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Standing Committee
Scholarships CommitteeWe read law students' stories, interview them, and recognize them by awarding scholarships. Every name on this page is a student we helped finish law school. How we work
Convenes seasonally, around the award cycle
Open to
Voting Members (see the note below on who can serve)
Contact
Our chargeFrom the bylaws
It shall be the duty of the Scholarships Committee to administer funds for scholarships and financial aid in accordance with Article XI of these bylaws. Bylaws, Article VI, Section D.15 and Article XI · Restated 2024 In practiceThe Foundation's scholarship funds exist to get women through law school and into the profession. This committee decides how those funds are used and who receives them, subject to Board approval of every recipient. Two of the funds are named: the Agnes O'Brien Smith Scholarship and the Mildred W. Levin Scholarship. For those decisions, two members of the public join the committee. We also present an annual written report to the membership on the funds. What we do
The scholarshipsEach year the Queen's Bench Scholarship Committee awards the Mildred W. Levin Scholarship and the Agnes O'Brien Smith Scholarship to second- or third-year law students with financial need who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership, determination, and commitment to the community. Queen's Bench also hosts other initiatives to promote the advancement of law students' education and professional development.
The Agnes O'Brien Smith ScholarshipNamed for Hon. Agnes O'Brien Smith, Past President '51. Awarded to second- or third-year students at the University of San Francisco School of Law with financial need who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership, determination, and commitment to the community. Two members of the public join the committee for this decision. Recipients · University of San Francisco
2012 Natasia Silva 2013 Kathryn Padilla 2014 Alyse Pacheco 2015 Arielle Brown 2016 Betelhem Zewge Gedlu 2017 Zulma Alejandra Munoz 2018 Aditi Dalakotia, Denise Watt, Tatiana Howard, and Matthew R. Vann 2019 Jessie Peterson and Mario Perez 2020 Maria A.M. Zavaleta and Jennifer Estevez 2021 Katiusak Pimentel Vargas and Stephanie Rogue-Hurtado 2023 Jessica Dimas, Thao "Annie" Le, Bailee Magee, and Kad A. Smith 2024 Clare Deck, Katrina Hibdon, and Rev. Sadie Stone 2025 Kasen B. Evans and Esbeidy P. Gutierrez The Mildred W. Levin ScholarshipEstablished in honor of Mildred Levin, 1959 Past President and UC Law San Francisco (formerly Hastings) alumna. Awarded to second- or third-year students at UC Law San Francisco with financial need who exemplify the ideals Mildred Levin represented: intellect, determination, compassion, and integrity. Applications are reviewed by the Scholarship Committee, including her daughter, the Honorable Ina Levin Gyemant (Past President '79), and her granddaughter Anne Gyemant Paris (Past President '17). Three generations of one family, in service to this bar association. Recipients · UC Law San Francisco
2012 Tajuana Gray 2013 Maggi Qerimi 2014 Jodie Smith 2015 Julie Alarcon 2016 Megan K. Christie 2017 Chanel Ortiz 2018 Andrea Swanson 2019 Maria Lopez Segoviano 2020 Jorian Heal 2021 Emmanuel Garcia 2024 Emily Taing, Natalie Dybeck, and Philip Ryan “RJ” Abarquez 2025 G. Jacqueline Mejía-Cuéllar 2026 Jenny Jeon No award was made in 2022 or 2023. Not every Queen's Bench scholarship runs through this committeeThe Mentorship Committee offers its own scholarships and grants alongside the Get Into the Legal Loop program: the GILL Scholarship and the Legal Loop Scholarship, which support incoming law students and graduating students facing the cost of the bar exam. Those awards are separate from the two named Foundation scholarships on this page, and applications go to the Mentorship Committee. Who leads this committeeHon. Adrienne Jacobs Miller (Ret.)Co-Chair · Past President '87
Retired Judge
Kelly J. RobbinsCo-Chair · Past President '08
Principal Attorney, Robbins Family Law
Caroline HolmesCo-Chair
Principal Counsel, Labor & Employment, UC Legal, Office of the General Counsel
Reach the whole committee at scholarships@queensbench.org. It reaches the chairs and the Administrator, so nothing falls through when leadership rotates in January. Good to knowWho can serveThe committee has at least five Voting Members serving one-year terms, and the chair must have served on the committee for at least one year. For the Agnes O'Brien Smith and Mildred W. Levin awards, two additional members from the public join the committee for those decisions. (Bylaws, Art. XI.) The Board approves every recipientThis committee recommends; the Board of Directors approves the recipients of every award. The committee also presents an annual written report on the funds to the membership. (Bylaws, Art. XI.) Join this committeeThere's no application and no vetting. Tell us you're interested and we'll bring you in on the next round of work. Come to one meeting before you decide whether it's for you. Committee leadership, programs, and meeting schedules are current as of July 2026 and change from year to year. Corrections and updates: admin@queensbench.org.
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