For three law students in Texas, a recent move by Winstead made their financial futures look a whole lot more secure. The Dallas-based firm announced April 16 that it had awarded scholarships and summer and post-graduation job offers to Joseph Guajardo at the University of Houston Law Center, Carrie Nie at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and James Wang at the University of Texas School of Law. All are finishing their first year of law school this spring. The Winstead Juris Doctor Scholarships are designed to benefit outstanding first-year minority law school students, the firm’s announcement notes. Nie says she has been waiting earlier this spring for the scholarship application requirements to be posted because a friend and mentor of hers won one last year and she knew of few other similar awards. The value of the Winstead scholarship, grants and hiring bonuses equals up to $18,500 per student, according to Winstead’s announcement. Guajardo says he will receive the largest portion of his funds when he accepts a job at Winstead after graduation in 2012. He and the two other students, as a result of the awards, also have offers for summer 2011 clerkships at Winstead. Guajardo, who was the first in his family to go to college, says the financial lift will really help, since he was financing his legal education with loans and savings. The announcement notes that each recipient is entitled to receive a $1,500 grant for the law school interest group of their choosing.
-- Miriam Rozen
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