The Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati (BLAC) invites eligible law students to apply for scholarship(s). We anticipate that each scholarship will be equal to or greater than the $2,000.00 awarded for each scholarship last year. The selection of recipients will be made by the BLAC Scholarship Committee. The Chairperson was selected by the BLAC President and other members of the association who volunteered to serve.
The selected recipients will be recognized and presented with their scholarships at BLAC’s 19th Annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet to be held at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel, in downtown Cincinnati. Each recipient will be asked to submit an appropriate photograph and biography for publication in our program booklet soon after the selection.
In addition to awarding three law student scholarships, we will present our distinguished service award and introduce members of the Class of 2011 from our two area law schools to the greater Cincinnati legal community. The black tie optional affair will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2011 beginning at 6:30 p.m. with a reception, followed by a 7:30 p.m. dinner program. Approximately 400 lawyers, judges, law students, and friends attend our banquet each year.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ReplyDelete1. MAY I APPLY FOR MORE THAN ONE SCHOLARSHIP?
Yes. You may apply for multiple scholarships. However, be certain to read the eligibility criteria to ensure that you meet the threshold requirements. In most cases students attending the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University or the University of Cincinnati College of Law will be eligible to apply for two of the scholarships offered. Students attending other law schools will only be eligible for the William A. McClain Scholarship.
2. IF I AM APPLYING FOR MULTIPLE SCHOLARSHIPS SHOULD I SUBMIT SEPARATE APPLICATIONS FOR EACH SCHOLARSHIP?
If you are applying for multiple scholarships, it is not required that you submit separate applications. However, if you apply for multiple scholarships then you will need to answer the questions pertaining to each specific scholarship. If you need additional space to submit your answer, then restate the questions on a separate
page and include in the header of that page your name, address, telephone number and the name of the scholarship. The following example has been provided as an illustration:
Jesse James 1000 Court Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Phone: (513) 555-5555
Theodore M. Berry Scholarship
3. SHOULDISUBMITMYAPPLICATIONINWORDORPDF?
Since the application must be signed, you should complete the application, sign and date it where required, and submit the original by regular U.S. Mail or submit a scanned (PDF) version of the document by e-mail.
4. WHOSHOULDIUSEASARECOMMENDER?
You must use your discretion in selecting a reference. Please consider whether the individual you select as a reference will timely submit the letter of recommendation and Recommendation Form. Individuals have used professors, employers, colleagues, mentors or members of the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati (“BLAC”). Be sure to use individuals who know you and are able to express to the Scholarship Committee your qualifications for the scholarship.
5. SHOULD THE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION ACCOMPANY THE APPLICATION?
No. The letter of recommendation should be submitted directly to the scholarship committee by the recommender.
6. CANMORETHANONELETTEROFRECOMMENDATIONBESUBMITTED?
Only one letter of recommendation is required and we will only consider one letter for each scholarship for which the law student applies.
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7. I AM APPLYING FOR TWO SCHOLARSHIPS, SHOULD I HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSON WRITE A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR EACH SCHOLARSHIP?
We anticipate applicants using their best judgment in selecting who will write recommendation(s) in support of their application(s), and deciding whether the same person should write more than one recommendation for them.
FAQ 2:
ReplyDelete8. SHOULDTHEPERSONWRITINGTHERECOMMENDATIONSUBMITITOR SHOULD THE APPLICANT?
The recommender should submit the signed letter of recommendation on letterhead of the recommender, and the completed, signed, and dated Recommendation Form. The original documents should be submitted if sending by regular U.S. Mail, and a scanned (PDF) version of the documents should be sent if submitting by e-mail.
9. ISTHEREAPREFERENCETHATTHELETTEROFRECOMMENDATIONBE WRITTEN BY A MEMBER OF BLAC?
We anticipate applicants using their best judgment in selecting who will write recommendation(s) in support of their application(s). You must use your discretion in selecting a reference. In the past, applicants have decided to use different references for each scholarship. Other applicants have used the same reference for each scholarship. However, please consider whether the individual(s) you select will timely submit the Recommendation Form and letter of recommendation. Letters of recommendation have been written by a variety of people, e.g., law professors, employers, colleagues, mentors and members of BLAC. Be sure to ask individual(s) who know you and are able to express to the Scholarship Committee your qualifications for the scholarship.
