2023 Winner: Christopher Jones
Bio: Christopher Jones, born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, completed his undergraduate degree in Business Communications at Stevenson University. He then spent three years in Vallejo, California, and two years in Los Angeles, California, working in Transportation Management.
His interest in the legal field was sparked during his tenure as a union representative for the Gardena Municipal Employee Association. After achieving his target score on the LSAT, Christopher earned a position as an SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) Law Fellow. In this role, he worked as a summer associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York, NY.
Currently a 2L at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Christopher eagerly looks forward to starting his legal career after graduating in 2025. He is honored to be the recipient of the 2023 DP Law Encouraging Diversity Scholarship. He is grateful to the Law Offices of Doroshow, Pasquale, Krawitz & Bhaya for helping him graduate with minimal debt.
Reaction Statement: I was overjoyed when I learned I had won the 2023 DP Law Encouraging Diversity Scholarship. The news arrived just hours before I was planning to structure my budget for 2024, making it even more timely and significant. After receiving the news, I immediately shared it with my family, and we celebrated together. I am humbled and grateful, especially knowing how my essay resonated with the scholarship committee. I couldn’t be more thankful to DP Law for providing this opportunity. Now, the financial burden of law school has become more manageable. This allows me to focus more intently on my studies, with the ultimate goal of giving back to those in need.
2022 Winner: Josh Palackal
Bio: Josh (he/they) is a junior at Temple University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology. Born and raised in Philadelphia to South Asian immigrant parents, they were faced with systemic inequity from a young age. Josh has a passion for criminal justice reform, having personally witnessed police harassment and seen the power of restorative justice firsthand. To advance changes to the criminal legal system, Josh has worked on multiple congressional campaigns supporting reform-minded candidates and has interned at the ACLU’s National Political Advocacy Department. Outside of political action, Josh is an avid baker and musician, playing piano, violin, ukelele, and vocals. He is honored to have been selected as the 2022 DP Law Encouraging Diversity Scholarship recipient and is thankful to The Law Offices of Doroshow, Pasquale, Krawitz & Bhaya for making it easier for him to graduate with minimal debt.
Reaction Statement: I was absolutely shocked to hear that I won the 2022 DP Law Encouraging Diversity Scholarship! Hearing the voicemail saying that I was chosen as the recipient of this award left me with a huge smile on my face. Now that I have won this scholarship, my education has become more financially accessible. I can more securely fulfill my movement lawyering dreams without the threat of student debt looming over my head, making me better able to serve my community and work towards dismantling the prison-industrial complex.
For information on this year’s DP Law Encouraging Diversity Scholarship, please visit our scholarship page.
