Harris Beach Selects Diversity Scholarship Recipients for Third-Year Law School Studies

Scholarship for College Seniors to be Awarded in July 2008

The law firm of Harris Beach PLLC has selected two second-year law school students to receive its diversity scholarship for third-year law school studies.  Henderson O. Brathwaite II of Brooklyn, who is attending the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, and Vivek Thiagarajan of Syracuse, who is attending Syracuse University College of Law, are the 2008 recipients.  As part of the scholarship program, they will also be employed in the Harris Beach law student summer program. Each student has been awarded $7,500 to be paid directly to their schools for the cost of tuition in the 2008-2009 school year. 

“Henderson and Vivek have outstanding academic and extracurricular credentials,” said James A. Spitz, Jr., Harris Beach CEO.  “It is with a great sense of pride that we recognize these two young people with an opportunity to further their legal education and ultimately contribute their professional skills for the benefit of the community.”

Mr. Brathwaite is a 2009 J.D. candidate at the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, where he has served as a Frederick Douglass Moot Court Board Evaluation Judge, Vice President of the Black Law Students Association, member of the Young Democrats and Latin American Law Students, and Class Director of the Student Bar Association.  He serves as a youth pastor and youth choir director at his church.  Mr. Brathwaite holds a B. B. A. in a political science from City University of New York at Brooklyn College.  Mr. Brathwaite said: “One of the goals of the Harris Beach scholarship is to build diversity within the legal profession, and I thank everyone at Harris Beach for supporting my pursuit of a law degree so that I can contribute to this goal.”  Mr. Brathwaite will be working in the firm’s Buffalo and New York City offices during the summer of 2008.    

Mr. Thiagarajan is a 2009 J.D. candidate at Syracuse University, where he has served as Vice President of the South Asian Law Students Association, President of the Christian Legal Society, and Senior Desk Officer for Impunity Watch: Middle East.  He is also a student mentor.  Mr. Thiagarajan is also a 2009 M. P. A. candidate at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He holds a B. A. in political science from Grove City College. Mr. Thiagarajan was a summer associate at Harris Beach during the summer of 2007.   Mr. Thiagarajan said: “I am grateful to be one of the first recipients of this significant scholarship.  This scholarship demonstrates the Harris Beach commitment to building a diverse workforce.”  Mr. Thiagarajan will be working in the firm’s Rochester office during the summer of 2008. 

Harris Beach launched its diversity scholarship program in September 2007 in keeping with its diversity initiatives.  In addition to the scholarship for second-year law school students, Harris Beach will be providing financial assistance to college seniors who are high school graduates of the Rochester City School District, or the Urban-Suburban Interdistrict Transfer Program, and planning to attend law school following graduation from college.  

Recipients of the scholarship for college seniors will receive $2,500 for each year of law school for a maximum of three years.  The deadline to submit applications for the 2008-2009 school years is June 30, 2008.  Recipients will be notified by July 30, 2008.  Scholarship applications are available by contacting the Harris Beach Human Resources Department at 585-419-8800 or through the Commitment to Diversity webpage on the Harris Beach website at www.harrisbeach.com .    Scholarship candidates and recipients must be members of groups traditionally underrepresented in large law firms and must express a desire to work, live and practice law in New York state.

Founded in 1856, Harris Beach is one of the country’s Top 250 law firms as ranked by the National Law Journal and has offices throughout New York state in Albany, Buffalo, Geneseo, Ithaca, New York City, Niagara Falls, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers, as well as Newark, New Jersey. The firm’s approximately 200 lawyers throughout New York state provide a full range of services for its clients, which include Fortune 500 corporations, privately-held companies, emerging technology businesses, financial institutions, health care providers, educational institutions, not-for-profit organizations and foundations, state and local governments and authorities, and individuals.