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O'Melveny To Award College Scholarships to New York City Public High School Students in All Five Boroughs

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NEW YORK — May 13, 2015 — O’Melveny & Myers LLP will award college scholarships to 15 promising 11th grade students from five New York City public high schools for whom the costs of attending college would otherwise be a significant hurdle. The scholarships will be given, and the scholars honored, at the Firm’s 13th Annual New York Scholarship Awards ceremony on May 19, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. at the Tweed Courthouse. The ceremony will feature remarks from New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña.

O’Melveny’s New York Scholarship Program works with the Fund for Public Schools and the New York City Department of Education to encourage high school juniors who demonstrate the Firm’s values of uncompromising excellence, distinctive leadership, and a commitment to community service to continue to excel. Three students from a public high school in each of the five boroughs receive annual scholarships from the firm. O’Melveny’s New York Scholarship Program has awarded roughly US$1.3 million to New York City public high school students since its inception in 2003, and O’Melveny has awarded more than US$9 million in scholarships globally since 1992.

The 2015 O’Melveny Scholars are students at the Bronx Leadership Academy High School, Brooklyn’s Benjamin Banneker Academy for Community Development, Manhattan’s Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, Queens’ High School for Arts and Business, and Staten Island’s Curtis High School. After receiving nominations from each school, O’Melveny’s committee of dedicated attorneys and staff selected the scholars through an application and interview process based on grade point average, attendance, enrollment in college preparatory classes, financial need, and community involvement.

In addition to the financial support the scholarships provide, scholars will receive academic mentoring from O’Melveny employees. Each scholarship recipient will be paired with an O’Melveny attorney or staff member who will offer support throughout the college admission process, provide feedback on application materials, and give advice on school selection.

“I thank O’Melveny & Myers for their thoughtful investment in these accomplished students and their future,” Chancellor Fariña said. “When private-sector and community organizations come together to support our students, it’s not just the students who benefit — our whole City does. I look forward to watching these students continue to learn and pursue their dreams in college and beyond, and to our continued partnership with O’Melveny & Myers.”

In addition to Chancellor Fariña’s speech, the ceremony will include remarks from 2006 O’Melveny Scholar Nime Lakoju, a health-care manager at Harlem Children’s Zone; 2003 O’Melveny Scholar Vladimir Yelizarov, now an O’Melveny associate and co-chair of the Firm’s New York Scholarship Committee; and Jeffrey Kohn, managing partner of O’Melveny’s New York office.

O’Melveny will provide short biographies of the 2015 scholarship recipients at the awards ceremony on May 19, 2015, at the Tweed Courthouse.

Members of the media interested in attending the event should contact Colleen McGushin at cmcgushin@omm.com or (415) 984-8825 for press credentials.

About O’Melveny & Myers LLP
With approximately 700 lawyers in 15 offices worldwide, O’Melveny & Myers LLP helps industry leaders across a broad array of sectors manage the complex challenges of succeeding in the global economy. We are a values-driven law firm, guided by the principles of excellence, leadership, and citizenship. Our commitment to these values is reflected in our dedication to improving access to justice through pro bono work and championing initiatives that increase the diversity of the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.omm.com.

About the Fund for Public Schools
The Fund for Public Schools is dedicated to improving New York City’s public schools by attracting private investment in school and encouraging greater involvement by all New Yorkers in the education of our children. The Fund plays a pivotal role in improving public education in New York City by strengthening the New York City Department of Education’s relationship with the private sector, securing funding for critical reform initiatives, helping businesses to create partnerships and programs that support city schools, and promoting the value of the public schools. The Fund is a nonprofit organization. For more information about the Fund for Public Schools, visit www.fundforpublicschools.org.

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