The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University has awarded the inaugural Harris Beach Diversity Scholarship to second-year student Vanessa Wilcox. The establishment of the scholarship by the law firm was recognized at Hofstra University’s annual scholarship luncheon at the end of the most recent school year.
Established in 2018, the Harris Beach Diversity Scholarship is awarded to a law student who enhances the diversity of the student body and is connected to the Long Island community and the firm’s continuing support of economic development in the region.
Ms. Wilcox, who lives in Westbury, is a member of Hofstra Law’s Black Law Student Association, Tax Law Association, and Trusts and Estates Law Society. She has also volunteered as a tutor at the Westbury UMC S.T.A.R.R. After School Program. This past summer, Ms. Wilcox was a judicial intern to the Honorable William J. O’Brien in Nassau County District Court.
“I am grateful to Harris Beach for this incredible scholarship,” said Ms. Wilcox. “This will help me reach my goal. I decided to enter law school with a vague idea of discovering a novel means of helping my community develop.”
“Harris Beach strongly supports opportunities for tomorrow’s lawyers. This scholarship and our work with Hofstra Law is just one way that we demonstrate that commitment,” said Thomas Garry, managing partner, Harris Beach Uniondale office. “Vanessa is an outstanding candidate and we are looking forward to introducing her to the many facets of the practice of law in the Long Island area. We are actively engaged in dialogue and networking with students of color across New York to support their journeys into the legal profession.”
About Harris Beach
Founded in 1856, Harris Beach and its subsidiaries provide a full range of legal and professional services for clients across New York state, as well as nationally and internationally. Harris Beach is among the country’s top law firms according to The National Law Journal. Clients include Fortune 100 corporations, privately-held companies, emerging businesses, public sector entities, not-for-profit organizations and individuals. Principal industries Harris Beach represents include education, energy, financial, food and beverage, health care, insurance, manufacturing, medical and life sciences, real estate developers, science and technology, veterinary medicine, and state and local governments and authorities. In addition to Uniondale, the firm’s lawyers practice across New York in Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, Melville, New York City, Rochester, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse, and White Plains. For more information, go to www.harrisbeach.com
About Hofstra Law
Since 1970, the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University has provided more than 12,000 students with an education rich in both the theory and experiential skills needed to produce outstanding lawyers, business executives, and community leaders. Hofstra Law is widely recognized as a pioneer in fully integrating clinical education into a traditional law school curriculum, while continuing to be at the forefront of legal education with programs in law and technology, health law and family law. Located on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, Hofstra Law is 20 miles outside New York City in suburban Long Island.
