2012-2013 Recipients of Scholarships for Women

Name of Scholarship	Year Established	Award Criteria	2012-2013 Recipient(s)	Photo	Profile
Hon. Ann L. Alton Scholarship for Women	2008	Female students in good academic standing with financial need. Strong preference for students from Minnesota.	Larie Pampuch		Larie has focused on tax and corporate law during her time at law school. After graduation she will be working at Anastasi Jellum, a boutique banking law firm in Stillwater, as a member of their banking and commercial lending practice group. Larie is a lover of the outdoors and enjoys camping, hiking, bicycling, and kayaking. She looks forward to having more time to spend with her large and loving family after graduation.
Patricia Ann Burke ’78 Scholarship Endowment for Women	2004	Outstanding female students with demonstrated financial need. Preference given to students ranked in the top 25% of their class, and to students working while attending law school.	Dana M. Hamilton		Dana Hamilton is in her final year of law school. While at William Mitchell she has volunteered over 275 hours with the Minnesota Justice Foundation devoting time to the Public Health Law Center and Central Minnesota Legal Services in Minneapolis.For the past nine months, Dana has clerked for the Washington County Public Defender’s Office in Stillwater. As a certified student attorney, she represents indigent clients in misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony first appearances. Additionally, she is preparing to second chair a criminal jury trial for the Dakota County Public Defender’s Office.
Donald and Donna Barbeau Scholarship Endowment	1986	Students with dependent children who have financial need, with strong preference given to working mothers, women.	Regan Bovee		Regan Bovee is in her third year at William Mitchell. Regan clerks for the Loan Repayment Assistance Program and is a member of the Mitchell Fellows program. She is currently enrolled in the Elder Justice and Policy Keystone and hopes to pursue Elder Law after graduation. Regan is involved in World Without Genocide and is passionate about human rights, both locally and abroad. In her free time, Regan contributes to a food blog and enjoys biking, reading, and spending time with her fiancé and three-year-old daughter. Regan lives in St. Cloud with her family.
C. Paul and Helen F. Jones Scholarship Endowment	1986	First year student with high predictors with preference given to members of groups traditionally under-represented in the legal field, women, and employed students.	Nadja Baer		Nadja is a part-time student at William Mitchell and a full-time Senior Systems Analyst at Target. She holds a major in creative writing and a minor in world history from the University of Minnesota. Along with this degree, she has also collected certifications in massage therapy, business analysis, and black belt taekwondo instruction. This spring she was nominated for a Minnesota Book Award for her graphic adaptation of the writing of the U.S. Constitution. She married the book’s illustrator over fall break. This summer she will be working as a research assistant for Professor Daniel S. Kleinberger and training for her seventh full marathon. She looks forward to learning more about copyright and small business law.
Kathleen Flynn Peterson Scholarship	2005	Preference given to female students interested in plaintiff trial work/trial work.	Frances Kern		Fran grew up in small-town Minnesota and earned a B.A. in Classics (Greek and Latin) with a concentration in Archaeology at Carleton College. She then went graduate school in Classics at UCLA, earning a master’s and starting a Ph.D., at which time she realized that life as an academic—her original career aspiration—didn’t suit her as well as I had once thought it did. While she pondered her career options, she taught English to elementary school students in South Korea and substitute taught in Minnesota. Law school has been a perfect fit: lots of challenging, intellectually stimulating work that will allow her to help real people when she’s in practice.At Mitchell, Fran has been involved with the Law Review, the Running Club, and a number of organizations affiliated with MJF. Mitchell’s Pet Therapy Day is her favorite day, and she cannot wait to adopt a pit bull. After graduation, she will be clerking for Judges Kalitowski, Peterson, and Schellhas on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Margaret Maie Sodergren Houchens Memorial Scholarship Endowment	1995	Female students in good academic standing and with financial need. Strong preference for students from Minnesota.	Courtney J. Allensworth		Courtney is a 3L interested in Child Protection and Indian Law (both Tribal and Federal). She has participated in William Mitchell’s Child Protection Clinic for four semesters, clerked last summer at the Indian Child Welfare Law Center in Minneapolis, and is currently working with Justice Helen Meyer on an article relating to appeals timelines in child protection matters. She is also a research assistant to Professor Sarah Deer, working mainly on issues of violence against women in Indian Country.In December, she presented on Elder Abuse code drafting at the 13^th annual Indian Nations Conference, and recently returned from a code drafting/consulting trip at the Quileute Nation, in La Push, WA. Her current clerkships are with Central Minnesota Legal Services and the Minnesota Indian Estate Planning Project. Beyond the law, Courtney spends a good deal of time at Minnesota Wild games with her Dad, walking her dog, and spoiling her best friend’s baby.
