Summary
- Scholarship programs to support key initiatives and address barriers to active participation in the Section.
Scholarships
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The purpose of the Section of Public Contract Law Scholarship Program is to address barriers to active participation in the Section by investing in attorneys who will participate actively in, and contribute to, the substantive work of the Section; will grow into future leadership positions within the Section; and will promote the balance of ideas which is the foundation of the Section's value to its members and the overall procurement community. The Section supports the work of up-and-coming professionals through the Section of Public Contract Law Scholarship and the Marilyn Neforas Meeting Scholarship for Young Lawyer Women in Public Contract Law.
PCL Scholarship Application
View the PCL Scholarship application, and indicate the scholarship opportunity for which you are applying. Applicants may apply for more than one scholarship.
Full Meeting Scholarship
Two-year meeting scholarship beginning with the Fall Educational Conference/Fall Council Meeting. The scholarship provides funding to reimburse travel costs to attend the Section's three educational conferences and their accompanying Council meetings (Fall Educational Conference, Federal Procurement Institute (FPI) and Annual Meeting. This scholarship also includes a wavier of the registration fee for each meeting.
Eligibility: No specific eligibility, however, preference is given to an underrepresented member of the procurement profession.
Requirements: The scholarship recipient is expected to:
- Be a member of the Section;
- Attend all three Section educational conferences and the accompanying Council meetings held in conjunction with them;
- Become involved in one or more Section committees;
- Work on one at least one committee project;
- Make at least one substantive presentation or contribution related to public contract law;
- Provide the Section feedback on the scholarship experience; and
- Serve as a resource to future scholarship recipients.
Marilyn Neforas Meeting Scholarship for Young Lawyer Women in Public Contract Law
One-year meeting scholarship beginning with the Fall Educational Conference/Fall Council Meeting. The scholarship provides funding to reimburse travel costs to attend the Section's three educational conferences and their accompanying Council meetings (Fall Educational Conference, Federal Procurement Institute (FPI), and Annual Meeting). This scholarship also includes a waiver of the registration fee for each meeting.
Eligibility: Applicant must be:
- A female young lawyer (under the age of 36 or practicing for five years or less);
- A member of the Section for at least one year as of the deadline for application submissions; and
- Exhibit promise in developing commitment to the Section, selflessness, integrity, perseverance, and heart.
Preference is given to an underrepresented member of the procurement profession.
Requirements: The scholarship recipient is expected to:
- Be a member of the Section;
- Attend all three Section educational conferences and the accompanying Council meetings held in conjunction with them;
- Become involved in one or more Section committees;
- Work on one at least one committee project;
- Make at least one substantive presentation or contribution related to public contract law;
- Provide the Section feedback on the scholarship experience; and
- Serve as a resource to future scholarship recipients.
Testimonials
What did receiving the ABA Section of Public Contract Law Diversity Scholarship mean to you?
“As a local government lawyer and Public Contract Law Section scholarship recipient, I received the gift of immersion in my practice area without a heavy financial burden. However, the scholarship provided much more than an education. As a PCL Section member, subject matter experts on all aspects of public contracts are always willing to assist me in analyzing an issue. Trailblazers in this practice have become mentors and friends who encourage me to pursue leadership opportunities and fully participate in spirited discussions about public contract law and policy. My scholarship and Section involvement led to my service as a consulted expert for the World Bank Group on the “Benchmarking Public Procurement” project. Now, I enjoy ‘paying it forward’ as new practitioners join what I call ‘The Best Practice Section Few Know About’.”
Angela M. Hinton
Chief Counsel
City of Atlanta, Law Department
(2009 – 2011 Scholarship Recipient)
“My time as a diversity scholarship recipient in the Public Contract Law Section (PCLS) was invaluable, both professionally and personally. As a scholarship recipient, I was given responsibilities from day one, assigned an experienced mentor, and introduced to various senior practitioners in the Section. Couple that inclusion, mentoring and training with the financial assistance the Section provided me to attend various Section meetings, and I can unequivocally state that being a scholarship recipient provided me with the resources and connections to become an involved member of the Section. My involvement in the Section has also provided me with many new friendships, and has been integral to the advancement of my career. As a scholarship alumnus I look forward to giving back to the Section that has given so much to me.”
Robert T. Wu
Senior Attorney
U.S. Government Accountability Office, Procurement Law Division
(2010 – 2012 Scholarship Recipient)
“Being a scholarship recipient of the ABA Section of Public Contract Law means that I get the opportunity to be exposed to a Section that performs a vital function by providing a platform for other attorneys who practice in the field of public contract law to associate and disseminate important information in this field. As a current scholarship recipient, I have been enthusiastically encouraged to attend section events and get involved within the section; I have met and established relationships with leading attorneys in private practice and within the Government who practice in this field of law; received phenomenal mentoring opportunities; and attended conferences and forums that have contributed to enhancing my knowledge of public contract law. I am excited to be a Section member and scholarship recipient, and look forward to continuously contributing to the Section.”
Frank Windham
Assistant Counsel
U.S. Department of the Navy, F-35 Lightning II / Joint Strike Fighter Program
(2015 – 2017 Scholarship Recipient)
Donate to the PCL Scholarship Funds
Your charitable donation, designated to the Public Contract Law General Support Fund and Marilyn Neforas Scholarship Fund, ensures educational and leadership opportunities for young lawyers, diverse lawyers, public service lawyers and judges, and others to participate in the Section’s educational offerings as well as supports our public service projects.
Recipients
Section Diversity Meeting Scholarship Recipients
2023-2025
Samantha Lee
2022-2024
Amanda McDowell
2020 – 2022
Christopher DelGiorno
Joshuah Turner
2019 – 2021
David White
Neil Riley
2018 – 2020
Debra Berg
2015 – 2017
Malaka Watson
Frank Windham, Jr
2014 – 2017
Kristine Kassekert
Linda Santiago
2013 – 2015
Samuel Mark Borowski
2012 – 2014
Rhina Cardenal
C.S. Maravilla
2010 – 2012
Keith M. McCook
Robert T. Wu
2009 – 2011
Angela M. Hinton
2008 – 2010
Felicia Collins Ocumarez
Elizabeth M. Grant
Marilyn Neforas Meeting Scholarship Recipients for Young Lawyer Women in Public Contract Law
2023-2024
Sarah Burgart
Brooke Didier
2022-2023
Ann McRitchie
2021-2022
Ivy Brewer
Emily Reid
2020-2021
Seannalyn Brandmeier
Amy Fuentes
2019 – 2020
Seannalyn Brandmeir
Jessalyn Lord
2018-2019
Sonia Tabriz