The Justice Center recently awarded two partial tuition scholarships to third year students, the Judge William Wayne Justice Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law and the Chris Marshall Endowed Presidential Scholarship. Both scholarships honor alumni who excelled in public service.
“The Judge William Wayne Justice and Chris Marshall scholarships celebrate the dedication of students committed to pursuing impactful careers in public service,” said Nicole Simmons, director of the Justice Center. “We extend our gratitude to the generous donors whose contributions created the scholarships.”
Judge William Wayne Justice Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law
The Judge William Wayne Justice Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law was established in 1997 as a bequest of Elizabeth Parrish to be awarded to “a third-year law student who evidences a commitment to promoting, as an attorney, civil rights and civil liberties in the United States.” William Wayne Justice ’42 served as the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Texas before being appointed to the federal bench in 1968, where he served for over forty years. Judge Justice worked courageously to protect civil rights, uphold constitutional freedoms, and ensure equal justice for all. The Justice Center, which was created in 2004 to honor Judge Justice’s legacy, began administering the scholarship this year.
The class of 2024 scholar:
Emani Brown is a member of the Chicano/Hispanic Law Students Association and the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society, and is a co-founder of the Gender Violence Law Caucus. She also served as a staff editor and submissions editor of the Texas Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy. She is a member of the Justice Center’s student advisory board and a Pro Bono Scholar, helping lead the Mithoff Pro Bono Program’s Parole Project. She has participated in the Civil Rights Clinic, Domestic Violence Clinic, and Criminal Defense Clinic.
In the summer after her first year, Emani worked with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in Austin. The summer after her second year, she worked with the ACLU of Texas in Houston. During her 2L and 3L years, she has also worked as the Scott Ozmun Fellow with Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas in Austin.
Chris Marshall Endowed Presidential Scholarship
The Chris Marshall Endowed Presidential Scholarship is awarded annually to third-year students of outstanding academic excellence who plan to remain in Texas after graduation to practice public service law in nonprofit, government, or legislative positions. Clyde Christopher Marshall ’77 was a Tarrant County assistant district attorney, chief of the Tarrant County district attorney’s appellate division, and a statewide leader in appellate law. Gift funds for the scholarship endowment were donated in honor of Mr. Marshall by family, friends, and colleagues. The Justice Center administers the scholarship.
The class of 2024 scholars:
Wes Dodson is a managing editor of the Texas Law Review and the Texas Review of Law & Politics and was a teaching assistant for Contracts. As a 1L he was a Hutcheson moot court competition quarterfinalist. Following graduation, he will clerk for Judge Drew Tipton of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston. After the clerkship, he will return to the Institute for Justice in Austin, where he has worked as a summer fellow and semester clerk.
Alex Nutt is on the editorial board of the Texas Review of Law & Politics, is president of the Christian Legal Society, and has participated in the Mithoff Pro Bono Program’s Expunction Project and Wills Clinic. In the summer, he worked for the General Counsel Division of the Texas Governor’s Office in Austin and the appellate division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston. He plans to return to the Harris County DA’s office after graduation.
Mark Scheldberg has volunteered for the Mithoff Pro Bono Program’s Parole Project and participated in the Civil Rights Clinic, Immigration Clinic, and Criminal Defense Clinic. In the summer, he worked at the Travis County Public Defender’s Office in Austin and with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid’s housing team in San Antonio. Following graduation, he hopes to work for a public defender or legal aid office in Texas.