Susanne C. Sedgwick Memorial Scholarship	1997	Female part-time student with one year of law school completed and in good academic standing, with dependent children, and with an interest in public service.	Bonnie J. Claxton		Bonnie Claxton hopes to use her law degree to empower disadvantaged communities in affecting local change. Her involvement with the Indian Law Program, both through coursework and as President of the Native American Law Students Association, has given her the necessary tools to advocate tribal sovereignty during her legal career. Bonnie also had the opportunity to serve as the Minnesota Justice Foundation’s William Mitchell chapter co-chair and her work with MJF served as a tangible reminder of her post-law school goals.Bonnie and her husband, David Jons, welcomed their first child, Malcolm, in January of Bonnie’s third year at William Mitchell. He has enjoyed attending board meetings, CLEs and conferences with mom and his law school buddies. Bonnie is currently completing an externship with Legal Aid of North Carolina in her hometown of Sylva, NC, and plans to take the North Carolina Bar Exam in July.
Kathleen C. Ridder Scholarship Endowment	1998	Single parent female students who have dependent children and who are in good academic standing.	Megan L. Brooks		For years, Megan has longed to become a prosecuting attorney. She therefore is mainly studying criminal law. Megan is the proud mother of a young man who turned 16 in January. As a mother, she enjoys attending her son’s extra-curricular activities. (He plays the tuba in his high school’s marching band so she has the pleasure of being involved with many parades during the summer months.) Megan also enjoys reading, playing with her dogs, relaxing, listening to music, and attending Spooky Poodle gigs. Her summer plans include a full-time class load and volunteer work through MJF.
Kathleen C. Ridder Scholarship Endowment	1998		Pakou Moua		Pakou is a first year student. She is secretary of the William Mitchell Christian Legal Society and the student liaison for the Hmong American Bar Association. She is interested in business and public interest law. This summer, she plans to continue her internship at a solo practitioner and clerk for a judge. She is mother to four wonderful boys. During her spare time, she enjoys playing sports and spending time with her family.
Hon. Elizabeth Hoene Martin ’80 Scholarship Endowment for Women	2000	Female student ranked in the top 25% of her class, with preference given to a woman student with financial need.	Sara Wenzel		Sara is a third-year student. She is a member of the Fellows program and serves as a co-chair of the Community Economic Development and Affordable Housing Association. Sara has served as a Student Certified Law Clerk in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for the past two and a half years, a position she presently holds. Sara previously served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Michael J. Davis, Chief U.S. District Judge, District of Minnesota.Sara graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from Luther College in 2008, majoring in Economics and Sociology, and is an active member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. After graduating from Luther College, Sara worked to improve patient safety and hospital efficiency as a project manager for a healthcare software company in Madison, Wisconsin. Following her graduation from law school, Sara will join the firm of Faegre Baker Daniels as an associate. In her free time, Sara enjoys playing bassoon, practicing yoga, and brewing her own beer.
Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich ’55 Scholarship for Women	2000	Female student ranked in the top 25% of her class, with preference given to a student with financial need.	Elizabeth Cox		Elizabeth is a 3L and will be graduating in May. She hopes to pursue a career in criminal law after graduation and stay near the cities. She grew up in Hanover, Minnesota, but now lives in St. Paul with her husband, Nick. For the past year she has been working at a general practice firm in downtown St. Paul-Dudley and Smith, P.A. In her free time she likes to practice yoga and cross country ski.
Women in Law Annual Scholarship	2000	Female students who demonstrate financial need and potential for high academic achievement with proven leadership abilities as evidenced by academic or community involvements prior to or during law school.	Catherine C. Turner		Cat Turner is a 2L focusing on criminal law at William Mitchell College of Law. She graduated from the University of Kentucky and interned with a Commonwealth’s Attorney in Kentucky her 1L summer. Cat currently clerks for Brandt Criminal Defense in Anoka. This year she participated in the Williams Institute Moot Court, an advocacy moot court for sexual orientation and gender identity issues, and co-authored an article appearing in Hearsayon criminal law and parental discipline. She is also the secretary of the WMCL chapter of Women Law Students Association.Cat lives with her two non-paying roommates, Boo Boo Kitty and Tiny Kitten. She was taught about work ethic and commitment from her parents who are small business owners. She is interested in criminal defense, including expungements and restoration of civil gun rights, legal research and writing, and finding long-term legal employment.
Christine D. Zonneveld ’89 Scholarship for Women	2000	Female student s ranked in the top 25% of her class with preference given to a student with financial need.	Courtney Hofflander		Courtney Hofflander is a 2L. Her primary academic interests are in business and intellectual property law. She is the Marketing Chair of the Business Law Society and a staff member on Cybaris®, the Intellectual Property Law Review. She is also a member of the Mitchell Fellows program. She currently work at The Toro Company as a law clerk. Her long-term career goal is to be general counsel for an international corporation. In addition to work and school, she enjoys practicing yoga and being outdoors.
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi Women’s Scholarship Endowment	2002	Women students in good academic standing.	Kate L. Homolka		Kate is currently a third-year student at William Mitchell. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Iowa in 2010. At Iowa, she minored in Dance and had the opportunity to study in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil.At Mitchell, she has the privilege of working as an editor on Volume 39 of the William Mitchell Law Review. She also volunteers with the Minnesota Justice Foundation—specifically with the Street Law program. She currently clerks at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and recently finished a semester-long externship in the U.S. District Court. After graduation, she will be clerking for the Honorable Francis J. Connolly at the Minnesota Court of Appeals for two years.

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