Meet the 3rd Cohort of Marshall-Motley Scholars!

LDF announced its third 10-person cohort of the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program (MMSP). Launched in January 2021, LDF’s groundbreaking pipeline program will endow the South with the next generation of civil rights lawyers trained to provide legal advocacy of unparalleled excellence in the pursuit of racial justice. 

In exchange for a full law school scholarship and professional development, scholars commit to devoting the first eight years of their careers to practicing civil rights law in service of Black communities in the South. The program is named in honor of Supreme Court Justice, legendary civil rights attorney and LDF founder Thurgood Marshall, and iconic civil rights litigator, former LDF attorney, and the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge, Constance Baker Motley.

The 2023 Marshall-Motley Scholars and their respective home states are as follows:

• Andrew Brennen: Kentucky

• Arianna Mackey: Virginia

• Ashley Conyers: Florida

• Ashonti Farrior: North Carolina 

• Danielle Hopkins: Massachusetts 

• Jordan Andrews: Michigan

• Sondos Moursy: Texas

• Tristan Gardner: Alabama  

• Trenaj Mongo: Washington, DC 

• Zachari Curtis: Washington, DC   

“We are so pleased to congratulate and welcome yet another remarkable group of 10 to the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program. Their dedication to both their undergraduate education and communities is remarkable,” said LDF President and Director-Counsel Janai S. Nelson. “We are awed by their confidence and conviction in making a 13-year commitment to a program that will provide them with the education, resources and funding to be successful civil rights lawyers in the South. We are eager to see their growth over the next several years as well as their revolutionary advocacy and impact that will undoubtedly follow.” 

The 2023 cohort of Marshall-Motley Scholars brings some of the most talented and inspiring leaders in the nation. Members of the cohort have worked with AmeriCorps, Harris County Public Defender’s Office, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Community Farming Alliance, the Court of Appeals of Georgia and more. They have founded their own grassroots advocacy groups, led community initiatives and served as mentors to undergraduate peers. Bios for each scholar can be found below.

“Our newest cohort of Scholars is indeed impressive but most notable is their collective commitment to fighting for racial justice alongside Black communities in the South as the next generation of civil rights lawyers,” said Jino Ray, Director of the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program. “We are excited for them to join our growing cadre of Marshall-Motley Scholars and are humbled to support them with the resources, mentorship and support they will need as they journey together through law school and into the legal profession.’

Over the next two years, LDF’s MMSP will continue to invest in the education and training of aspiring civil rights attorneys to advocate on behalf of Black communities in the South seeking racial justice and equity. Scholars will be afforded full law school scholarships for tuition, room and board and incidentals to alleviate the debt burden that can prevent future lawyers from pursuing a career as a civil rights attorney; summer internships with national and regional civil rights organizations with offices in the South focused on racial justice to jumpstart training in civil rights law; a two-year postgraduate fellowship at civil rights law organizations in the South fighting to achieve racial justice; and access to special training sponsored by LDF.

Black students continue to face more barriers than ever to attend law school. Studies show that the cost of a private law school education has grown by a whopping 175% since 1985. According to the American Bar Association, student loans take a disproportionate toll on lawyers of color, often forcing them to take unwanted career paths. The support offered by the MMSP is an intentional effort to address the racial and economic barriers that often deter students from pursuing their dreams of becoming civil rights attorneys, and a targeted effort to support the civil rights ecosystem in the South.

Read the full press release and learn more about the 2023 MMSP cohort.