Scholarship Fund Board
The Scholarship Fund board is the charitable arm of BWLA. It is a c3 organization whose by-laws require a majority of the board to be comprised of the BWLA Board of Directors.
Chastidy Burns
Chair
Assistant Public Defender
Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
Samya Abdela
Associate
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Elsa Andrianifahanana
Associate
Jones Day
Amber Bennett
Judicial Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Kenyatta Beverly
Labor and Employment Counsel
The Davey Tree Expert Company
Kalia Coleman
Assistant United States Attorney
United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois
Jasmine Fannell
Assistant Vice President
Labor & Employment Counsel, HSBC
Ashley Jackson
Senior Privacy Counsel
US & Canada Privacy Leader; GE Healthcare
Erica Kirkwood
Vice President & General Counsel
GMA Construction Group
Camile Lindsay-Kumi
Chief of Staff
Illinois Department of Corrections
Era Laudermilk
Deputy of Legislative Affairs
Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
Nakhia Morrissette
Regulatory Counsel & Midwest Director, State Affairs
Solar Energy Industries Association
Drahcir M. Smith
Employment Counsel
Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP
Michelle Speller-Thurman
Division Counsel
Abbott Laboratories
Ashley Varnado
Assistant Public Defender
Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
Weeya Young
Assistant State's Attorney
Cook County State's Attorney Office
Scholarship Fund Event
Scholarship Opportunities
Agnes B. McGirth Scholarship Application
The Black Women Lawyers’ Association Scholarship Fund (BWLA-SF) endeavors to encourage African-American women in the law through support in their legal education and to promote
2021 Spring Essay Scholarship Application
The Black Women Lawyers’ Association Scholarship Fund (BWLA-SF) endeavors to encourage Black students in the law through support in their legal education and to promote
Donate to the Scholarship Fund
Scholarship Fund Donation Form
Complete the form below to make an online donation to our Scholarship Fund.
Grant Opportunities
Law Student Hardship Grant
Click HERE to view and download the 2020 BWLA Fall Book Scholarship Application (PDF). Click HERE to download the Word Doc version.