The Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association (“the Mass. LGBTQ Bar”) is pleased to announce its eighteenth annual Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Award in the increased amount of $5,000. The Scholarship will be awarded to one current second, third or fourth year law student to defray the costs associated with law school, such as tuition, fees, books, and similar school-related expenses.
Alexander “Alec” G. Gray, Jr., was a dynamic and important contributor to the work of the Mass. LGBTQ Bar. He served on the Mass. LGBTQ Bar (then, MLGBA) Board from 2002 until 2005. He was an energetic participant in the Bar’s mentor program. He was serious about mentoring LGBTQ law students and new lawyers and developed lasting relationships with his mentees, formal and informal. Alec will long be remembered for his dedication to public service, his advocacy on behalf of children, and his deep commitment to all that he undertook. In his legal career, Alec remained dedicated to public service in Massachusetts. He served as an Assistant Attorney General, General Counsel to the Department of Social Services (now the Department of Children and Families), Executive Director of the Adoption Center, Chief Operating Officer of Concord-Assabet Family and Adolescent Services, and General Counsel to the Trial Court. Alec died in 2005 after a brief and courageous struggle with melanoma. This Scholarship honors Alec’s outstanding work as a lawyer and his dedication to the Mass. LGBTQ Bar—particularly his mentorship of new lawyers.
Founded in 1985, the Mass. LGBTQ Bar is a state-wide professional association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer lawyers and allies providing a visible LGBTQ presence within the Massachusetts legal community. The Mass. LGBTQ Bar is open to all members of the legal profession, including practicing lawyers, judges, law professors, students, and paralegals. The Mass. LGBTQ Bar devotes its energy and resources to a variety of civic and professional activities at the local, state, and national levels. For more information about the Mass. LGBTQ Bar, please see our website, www.masslgbtqbar.org.
The Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Award will be awarded to a second- third- of fourth-year law student who demonstrates a commitment to and involvement in the LGBTQ community, leadership, maturity, and responsibility. Other indicia of excellence, including positive personal, professional or academic traits, will also be considered. The Mass. LGBTQ Bar Board of Directors will select the recipient of the scholarship, based on recommendations by the Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Committee.
To apply for and be eligible for the Scholarship, candidates must meet all of the terms and conditions set forth below and must complete and return all required submissions (see below) by email to [email protected] by April 12, 2024 at 11:59 P.M. Finalists will be interviewed by one or more members of the Scholarship Committee.
For any questions, please contact [email protected].
The 2024 recipient of the Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Award will be announced at the Mass. LGBTQ Bar Annual Garden Party on June 6, 2024. The recipient must attend and/or provide written materials for the Mass. LGBTQ Bar Annual Garden Party.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE MASS. LGBTQ BAR SCHOLARSHIP
To be eligible to receive the Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Award, a candidate must:
- Be enrolled as a second-, third, or fourth-year law student in the 2023-2024 academic year and be in good standing at a law school in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
- Attest to spending at least the amount of the award (to be determined) for financial costs directly related to enrollment in law school;
- Be a student member of the Mass. LGBTQ Bar; and
- If not already a member, the applicant must apply for student membership in the Mass. LGBTQ Bar. There is no cost for student membership. Membership applications must be submitted separately on line at www.masslgbtqbar.org.
Applicants for the Alexander G. Gray, Jr., Scholarship Award must submit the following:
- Completed Application Form (PDF);
- One letter of recommendation written by a person not related to the candidate, preferably a professor, employer, or work colleague, that addresses the candidate’s eligibility for the Gray Scholarship, including community service, leadership, maturity and responsibility, as well as other qualifications to receive the award;
- Law school transcript (unofficial is acceptable); and
- Resume.
All of the above required materials must be submitted in PDF format as an email attachment to [email protected] by April 12, 2024 at 11:59 P.M.
The recipient of the scholarship will be selected by the Board of Directors of the Mass. LGBTQ Bar, upon the recommendation of the Scholarship Committee.
Officers and voting directors of the Mass. LGBTQ Bar and members of the Scholarship Committee, and their immediate family members, are ineligible for the Scholarship.
All application materials submitted will become the property of the Mass. LGBTQ Bar.
GROW THE GRAY SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The Mass LGBTQ Bar encourages all members, friends, and allies to contribute to the Gray Scholarship Fund. Your contributions honor Alec’s memory and his commitment to mentorship of young lawyers.
Contributions to the Gray Scholarship Fund are tax deductible, thanks to the assistance of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation. By making a gift, you will honor Alec’s life and work, and you will signal your commitment to the next generation of lawyers committed to LGBTQ equality.
To contribute to the Fund, please click here. Thank you for your support.
*The Massachusetts Bar Foundation is a charitable, non-profit organization under the IRS code 501(c)(3), and is serving as the fiscal agent for the Alexander G. Gray, Jr. Scholarship Fund. As such, all contributions to the Fund are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by state and federal law. Receipts are issued for all gifts.
PAST RECIPIENTS OF THE GRAY SCHOLARSHIP
2007 Joblin Younger, Suffolk Law School
2008 Connor Barusch, Boston University Law School
2009 Liz Monnin-Browder, Boston College Law School
2010 Talia Stoessel, Northeastern University School of Law
2011 Jared Milrad, Northeastern University School of Law
2012 Jennifer Garner, Suffolk Law School
2013 Adam Harmon, Boston College Law School
2014 Kyle Rapiñan, Northeastern University School of Law
2015 Alena Chaps, Boston College Law School
2016 Tanesha Williams, Northeastern University School of Law
2017 Skailer Qvistgaard, Suffolk University Law School
2018 Gerard Fischetti, Boston University Law School
2019 Christopher Hamilton, Boston University School of Law
2020 Alex Weinstein, Boston University School of Law
2021 Aedan Dunn, Boston University School of Law
2022 Henry McDonald, Northeastern University School of Law
2023 Janelle Robins, Boston University Law School