Queen's Bench Names 2026 Agnes O'Brien Smith and Mildred W. Levin Scholarship Recipients

SAN FRANCISCO, October 30, 2026: Queen's Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area today named four Bay Area law students as its 2026 scholarship recipients. Melitza Ortega, Dalia Lizbeth Nava Jacobo, and Olivia Reinoso of the University of San Francisco School of Law receive the Agnes O'Brien Smith Scholarship. Jenny Yoolim Jeon of UC Law San Francisco receives the Mildred W. Levin Scholarship.

The recipients will be honored at the Queen's Bench Annual Gala, "Stronger Together," on Thursday, November 19, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. Each year, the Scholarship Committee selects second- and third-year law students with financial need who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership, determination, and commitment to the community.

Both scholarships honor Queen's Bench Past Presidents. Judge Agnes O'Brien Smith, a 1941 USF School of Law graduate, led Queen's Bench in 1951 and later served on the San Francisco Municipal Court. Mildred W. Levin, a 1934 graduate of Hastings (now UC Law San Francisco), led Queen's Bench in 1959; her daughter and granddaughter later held the same office.

Agnes O'Brien Smith Scholarship

Melitza Ortega

University of San Francisco School of Law, J.D. 2027

A McAuliffe Honors Society member at USF Law, Ortega graduated from the University of San Francisco as the 2023 Valedictorian of the College of Arts and Sciences. She externed for Judge Victor Hwang of the San Francisco Superior Court and competed in the Moot Court National Sports Law Negotiation Competition. She spent her 1L and 2L summers as a summer associate at Hanson Bridgett LLP and has accepted a post-bar offer.

"Growing up in a U.S.-Mexico border town, I saw how intimidating and inaccessible the legal system can be for newly arrived immigrant families navigating it alone," said Ortega. "That perspective drives me to approach this work with equity and empathy, and I aspire to focus on litigation and dispute resolution so I can help people like them. I'm grateful for this scholarship, which brings me one step closer to that goal."

Dalia Lizbeth Nava Jacobo (she/hers)

University of San Francisco School of Law, J.D. 2028

Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Nava Jacobo is the first in her family to receive a formal education. As Co-Director of UC Berkeley's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, she prepared taxes for low-income Bay Area residents and oversaw 79 student volunteers. At USF Law, she has served as an Online Editor for the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Journal, participates in the Immigration Policy Clinic, and tutors Civil Procedure.

"As a first-generation student, I am grateful to receive the Agnes O'Brien Smith Scholarship," said Nava Jacobo. "It lessens the cost of law school and recognizes the hard work I have put into my studies. I am thankful for the Queen's Bench Bar Association's investment in my education."

Olivia Reinoso (she/her/hers)

University of San Francisco School of Law, J.D. 2027

Reinoso earned a B.S. in Business Administration through UC Berkeley's Haas Global Management Program and a B.A. in Spanish Literature. She served as Creative Director of the Bay Area's largest student-designer fashion show, and operational roles at Bayer and Amazon led her to law. At USF, she is President of the Intellectual Property and Cyber Law Association and a staff member on the USF Law Review and the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Journal. Through the CREATE Artists' Rights Clinic, she educates community members about intellectual property and handles pro bono casework for small creators. She hopes to reform fashion's environmental operations.

Mildred W. Levin Scholarship

Jenny Yoolim Jeon

UC Law San Francisco, J.D. 2027

Jeon, a third-year student, is Acquisitions Chair and Senior Editor of the Journal for Race and Economic Justice. She is also Co-President of the Law Empowerment and Access Project, which provides youth with legal resources and know-your-rights trainings. She has represented children in juvenile dependency matters at East Bay Children's Law Offices and externed for U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen and California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin H. Liu. She is currently studying in South Korea toward a concentration in International Law.

"I want to thank the trailblazing attorney, Mildred Levin, the Queen's Bench Scholarship Committee, and the Board for the Mildred Levin Scholarship," said Jeon. "This will not only enable me to excel academically but also support my litigation career in helping underrepresented community members. With this meaningful support, I truly hope to keep the Levin family legacy going and uplift women in law!"

2026 Annual Gala

The Gala, "Stronger Together," runs from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, 5 Embarcadero Center. Professor Karen Musalo, founding director of the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at UC Law San Francisco, will deliver the keynote. Tickets and sponsorship information are available at queensbench.org/gala.

About Queen's Bench

Founded in 1921 by Bay Area women lawyers shut out of the local bar association, Queen's Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area is among the oldest women's bar associations in the United States. Queen's Bench promotes equality and opportunity in the legal profession through advocacy, education, mentorship, and community. Queen's Bench Bar Association is a 501(c)(6) organization, and its sister organization, Queen's Bench Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at queensbench.org.