Courtney Person '18
BOSTON – April 18, 2018 – New England Law | Boston today announced that 3L student Courtney Person has been awarded two prestigious scholarships: the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association (MBLA) Honorable Reginald Lindsay Public Service Award and the Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys Foundation (MBWA) Blanche E. Braxton Bar Scholarship (named, incidentally, for a New England Law—then Portia Law School—grad!).
Both $1,000 scholarships are awarded to law students of color who have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence, a commitment to public service, and a dedication to the advancement of minoritized people through the legal process. She plans to use the scholarship funds to assist with expenses as she prepares for the Massachusetts Bar Exam this spring and summer.
During law school, Person has demonstrated her commitment to public service through a variety of extracurricular activities both at New England Law and the Greater Boston area. In 2016, she was named a Rappaport Fellow by the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School, which granted her the opportunity to intern in the Policy and Government Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. There she worked in various aspects of public policy, aiding in the implementation of the transgender bill signed by Governor Charlie Baker in July 2016 and working directly with Attorney General Maura Healy to adopt and reinforce stricter gun policies following the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.
Person, who has held seven internship positions during law school, attributes much of her success to the opportunities provided to her through New England Law. “I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to gain so many experiences before I graduated if I had gone anywhere else,” she said.
Her law school accomplishments also include an internship at the CORI and Re-Entry Project at Greater Boston Legal Services; a judicial internship under the direction of Clerk Francis V. Kenneally, the Supreme Judicial Clerk of the Commonwealth; and an internship in the civil litigation division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the supervision of USAA Michael Sady.
“Courtney has been successful because of her willingness to accept challenges and explore opportunities,” said Hon. Barbara Dortch-Okara, Professor of Law at New England Law. “Despite the hard work her studies required of her, Courtney had the foresight to engage in activities that allowed others to recognize her potential.”
She is now a judicial intern under Justice Kimberly Budd with the Supreme Judicial Court and a law clerk for Morrison Mahoney LLP. She will graduate from New England Law in May and plans to continue her law career in Massachusetts.