01.29.24 – The Center for Law, Equity and Race (CLEAR) is pleased to announce that two Northeastern Law students have been awarded Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants Judicial Scholarships. The $8,000 scholarships were awarded to Anna Olsson ’24 and José Vallejo-Jimenez ’25 through a new program launched in spring 2023 to honor the late Chief Justice Gants, who was a champion of access to justice and equity in the Massachusetts legal system.
Created as a collaboration among CLEAR, the Gants Fund for Racial Equity and Access to Justice and the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, with $150,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, the program provides opportunities for law students from diverse backgrounds and with limited financial means to secure judicial internships in Massachusetts courts. All judicial internships in Massachusetts are currently unpaid, which presents a significant barrier for students without the financial means to support themselves during placement.
“The program was created to give law students who could not afford to take unpaid internships the funding to enable them to do so,” said Professor Deborah Ramirez, faculty co-director of CLEAR and chair of the Gants Fund. “The hope is that the program will widen and diversify the pipeline of applications for post-graduate paid clerkships and for judicial positions, ultimately creating a judicial system that better reflects the entire Massachusetts citizenry.”
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the late Chief Justice’s colleagues while learning how decisions in the commonwealth’s highest court are made,” said Olsson.
“As a prospective litigator, this funding will allow me to gain invaluable experience, working at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court with Chief Justice Budd, while honoring Chief Justice Gants’ work and legacy,” said Vallejo-Jimenez.
Recipients are selected based on undergraduate and law school academic performance, personal achievement, a personal statement, demonstrated leadership ability and public service experience. The Massachusetts Bar Foundation plans to award 16 more scholarships to students from accredited law schools throughout the state in summer 2024.
For more information about the Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants Judicial Scholarship, please visit the program website.
About Northeastern University School of Law
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.
For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu