School image by Michael J. Clarke.
Within a single year, three different alumni have committed million-dollar gifts to help advance Suffolk Law’s mission of delivering an outstanding, affordable legal education. Two of the commitments were made after the pandemic began.
“We are deeply grateful for these remarkable commitments,” said Suffolk University Law School Dean Andrew Perlman. “They are a testament to the impact of a Suffolk Law education and the desire of our alumni to give back and help the next generation of graduates achieve similar success.”
Most recently, an anonymous donor, who was a first-generation college and law school graduate, wanted to contribute life-changing support to first-generation Suffolk Law students in an effort to bridge financial gaps that unfairly burden deserving students. This particular scholarship is focused on eliminating barriers and widening the pipeline for first-generation students to enter the legal profession, helping them thrive as successful and confident lawyers.
Another alum, Warren G. Levenbaum JD’72, has long supported the Law School as a member of the Dean’s Cabinet. Levenbaum, founding partner of the West Coast personal injury law firm Levenbaum Trachtenberg, recently said, “The true test of lifetime achievement is the ability to give back, and I am forever grateful to Suffolk Law School, which has given me this opportunity.”
Last fall, the Law School announced the first of the three gifts, when Dean’s Cabinet member Barry C. Cosgrove JD’85 honored the spirit of his wife’s grandmother, Graciela Rojas-Trabal. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, and her hard work and ethics were an inspiration to her family. Today, the Graciela Rojas-Trabal Term Scholarship Fund supports law students from Cosgrove’s hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts, as well as law students who have a significant interest in and knowledge of the Dominican Republic’s history and culture.
Brockton, Massachusetts
I have wanted to be a lawyer since I was a freshman in high school, when I was a member of my high school’s mock trial team. During my time as an undergrad, I interned at the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, which was an amazing chance to see the criminal process in action.
Suffolk’s JD/LLM in Taxation Program really stuck out to me. Being able to get my JD and LLM in three years was a no-brainer. After law school, I plan on practicing tax law.
The scholarship has been immensely helpful in offsetting the burden of paying tuition. Barry Cosgrove and I both attended Cardinal Spellman High School in my hometown.
Brockton, Massachusetts
My family has always instilled in me the value of an education and the power that comes with knowledge. I grew up in a community that did not believe in the criminal justice system because they felt as though it failed them. For me, this was hard to grasp. I knew I wanted to be a part of the change. … I wanted to be a voice for my community to bridge the gap between the communities and the justice system.
I plan to focus my legal education on civil rights and human rights law. The support of this scholarship will allow me to build a legal career where I can become the voice of those individuals who need to be heard in our society.
Caguas, Puerto Rico
I moved to Boston to continue pursuing my education. I had a big dream, law school being my end goal. However, I had one obstacle to overcome: mastering the English language. I was not ready for law school back then, so I decided to pursue graduate studies in psychology and behavior analysis and improve my writing and communication skills so I could be prepared to pursue studies in the law. After completing my two master’s degrees, I felt ready to pursue my biggest dream and decided to apply to law school.
When I visited Suffolk Law, I felt that I was home. I felt that I belonged there.
The scholarship has allowed me to focus more on my studies.
Photographs courtesy of student award recipients
