California Western Graduates Awarded Prestigious Scholarship
Three California Western alumni preparing for Bar exam receive award from California Bar Foundation, the most of any law school in the state

Rosenthal Scholar Kyung Eun Latimer '10 addresses classmates during commencement.

"It is an honor to share in the achievement of these graduates," says Dean Steven R. Smith. "While this prestigious honor rewards their academic success and community service, we know that it serves as the foundation of rewarding careers in the service of others. We wish them the best as they prepare for the Bar exam."

California Western Students Honored
"I feel very proud and honored to have been selected to receive one of the Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarships," says recipient Lisa Orozco. "I was especially proud when I learned that two of my fellow classmates also received the scholarship."

Orozco joins recent graduates Kyung Eun Latimer and Liseth M. Saravia as recipients of this recognition from the California Bar Foundation.

"I am sincerely humbled and honored," says Latimer, who attended Kyung Hee University in Korea prior to California Western. "Stories of other recipients inspire me greatly, and receiving this scholarship encourages me to excel further as a legal professional and not to forget my obligations in this community." 

Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarship
The Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarship began in 1997 and is named in honor of Imelda Rosenthal, a Guatemalan immigrant who was lauded for her community service.

Each year, the scholarship provides law school graduates aspiring to work in public interest law with Bar exam-related financial support. It is one of only a handful of scholarship programs in the country with this focus. Scholarship awardees receive $2,000 to assist with the costs associated with taking the Bar exam, including exam registration, Bar review courses, and living expenses. The top three honorees also receive a complimentary BAR/BRI of California review course valued at more than $3,500.00. To date, the California Bar Foundation has awarded $200,000 in cash awards and bar review courses to public interest lawyers-to-be.

California Western and Public Interest Law
California Western views the practice of law as a helping profession. Earlier this year, the law school was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. Only 16 institutions in California were given this honor, and California Western was the only independent law school recognized. The school's commitment to community service earned it this national distinction.

In 2009, students, faculty, and staff from the law school donated thousands of hours of community, internship, and pro bono service. A significant amount of that time is given to non-profit and government entities that serve the public interest.

"California Western is a much better law school because of our involvement in serving the public," says Smith. "We are changing the lives of people and organizations who can most benefit from our help, while advancing our students' education by providing them with early, rewarding legal experience."

About the California Bar Foundation
According to the California Bar Foundation, it is "committed to building a better justice system for all Californians." The non-profit organization was founded in 1990 and is affiliated with the State Bar of California. Each year, the Foundation awards grants to California organizations conducting innovative law-related projects and scholarships to outstanding California law students.