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Contact: Rosanne M. Van Heertum
Director of Development, The New YorkBar Foundation
rvanh@tnybf.org
518/487-5650
March 12, 2009
HOFSTRA LAW SCHOOL STUDENT NIA KITWANA NGOZI JACKSON
WINS COMMERCIAL AND FEDERAL LITIGATION SECTION MINORITY FELLOWSHIP
Hofstra Law School student, Nia Kitwana Ngozi Jackson, has been
chosen as the 2009 recipient of the Commercial and Federal Litigation
Section Minority Fellowship administered by The New York Bar Foundation.
The $5,000 award is available to first-year students attending a law
school in the State of New York who demonstrate an interest in
commercial and federal litigation.
As the winner of the 2009 Fellowship award, Ms. Jackson will work
this summer in the Chambers of the Honorable Eileen Bransten, New York
State Supreme Court, New York County, Commercial Division.
John R. Horan, president of The New York Bar Foundation said,
“We are pleased to award the Commercial and Federal Litigation
Section Minority Fellowship to a Hofstra Law School student. Ms. Jackson
is an eminently qualified candidate for this Fellowship. Her academic
record, international study and internship experience demonstrate her
commitment to scholarly excellence. The combination of her business and
law degrees will serve her well for a successful career in the legal
profession and litigation.”
A resident of West Hempstead, Ms. Jackson is a graduate of Pepperdine
University, Graziadio School of Business and Management (CA) where she
earned an International Master of Business Administration (Spanish)
degree in 2008. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and
Spanish Language & Literature from Villanova University (PA). While
at Pepperdine, Ms. Jackson studied at the Fundação Getulio
Vargas, São Paolo, Brazil and was recognized with the Emerging
Leaders honor. She was inducted into Lambda Pi Eta (National
Communication Honor Society) and Sigma Delta Pi (Rho Pi Chapter,
National Spanish Honor Society) while at Villanova. She speaks fluent
Spanish as well as Portuguese.
Ms. Jackson will be recognized by the Commercial and Federal
Litigation Section and The Foundation during an awards ceremony at the
Section’s Smooth Moves III program on March 25th at Lincoln
Center, New York City. In addition to the Fellowship award, at the
awards ceremony beginning at 5:30 p.m., the Section will bestow the 2009
Honorable George Bundy Smith Pioneer Award on Elaine R. Jones, former
president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education
Fund. The awards ceremony will be followed by a cocktail and networking
reception.
Section Chair Peter Brown said, “We are pleased to have The New
York Bar Foundation confer this year’s Fellowship on Ms. Jackson
and we are confident she will have a meaningful experience working for
Justice Bransten. The Commercial and Federal Litigation Section
established this Fellowship with The Foundation to help create student
awareness of commercial litigation and foster greater diversity among
commercial and federal litigators throughout the State of New
York.”
Founded in 1988, the more than 2,600 member Commercial and Federal
Litigation Section of the New York State Bar Association strives to
improve the quality of representation of commercial clients in
litigation matters, provides a forum for the improvement of law and
procedure in the areas of commercial and federal litigation, and
enhances the administration of justice. The Section is committed
to serving the professional development goals of attorneys of color and
to fostering diversity in the profession. For more information
about the Section, go to www.nysba.org/comfed.
According to Horan, during 2008, The Foundation distributed more than
$500,000 to fund programs that facilitate the delivery of legal services
to those in need, promote improvements in the justice system and law and
related supportive services, enhance professional competence and ethics,
and increase public understanding of the law and legal system. The work
of The Foundation is made possible through the contributions of lawyers,
law firms, corporations and others.
For more information about The New York Bar Foundation, contact
Rosanne M. Van Heertum, director of development, The New York Bar
Foundation, One Elk Street, Albany NY 12207 or go to www.tnybf.org to make an online
donation.
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