2nd-year law students receive scholarships, summer positions

Second-year IU law students Omar Badawi and Gillian Crowl have been named the recipients of the second annual $10,000 Baker & Daniels Diversity Scholarship, which recognizes law students of varied ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds. Lifestyles and unique viewpoints are also considered in determining recipients.

“The scholarships are designed to attract the best and brightest diverse law students, build diversity in the firm’s summer associate class and support diversity within the Indiana law schools where the firm currently recruits,” said Joseph Smith, partner and co-chair of Baker & Daniels’ diversity executive committee, in an e-mail interview.

The objective is for past diversity scholarship recipients to eventually become members of Baker & Daniels’ legal team upon graduation from law school. For example, the 2007 diversity scholarship recipients will be joining the firm as new associates in 2009.

“The legal profession is less diverse than corporate America,” Smith said.

The Baker & Daniels Diversity Scholarships were established to bring about innovative ways to improve diversity within the firm and legal profession.

“Recognizing this challenge and the value diversity brings to all businesses, legal or otherwise, is the responsibility of the legal profession to diversify its lawyers and accurately reflect the community it serves and clients it represents,” Smith said.
Crowl and Badawi both learned about the Baker & Daniels Diversity Scholarship through the IU School of Law’s Office of Career and Professional Development, “an office staffed by outstanding professionals with exemplary commitment to students,” Badawi said in an e-mail interview.

Badawi is not only excited about the scholarship, but also about the 2009 summer associate position with the Baker & Daniels firm.

“I think the simple fact that Baker & Daniels makes this type of a scholarship available speaks volumes about what kind of law firm it is and the kind of legal professionals and staff that make the firm so successful. I am honored to have been chosen,” Badawi said.

The scholarship is planned to offset some of the expenses related to law school. Badawi said he plans to use the scholarship money to help pay his student loans.

“The scholarship money will help alleviate some of the financial stress of law school,” Crowl said. In addition to the scholarship, placement in the firm’s summer associate program offers additional paid legal experience.

Crowl is the President of the Black Law Students Association and a participant in Outreach for Legal Literacy, where she teaches fifth graders about law and the Constitution. She is also a PRACTICE group adviser and a Monroe County Court Appointed Special Advocate.

“I think I received the scholarship for many reasons,” Crowl said. She mentioned growing up in Jamaica and growing up as a Jamaican immigrant in the United States as experiences that have helped to shape who she is.

Crowl said her recommenders were able to speak to her character and work ethic as well.

“I have been interested in working for Baker & Daniels for a long time, and that was obvious from my interview,” she said.

Badawi is involved in other groups around campus, serving as a member for both Phi Delta Phi international legal fraternity and the Intellectual Property Association at IU. In 2008, he worked as an intern as the Indiana Supreme Court, and while working for the American Bar Association from 2004-07, Badawi said he realized, “what a tremendous difference lawyers can make in other people’s lives.”