Warner Norcross + Judd LLP has selected Natasha Shlaimon as the recipient of its new $20,000 Law Scholarship – Embracing Diversity in Our Communities.
The scholarship is awarded to a rising second-year law student in good standing and from a historically marginalized community. The scholarship will be paid in installments over the course of the next two school years.
Shlaimon, a student at Wayne State University Law School, is the first recipient of the scholarship, which was introduced in February. She will also interview for a 2023 summer associate position in one of Warner’s nine offices throughout Michigan.
“Warner is pleased to award this scholarship to Ms. Shlaimon,” said Mark Wassink, managing partner of Warner. “Through this scholarship and other initiatives, we are providing financial support and other opportunities to students from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the legal profession.”
A top performer in the classroom and active on campus and in the community, Shlaimon is a Law Review associate member and holds leadership positions in the Women’s Law Caucus and Arab American Law School Association. She is also a member of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, where she currently is part of its summer leadership class.
Shlaimon’s scholarship application read in part: “I am a first-generation Assyrian-Arab American who is committed to promoting diversity as an attorney. I immigrated to the U.S. when I was 6, and since then have lived in six different countries. I supported my family financially at 16 years old and supported them during my undergraduate studies.
“I am determined to ensure my future employer promotes diversity and affords diverse individuals the opportunity to earn a seat at the decision-making table, allowing them to make impactful decisions in the legal profession.”
The $20,000 Embracing Diversity in our Communities scholarship is part of a series of scholarships and programs designed to promote diversity in the legal profession. To date, Warner has contributed more than $270,000 to 127 individuals through a number of initiatives, including scholarships for law students, paralegals and legal secretaries, as well as study courses to prepare for law school entrance exams.
For more information, visit wnj.com/About-Us/Diversity.
Warner is a corporate law firm with 230 attorneys practicing in nine offices: Grand Rapids, Detroit, Midland, Macomb County, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Lansing, Holland and Bloomfield Hills.
