Thanks to the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey (HBA-NJ), eight Rutgers Law students from the school’s Camden and Newark locations have been awarded $42,000 in scholarships.
Based on several criteria, including academic success, and a commitment to community and volunteerism, the scholarships will be presented at the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey’s 35th annual scholarship gala on Saturday, June 11 at the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City.
HBA-NJ scholarship recipients include Rutgers Law second-year students Francisco F. Guzman Andrade, Eric Macias Intriago, Jonathan Taylor Stewart, Marisa Huerta, and Bryan S. Sanchez and Rutgers Law third-year students Laura M. Garcia, Nathania Reyes, and Melody M. Lins.
According to Carlos Bollar, president of the association and a 1995 Rutgers College alumnus and a 1997 Rutgers Law School alumnus, more than 300 people are expected to attend the event, which will also recognize the Hon. John Michael Vazquez of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and Rutgers Law Clinical Professor Charles I. Auffant.
Bollar, a partner at Archer & Greiner, where he represents clients in complex toxic tort, product liability and environmental litigation matters, notes that there are several reasons for the high number of scholarships awarded and the strong Rutgers presence. “The HBA-NJ continues to grow year after year with a powerful network of sponsors, members, and supporters,” he says. “Each one of our scholarship recipients is paired up with a sponsor who has dedicated their time and money to enriching the lives of diverse law students.”
Sworn in as president on Oct. 27, Bollar credits the HBA-NJ’s dynamic Board for their passion in raising money for New Jersey students. Last year, over $39,000 was awarded in student scholarships. In 2016, $65,000 will be given out to students during the HBA-NJ scholarship gala.
“This year Rutgers students did an amazing job academically and were also community leaders and volunteers statewide,” adds Bollar. “The students at Rutgers Law School have demonstrated that they are the future of the legal community in New Jersey.”
To Hispanic attorneys practicing in the Garden State, Bollar recommends they consider becoming involved in the organization. “The HBA-NJ is a vibrant organization with hundreds of members that provides a built-in network of attorneys from a variety of fields: private practice, in-house counsel, government, public interest, the judiciary and the legislature. Our membership does a great job of mentoring and educating each other in our profession. The HBA-NJ is also very involved in philanthropic issues and provides attorneys with many opportunities to give back to the Latino community.”
That same recommendation is offered to current law students: “Law students are often hyper-focused on their grades and the interviewing process for their first job. But law students who get involved early in professional organizations have a distinct advantage when it comes to getting their initial job and later in their career when they realize the importance of networking and rainmaking.”