Third-year law student Nalani Wilson was recently awarded the Preston J. Clark Scholarship, named after Miami Law alumnus Preston Clark, J.D. ’08, a former Student Bar Association president and co-founder and president of Law Insider, a subscription-based contract database and resource center that helps lawyers and law students draft and negotiate contracts. The scholarship is part of his generous donation to the University of Miami School of Law’s Transactional Skills Program.
“I was very excited and grateful,” said Wilson about receiving the $2,500 scholarship. “The timing was perfect as I plan to use the funds to get me through bar prep this summer.”
Wilson has interned at Airbnb, Inc., Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP, and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and believes the Transactional Skills Program has given her the knowledge to succeed in her internships. After graduation, Wilson will work as an associate in the New York office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.
“Whether a student is interested in litigation or transaction work, the Transactional Skills Program teaches students valuable skills such as negotiating and analyzing contracts and memo-writing which can be applied in both areas of law,” said Wilson. “These are skills that students can use to set themselves apart in their internships.”
The Transactional Skills Program enables students to leave law school with a solid background in reviewing, drafting, and negotiating contracts of all types and come out of law school with more skills training beyond litigation-based writing.
“I’ve spent most of my professional career in business—building startups, raising capital, managing acquisitions—and the transactional skills I developed while at UM have played a significant role in my success,” said Clark. “I want to make sure future generations of UM Law grads are equipped with the skills to navigate the important intersection between business and law.”
A former chair of the Law Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Committee, Clark credits the University with shaping his career. As president of the SBA, he became the first law student to be selected as the student trustee. Those experiences were transformational, especially his interactions with the board of trustees.
“My time at UM was one of the most important periods of my life,” said Clark. “But my favorite UM experience occurred after graduation. I had the honor and opportunity to work under Aileen Ugalde and Judd Goldberg in UM’s General Counsel’s Office. The two years I spent working on contracts for the University was a highlight of my career. I learned so much about business and contracts during that time. It inspired and shaped the rest of my career.”
Clark conceived the idea of Law Insider while at the University. Now, 15 years later, over 1 million legal professionals worldwide use Law Insider to help them draft and negotiate better contracts.
Over the years, Clark has had the opportunity to partner with Marcia Narine Weldon, director of the Transactional Skills Program and faculty coordinator of the Business Compliance & Sustainability concentration and Transactional Law concentration.
“Watching Marcia build the Transactional Skills program, alongside Paul Berkowtiz, is what inspired this scholarship,” said Clark. “And this is just the beginning. We’ll continue to find ways to support the Transactional Skills program over the long-term.”
Five students applied for the Preston Clark scholarship this year, including 3Ls Kevin Kullman, Harrison Platt, Corey Shill, and 2L Rami Jamal, all of whom were top students in their section or were nominated by their professors.
"When we started this program a few years ago, we had one section of 16 students,” said Weldon. “Now we have hundreds of students learning from over a dozen adjuncts who co-teach with me every year. We are so proud to see our students learning real-world skills and are so grateful that alumni like Preston see the value in the program. Donations like his will allow us to serve our current students through scholarships and contract drafting competitions, and the legal profession as a whole through CLEs, conferences, and other offerings."
Read more about the Transactional Skills Program.
