The board of directors of the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association Scholarship Fund, Inc. had the honor of awarding $2,000 from four separate scholarships to nine remarkable women attending The University of Texas School of Law. Most of the awardees were able to attend the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association (TCWLA)’s mentor-mentee luncheon, at which Women’s Month was celebrated with Women and the Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.
Judge Mary Pearl Williams Scholarship
The Judge Mary Pearl Williams Scholarship honors students who display leadership skills and community involvement. The Williams Scholarship was jointly awarded to Olivia Horton and Courtney Weber.
Horton is a 3L who helped create training classes for law students to represent individuals in Title IX cases.
Courtney Weber is a 2L who is an articles editor for the Texas Review of Litigation, a research assistant for a professor, and a volunteer on many other legal service projects.
Judge Margaret Cooper Scholarship
The Judge Margaret Cooper Scholarship honors students who demonstrate financial need, perseverance in the face of adversity, and community service. The Cooper Scholarship was jointly awarded to Priyham Madukhar, Alexandra McIntosh, and Maiya Werba.
Madukhar is a 2L who was in Teach for America for two years and now serves as a pro bono scholar for the UT expunction clinic. She is co-president of the Public Interest Law Association and a staff editor for the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights.
McIntosh is a 2L who participates in the Title IX pro bono clinic. She volunteers at the Support Parents’ Education, Advocacy, and Knowledge (SPEAK) clinic, which works with parents of disabled children, as well as a fundraiser for the Texas Law Fellowships.
Werba is a 1L who is active with the Texas Law Disability and Neurodivergent Alliance, is a 1L rep for the Board of Advocates, and volunteers for projects assisting with gender affirmation and deported veterans.
Ann Forman Scholarship
The Ann Forman Scholarship honors students who demonstrate an interest and aptitude in child welfare law. The Forman Scholarship was jointly awarded to Tran Le Abraham and Jaria Martin.
Abraham is a 2L who serves as a mentor with the Asian Pacific Students Law Association, previously worked for the New York State Education Department’s General Counsel office, and is an advocate in the children’s rights and juvenile justice clinics.
Martin is a 2L who is studying for a joint degree in law and social work. She is an officer in the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society (TMLS) and was the coordinator of TMLS’s Black Women’s Brunch. She is also an editor for the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights.
Farris-Cisneros Scholarship
The Farris-Cisneros Scholarship honors women of color who are community focused and demonstrate leadership qualities. The Farris-Cisneros Scholarship was jointly awarded to Valorie Marks and Kiara Vaughters.
Marks is a 2L who is a mentor for undergraduate students considering the legal field; a diversity, equity, and inclusion director for the Texas Business Law Society; and a Student Bar Association State Bar of Texas representative.
Vaughters is a 2L who is a staff editor for the American Journal of Criminal Law, ABA representative to the Student Bar Association, and Thurgood Marshall Legal Society 1L coordinator. She also works with students in YMCA Youth and Government Conferences.
In September 2023, the Farris-Cisneros Scholarship will be split in two to honor retired judges Lora Livingston and Orlinda Naranjo. A fundraiser is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023 at Hilgers House, to formally announce the creation of the Judge Lora Livingston and Judge Orlinda Naranjo scholarships.
Members of TCWLA along with members of the Women and the Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.