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Anderson & Kreiger LLP Announces 2024 Legal Diversity Fund Awardees

Anderson & Kreiger LLP is pleased to announce the awardees of the 2024 Legal Diversity Fund. The fund awards financial stipends to aspiring lawyers who demonstrate financial need and who identify as part of a racial or ethnic group that is underrepresented in the legal profession. One $50,000 stipend was awarded to a current law school student and five $5,000 stipends to college students with an interest in pursuing a legal career. All college students who receive a stipend will also be eligible for free or discounted LSAT tutoring services or other services to aid college students in applying for law school.

This year’s law student awardee is Antoinette Golden, who is in her second year at Suffolk University Law School. Originally from Alabama, Antoinette received her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Alabama State University, and has worked for Congresswoman Terri Sewell, the Orlando, Florida Office of the Public Defender, and Brown Brothers Harriman.  A&K is pleased to help Antoinette along the path of her legal career.

The five talented college student awardees are:

• Alanna Moli, Northeastern University
• Alexa Piedra, Boston College
• Angana Saha, Boston College
• Jada Trench, Howard University
• Shre Venkatesan, Boston University

The stipends are intended to help address the challenges faced by students who lack the financial capital to focus exclusively on schooling like some of their peers and whose financial situation may limit their range of legal career options. The program also aims to address systemic weaknesses in connecting these students with other members of the legal community, potential employers, mentors, and clients, which is a strong predictor of success in the legal profession.

Selection Committee

An independent selection committee consisting of lawyers from the public, non-profit and private sectors made the final award decisions. The members of the 2024 selection committee are:

• Alexandra Blackmore, Deputy General Counsel – NE, National Grid
• Joseph Kaigler, Associate Chief Counsel – Litigation, Massachusetts Port Authority
• Priya Lane, BizGrow Director, Lawyers for Civil Rights

Other Benefits

In addition to the stipend, the law school recipient receives the following benefits:

• Baystate Financial has agreed to provide pro bono financial planning advice to help recipients evaluate options for utilizing the stipend.
• The recipient may, but is not required to, participate in Anderson & Kreiger’s mentoring and training programs and firm-sponsored networking and social events.
• The recipient may, but is not required to, perform at least 20 hours of pro bono work with Anderson & Kreiger lawyers prior to graduation to gain hands-on experience and training.
• The recipient may, but is not required to, apply for a paid internship at Anderson & Kreiger during their first or second summers if enrolled in a three-year JD program, or during their second or third school summers if enrolled in a four-year JD program. Any recipient hired by Anderson & Kreiger for an internship will be paid in accordance with the firm’s standard intern salary scale, over and above the $50,000 stipend paid from the Legal Diversity Fund.

In addition to the stipend and any LSAT tutoring/law school application services, the college recipients will receive:

• An Anderson & Kreiger mentor to help:
  • Evaluate whether a legal career fits their personal goals;
  • Navigate the process of law school admissions;
  • Identify meaningful internships; and
  • Network in the Greater Boston legal community.
  • The opportunity to participate in firm-organized events with the other recipients, Anderson & Kreiger training programs, and firm-sponsored networking and social events.