEO’s Marshall Fellowship program is a multi-faceted initiative to encourage and assist qualified low-income, minority and disadvantaged students to pursue and complete a legal education. ABA President Martha Barnett says programs such as the Marshall Fellowship program are critical to building public trust and confidence in the justice system. “By opening the doors of opportunity to

deserving students, the Thurgood Marshall Fellowship will help to ensure that the legal profession reflects the diversity of the population it serves and maintains its vital role as the connecting link between our society and the rule of law,” Barnett said. Since its creation more than 30 years ago, CLEO has been working to increase diversity in the legal profession. It counts three sitting members of Congress, numerous judges, public officials and prominent legal practitioners among its success stories. Specifically, the Thurgood Marshall Fellowship program will: • Identify qualified individuals; • Provide information and counseling to undergraduate students about the academic requirements for law school; • Assist them with the application process and in preparation for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT); • Sponsor pre-law summer institutes; and • Provide fellowships and other support services during law school and in preparing for the bar examination. William “Bud”

Blakey, chair of the CLEO Council, says this year’s appropriation will also allow CLEO to award fellowships to current CLEO participants, add additional summer institutes in 2001, and develop partnerships with national, state and local bar association to implement programs to mentor and assist law students. “We are deeply indebted to Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, the chief advocate for Fiscal Year 2001 funding for the Thurgood Marshall Fellowships; the ABA; and our other partners in the legal profession for their commitment to diversity and their continued support of CLEO over the years,” said Blakely. He also indicated that CLEO hopes to develop partnerships with other organizations to increase pre-law student awareness about careers in the law, law school study opportunities, and financial assistance. For more information about the program, contact The Council on Legal Education Opportunity at 202/6628630 or williatm @ staff .abanet.or q.

Children’s Author to speak at Black History luncheon

Gwendolyn Battle Lavert, noted children’s author and educator, will be the featured speaker during a Black History luncheon at the Muncie campus of Ivy Tech State College Friday, February 23. Lavert’s work includes The Barber’s Cutting Edge. The

Music in

Derrick’s

Heart Mama’s Brown Babv

Child. Not Yet Uncle

Skeet. and K w a n z a a Day. An assistant professor of education at Indiana Wesleyan University, Lavert has a B.S. in Elementary Education/Kindergarten and a M.Ed in Reading Specialist, both from Texas A&M University - Commerce. She is currently working on a PhD in Early Childhood Education at Indiana State University. Lavert is a member of the Indiana Writers Group, the International Reading Association and the National Association of Black School Educators. She is the recipient of the PTA Life Membership Award. In 1995, her book Off to School was named to the Smithsonian Children’s Book List. Both The Shaking Bag and The

Music in Derrick’s Heart were recognized with the Parent Choice Recommended Award for 2000. Lavert currently resides in Marion, Indiana. Hurley and Fredine Goodall Scholarships awardees and Muncie Black Expo recipients will be recognized during the ^ program. ^ Prior to m t h e ^ luncheon, art work c epicting Black History Month will be displayed. This Black History event is sponsored by the students, faculty and staff of Ivy Tech’s Muncie campus. Activities will take place in rooms 532/34 of the North Instructional Building, 4301 S. Cowan Road. Doors will open at 11:20, with the program beginning at 11:40. The public is invited to attend at no charge; however, seating is limited and reservations are required. Those wishing to attend should call Sheila Johnson, assistant to the chancellor, at (765) 289-2291, ext 307 by February 16.