(Pittsburgh, PA, August 18, 2004) – The Pittsburgh office of Reed Smith LLP, a top 25 international law firm, has selected Danielle Nicole Ducre as the third recipient of its prestigious Reed Smith Fellowship. The Fellowship is awarded annually to a first-year law student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law who has surmounted economic or social adversity in pursuit of a law degree.
Overcoming a history of racism and sexism in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, the Spelman College graduate achieved academic success in high school and college, including founding two community service organizations as an undergraduate. The Fellowship provides tuition for Ducre's final years of legal training as well as employment at Reed Smith during the summers after her second year and third years of academic preparation.
The Fellowship is for the 2004-2005 academic year.
"Danielle has an outstanding record of community service and civic involvement that typifies her approach to resolving the economic and social ills of society," said Cathy Bissoon, Reed Smith’s Director of Diversity. “We are pleased to be able to acknowledge her accomplishments and contribute to her final years of legal training. We believe she will be a remarkable, socially-conscious attorney.”
The Reed Smith Fellowship was established in 2002 as an annual award to a beginning second-year law student at the University of Pittsburgh who overcomes adversity in pursuit of a legal education. To compete for the honor, students must have a B average in their first year coursework and write an essay describing how they encountered and overcame economic or social adversity. Applicants must also demonstrate commitment to the community and involvement in extracurricular activities to be competitive for the scholarship.
“The Law School faculty and her fellow students congratulate Danielle on her selection for this important Fellowship,” said David Herring, Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. “She is a take-charge, highly-focused student whom we believe has enormous potential to contribute to our profession and our nation. We applaud the enthusiasm she brings to all aspects of her academic and community involvement. We know she will represent our institution, Reed Smith and the Fellowship exceptionally well in the years ahead."
Ducre noted in her Fellowship application that she was often subjected to the racial and sexist ignorance embedded in the historical landscape of Atlanta, Georgia. Often the only African American in her classes or leadership organizations throughout adolescence, she turned these circumstances to her advantage by using them to hone her ability to communicate and work with diverse individuals and groups.
While an undergraduate at Spelman, she founded the school's Community Relations Board and its Student Philanthropy Council as means of enhancing the school's positive impact on the social and economic ills of the Atlanta community.
The New York office of Reed Smith named its 2004 Fellow this week as well, tapping Lavanya Mahendran, a Columbia University School of Law student and UCLA graduate whose family is from Sri Lanka, as the second recipient of the annual Reed Smith Fellowship in that city.
Reed Smith, a leading global law firm with nearly 1,000 lawyers located in 14 U.S. and two U.K. cities, represents Fortune 100 as well as mid-market and emerging companies. Clients include technology companies and entrepreneurs, financial services firms, life sciences companies and health care providers and insurers, communications companies, manufacturers, universities, non-profit organizations, real estate developers, and municipalities throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and in 40 other countries. For more information, please visit reedsmith.com.