10.DOES THE APPLICATION NEED TO BE TYPED?
Yes.
11.WHEN IS MY APPLICATION DUE?
Applications and supporting letters of recommendation must be submitted by February 16, 2011. Regular U.S. Mail submissions must be postmarked by February 16, 2011, and e-mail submissions must be received by 6:00 p.m. on February 16, 2011.
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12.IS FAXING AN OPTION?
No. Materials may be submitted by regular U.S. Mail or e-mail (preferred).
13.WILL MY APPLICATION STILL BE CONSIDERED IF MY LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION IS RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE?
No, an application is incomplete if the supporting letter of recommendation and the Recommendation Form are not received by the due date.
14.DO I NEED TO BE PRESENT AT THE ANNUAL BANQUET TO RECEIVE THE SCHOLARSHIP?
We strongly encourage your attendance at the annual scholarship and awards banquet. However, most of us recall the days of law school and understand that scheduling challenges may preclude your attendance. Therefore, the recipient is not required to be present at the banquet.
15.WHAT, IF ANY, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE REQUESTED OF THE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS?
Scholarship recipients will be asked to submit a brief biography (no more than 175 words) and an appropriate head shot photograph for inclusion in the banquet program booklet.
Contact Chairperson Bernice L. Walker, BLAC Scholarship Committee at BLWalke@msn.com with questions and/or concerns not sufficiently addressed above.
BACKGROUND INFO:
ReplyDeleteTHE WILLIAM A. McCLAIN SCHOLARSHIP
The Honorable William A. McClain was born on January 11, 1913 in Sanford, North Carolina. He attended Wittenberg University (Springfield, Ohio), graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1934. In 1937, McClain received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School. He has been a member of the Bar of Ohio for more than 70 years. In 1951, after being denied membership twice, McClain became the first Black member of the Cincinnati Bar Association. He later became the City Solicitor of Cincinnati (1963-72) making him the first Black attorney to serve as City Solicitor of any major city in the country. During his years as an attorney, he has been a member of the law firm of Keating, Muething & Klekamp (1972-73); he was the first Black judge of the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court; he served as judge of the Municipal Court of Hamilton County and as Civil Trial Referee of the same Court. For more than twenty years, he was Of Counsel with the law firm of Manley Burke (1980- 2003). McClain served as the Director of Legal Services for the Village of Lincoln Heights (1980-87, and 1994-2003). On May 4, 1997, he was awarded the highly coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor. The award was created in 1986 to honor the many ancestral groups who through struggle, sacrifice, and success helped build our great nation. McClain continues to be honored for his accomplishments and contributions. The Mallory Center for Community Development bestowed upon him its History Maker Award on February 24, 2001. In 2003, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce recognized McClain as “A Great Living Cincinnatian”. The crowning moment of his life came on October 23, 2004 when Wittenberg University dedicated “The William A. McClain Culture House” in honor of his life and career as the only Black graduate in the Class of 1934. On October 21, 2010, Judge McClain was presented with the Cincinnati Bar Foundation’s John L. Muething Lifetime Achievement in Law Award. He is a member of numerous organizations, including, but not limited to, the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati (BLAC), the Cincinnati Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He is a Life Member of the Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a member of the American Judicature Society the Cincinnati Bar Foundation and the Lawyers Club of Cincinnati. McClain became the first Black member of the Lawyers Club in 1947, after a heated debate over his admission. On September 22, 1994, he was recognized for this and other accomplishments at a joint meeting of the Lawyers Club of Cincinnati and BLAC. McClain and his wife since 1944, Roberta (White) McClain, were very pleased to hear the announcement of the scholarship in McClain’s name, initiated by the donation of the law firm of Keating, Muething & Klekamp. This scholarship will be awarded to a Black law student attending any accredited law school who has demonstrated leadership potential, and a dedication to the Cincinnati community, and has expressed a financial need. The Cincinnati Bar Foundation and BLAC fund this scholarship jointly.