3Ls Kayla Venckauskas and Jaleesa Almonacy received scholarships for their commitment to the advancement of law through their active involvement in student chapters.
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UMass Law students excel in and out of the classroom. Our students receive national recognition for their achievements. 3Ls Kayla Venckauskas and Jaleesa Almonacy received scholarships for their commitment to the advancement of law through their active involvement in student chapters.
Kayla Venckauskas, JD candidate ’19 is the fourth UMass Law student in four years to be awarded the prestigious Rappaport Fellowship. Kayla interned at the Massachusetts State House this summer in Senator Montigny’s office, focusing on public policy issues with a main concentration on animal rights.
President of UMass Law’s Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, Kayla received a 2018 Advancement of Animal Law Scholarship from the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Jalessa Almonacy, JD candidate ’19 received the 2018 Honorable Reginald Lindsay Public Service Award from the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association.
The $1,000 award seeks to support the development of students who have overcome adversity to use their outstanding academic ability and skills in public service. Jalessa, president of UMass Law’s Black Law Students Association, was chosen for demonstrating exceptional compassion and commitment to public service.
"Kayla's and Jalessa’s accomplishments are a testament to their deep talent, commitment, and dynamism, which indeed is emblematic of our student body as a whole,” Dean Eric Mitnick said.
Recent UMass Law alumni achievement highlights include:
- Library of Congress Burton Award for one of the top 10 student law review articles in the nation
- Prestigious Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Scholarship for public service
- Massachusetts Black Judges Conference’s Annual Book Award
- Publications in national law journals including UCLA Women's Law Journal; Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy; Biotech & Pharma Law Review; William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice