Black Lawyers Create New Scholarship
By Ashley Gantt, Esq.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The T.J. Reddick Bar Association and Kaplan have developed a partnership to increase the number of Black attorneys by creating a scholarship for Black law students. This new scholarship, in the form of bar preparatory courses, will be awarded to eligible rising 2Ls and 3Ls who are members of the Black Law Students Association in South Florida, to help alleviate the financial burdens that Black law students experience while preparing for the bar exam.
According to a recently released report by the American Bar Association, Black law school graduates generally take on tens of thousands of dollars more in student loan debt than their White counterparts, which affects some of their most personal life choices. For example, new lawyers who are Black are more likely than new White lawyers to postpone or decide not to get married, and to postpone or decide not to buy a house.
“We are honored to partner with Kaplan to provide opportunities for Black law students to focus on their craft and not how they are going to pay for it,” stated Ashley Gantt, President, T.J. Reddick Bar Association.
“Having a legal profession that looks like America and the population it serves is long overdue,” said Amit Schlesinger, Executive Director of Bar Prep Programs, Kaplan. “We are confident that by working with the T.J Reddick Bar Association we can provide more opportunities to newly minted Black lawyers and change the profession for the better.” Kaplan and the T.J. Reddick Bar Association’s relationship began with both recognizing their shared goal of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession through alleviating financial roadblocks that many Black law students experience. In furtherance of this goal, Kaplan has increased its commitment to creating opportunities for Black law students by donating three bar preparatory courses for this scholarship. The courses will be awarded at the T.J. Reddick Bar Association’s Annual Scholarship Gala on Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 7 p.m. Scholarship applications are available on the T.J. Reddick Bar Association’s website. About The T.J. Reddick Bar Association The T.J. Reddick Bar Association is dedicated to promoting the professional excellence of Black lawyers in Broward County, increasing the enrollment of minority students in college and law school, and promoting the general welfare of all citizens in Broward County.
The Association is named after the Honorable Thomas J. Reddick, who was the first Black attorney to open an office and practice law in Broward County. Judge Reddick was the first Black attorney appointed to the Broward County Court of Record and the first Black attorney to serve as a Circuit Court Judge in Florida. For more information, please visit www.tjreddickbar.com.
