The University of Miami School of Law's Litigation Skills program recently awarded an impressive $96,000 in scholarships to outstanding students who have demonstrated exceptional talent and dedication within the program. Known for its rigorous curriculum that combines theoretical knowledge with practical training, the Litigation Skills program equips aspiring lawyers with the essential skills needed for success in the courtroom. This recognition not only highlights the commitment of the School of Law to foster legal excellence but also serves to encourage a new generation of advocates who are ready to make their mark in the field of litigation.
This past semester, 50 students were honored with the following scholarships and prizes:
Taimaisú Ferrer Sin was the recipient of the American Board of Trial Advocates Award. This award comes with a $3,000 cash prize and invitation to the next ABOTA dinner and is given every spring semester to a student who has excelled in the Litigation Skills Program and has demonstrated the highest level of professionalism and civility.
Fernando Yzquierdo was awarded the Alan Ross Memorial Scholarship. This $5,500 scholarship was established in 2018. The recipient is selected by the Dean of the Law School, on the recommendation of the director of the Litigation Skills Program.
The Director’s Book Award for Excellence in Litigation Skills is awarded each semester by the Litigation Skills faculty to the top-performing students for their excellence in trial advocacy. The following received a certificate of achievement: Natalie Askowitz, Bronsen Bloom, George Carty, Allegra Garcia, Sabrina Garcia, Carly Gettleman, Aaron Gluck, Kelsie Gonzalez, Carole Hollant, Carlos Huembes, Joseph Korzeb, Elizabeth Levy, Jaclyn Marra, Samantha Morales, Radha Patel, Ana Penza, Olivia Pertierra, Lauren Rasco, Arianna Roque, Diana Roy, Robert Schwab, Savannah Slaton-Marrone, Quinten Smith, Emilia Waddington, Ellyse Wahl, and Grace Winkeljohn.
Patrick Denny was the recipient of the Ervin A. Gonzalez, J.D. ’85 Endowed Scholarship in the amount of $5,500. This scholarship was established in 2019 by colleagues and former classmates of Ervin Gonzalez and is awarded to an outstanding student of the Litigation Skills Program.
Alexandria Wiggins was awarded the Gaebe, Mullen, Antonelli & DiMatteo Endowed Scholarship. This $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a student with financial needs who is interested in litigation skills, scholarship, and community service leadership. The recipient is selected by the director of the Litigation Skills Program and the Dean of the Law School.
Jacob Benchetrit was the recipient of the Daniel S. Pearson Endowed Scholarship. This $5,500 scholarship is given to students who show great promise as trial lawyers and dedication to public service and have the highest standards of professionalism.
Natalie Hollander received the Honorable Theodore Klein Endowed Scholarship. The $3,500 scholarship was established in 2006 in memory of Theodore Klein, an outstanding lawyer, law professor, Federal Magistrate, and a leader among his peers. Each semester, it is awarded to a Litigation Skills student who has demonstrated financial need, demonstrated ability, and excellence in oral and written advocacy and has demonstrated a strong commitment to public service.
Morgan Hirsch and Itiel Wainer were each awarded the John F. Evans Memorial Scholarship. The $2,500 scholarship was established in 1989 in memory of John F. Evans, a criminal defense attorney, former deputy chief of the U.S. State Department’s Miami Strike Force, and founding partner of the law firm of Zuckerman, Spaeder, Taylor and Evans. Each semester, it is given to Litigation Skills students who have expressed an interest in trial practice.
Alexandra Fabregas, Jeffrey LaRosa, Rita Vinas, and Bernard Watemberg were the recipients of the John M. Hogan Fund for Public Interest Litigation in the amount of $5,000. To memorialize his life and legacy, the law firm of Holland & Knight established this scholarship at Miami Law. The fund provides financial assistance to Hogan Scholars—law students who are certified legal interns, with a preference given to students who wish to be placed at Legal Services of Greater Miami or the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.
David Malka and Brianna Mauvais each received the Kozyak, Tropin & Throckmorton Endowed Litigation Scholarship. This $5,000 award provides financial assistance for students from underrepresented communities who are enrolled in the Litigation Skills Program. The recipients are selected by the Dean of the School of Law based on the recommendations of the Director of the Litigation Skills Program.
Kate Altman and Emma Rice were the recipients of the Litigation Skills Adjunct Faculty Scholarship. They each received $3,000. This needs-based scholarship honors excellence in advocacy, professionalism, and civility in the Litigation Skills I class. The recommendations are made by the faculty, and the final determination is made by the Director of the Litigation Skills Program, in consultation with the Dean.
Yelyzaveta Aleksyeyeva, Anderson Leal, and Emily Lopez received the Marco A. Vazquez Memorial Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship was established in 1996 in memory of Marco A. Vazquez, a 1993 graduate of Miami Law. The Marco A. Vazquez Scholarship is awarded each semester to an academically qualified law student who has completed the Litigation Skills Program and who has demonstrated financial need.
Tori Vasquez was awarded the Laurence “Lonny” Rose Scholarship. Named after the former director of the Litigation Skills Program, this $3,500 scholarship is awarded for excellence in advocacy, professionalism, and civility to one student in the Litigation Skills I course.
Yelena Gladyr and Molly Metcalf were the recipients of the Richard L. Lapidus Endowed Memorial Scholarship Fund in the amount of $5,000. It is awarded to students who have excelled in the Litigation Skills program and demonstrated a clear understanding of legal ethics.
Marianne Adams received the Hon. Stanford Blake Award. This $500 cash prize is awarded each semester to a student in the Litigation Skills Program who has demonstrated excellence in trial advocacy.
Tori Vasquez was the recipient of the Thomas Ewald Memorial Award. This award is given to a student who scores the most points in Trial Skills and who best exemplifies the devotion to high standards and ethical conduct followed by Thomas Ewald. This award comes with a Montblanc pen – an homage to the late Ewald, a Miami Law trial advocacy professor who was known to carry the pen in his shirt pocket.
Read about Miami Law’s Litigation, Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution area of study.
