(July 29, 2008, Pittsburgh, PA) – Aleksandra Vladimirovna “Sasha” Williams is a mother of four, a part-time paralegal, a full-time law student at the University of Pittsburgh, an accomplished artist and a busy community volunteer.
This spring the Russian immigrant found time to complete an application for the Reed Smith Fellowship, established in 2002 by Reed Smith LLP, one of the world’s 15 largest law firms. It was time well spent.
The firm named Williams winner of the prestigious award, which will pay her tuition for the final two years of law school, as well as provide summer employment in Reed Smith’s Pittsburgh office following completion of her second year of study.
“Sasha represents everything we hope to foster in the future of the legal profession,” said Gregory B. Jordan, Reed Smith’s Global Managing Partner. “She is intelligent and resourceful, as well as highly committed to making a difference in her community and broader world. We had a strong field of very high-caliber applicants for the Fellowship competition and are delighted to name Sasha as this year’s winner.”
Williams spent her early years amidst the poverty, disarray and psychological oppression of a collapsing Soviet regime in Russia. “The Communist system was aimed at completely obliterating individual identity and independent thought,” Sasha said. “I escaped to America to pursue a vocation that will help me ensure a better future for my children and others. I am extremely honored to be selected by Reed Smith for this award, which will help me achieve this important goal.”
According to Reed Smith’s Director of Diversity Tyree P. Jones, Jr., the firm established the Fellowship to recognize and encourage students at the University of Pittsburgh like Williams who demonstrate excellent scholarship and community dedication while overcoming economic or social adversity in pursuit of a law degree. To compete for the award, students must earn at least a B average in their first-year coursework and write an essay describing how they encountered and overcame economic or social adversity in order to qualify for law school admission. The winner must also demonstrate a commitment to the community and evidence substantive involvement in extracurricular activities.
“Sasha pushed back against incredible adversity, first by earning a full college scholarship that propelled her from Russia to the United States, then by mastering our difficult language and culture to make a place for herself in this country, and finally by qualifying for and beginning the study of law at a top law school,” Jones said. “The unfaltering resolve to succeed she has demonstrated through these achievements will stand her in good stead as a practicing attorney.”
In her application essay, Williams described her life within Communist-dominated Russia during the Cold War, when she and her family lived in three small rooms with two other families. She encountered personal persecution and discrimination as the demise of the Soviet Union sent Russia into a tailspin of political and economic chaos, organized crime and corruption. After graduating high school, Williams’ academic achievements, determination and support from her family allowed her to escape to the United States, receiving a full scholarship to Shepherd University in West Virginia. Despite her traumatic childhood, Ms. Williams treasures her heritage and sincerely hopes to be of service to both countries: the one that gave her incredible opportunities for personal and professional advancement and the one that taught her to appreciate those opportunities to the fullest extent.
Yet, after arriving in the United States, Williams continued to struggle as she learned the English language and worked to express herself. By becoming involved with the community, Ms. Williams was able to integrate herself and learn the culture. She became involved in caring for local elderly and disabled residents of West Virginia, volunteering at local public and private schools, organizing educational art exhibits and creating art for donation to local charitable organizations. After moving to Pittsburgh she enthusiastically offered her linguistic, artistic and international experience to the local community by volunteering at international cultural exchange functions and school festivals. Ms. Williams recognized that she had lacked cultural ties and international awareness during her childhood and now attempts to provide that for students through her community work, and visits and talks at local schools.
“The University of Pittsburgh Law School faculty and student body congratulate Sasha for receiving the 2008 Fellowship,” said Mary Crossley, Dean of the School of Law. “She is a dedicated and very capable student from whom we foresee great things in the years ahead. It’s obvious how much higher education and success mean to her and her family. We are proud to play a role in making Sasha’s dream of becoming a lawyer come true.”
Williams was honored at a reception on July 28 in the offices of Reed Smith, 435 Sixth Avenue.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,600 lawyers in 23 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its attorneys provide litigation services in multi-jurisdictional matters and other high stake disputes, deliver regulatory counsel, and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising and media, shipping, international trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com
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