Trial Advocacy

McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP Loyola Law School Trial Advocacy Scholarship

Scholarship Description
McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP endows a partial scholarship at the Law School for students showing the highest level of legal acumen. The scholarship is awarded yearly to a single student. In addition to tuition assistance, the scholarship provides the awardee a full-time, paid position at the firm as a summer scholar wherein they participate in all facets of case preparation. This includes researching and drafting motions, meeting with clients, assisting in deposition preparation and taking, making appearances with firm lawyers at court hearings, and providing all other case related assistance.

Mission Statement
To help educate the scholar on what it means to represent consumers in all manner of consumer-oriented lawsuits ranging from products liability and toxic exposure cases to employment and catastrophic injury matters. The scholarship seeks to provide an experience that is rare at such an early juncture in the awardee's legal career, thereby exposing them to an area of law they may chose to enter.

Selection Process
Professors Daniel P. Selmi, JD, MPA, and John T. Nockleby, JD, each hand pick from their Torts classes their top two-to-three students. This preliminary selection takes into account both academic performance with respect to the best graded students in the class as well as their personal observations of intangible excellence displayed in the classroom. From there all candidates are interviewed by the firm further refining the review. Finally, past awardees are consulted to help make the ultimate selection.

Past Recipients

Summer 2009 - Megan Weisgerber, Class of 2012

Megan Weisgerber earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 2006 from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. During her time at Cal Poly, Megan was extensively involved in volunteer community outreach organizations that work with middle and high school students. Upon graduating from Cal Poly, Megan began working at an immigration law firm in Santa Monica, where she continued to work during her first year at Loyola Law School. Megan is a Loyola Law School evening division student. Currently, she is ranked at the top of her class and on the Dean's Academic Honors List.

Summer 2008 - Valerie Strumwasser, Class of 2010

Valerie Strumwasser earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Upon a Professor's request, Valerie created a presentation to reformat the University's core curriculum. She also worked as a Summer Associate at Cassidy & Associates, a Governmental Relations Firm. Currently, Valerie is ranked in the top of her class and will act as research assistant to Professor John T. Nockleby of Loyola Law School.

Summer 2007 - Vatche Zetjian, Class of 2009

Vatche Zetjian attended the University of California, San Diego where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While at UCSD, he was a student ambassador with the external relations department and personally raised over $215,000 for the University's annual fund campaign. He also researched for Professor Gary Jacobson, a leading scholar in Congressional politics, and served as a Congressional intern for Congressman Brad Sherman. Currently, Vatche serves as research assistant for Professor Lauren Willis of Loyola Law School, and is a staff member on the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review. In addition, he ranks in the Top 10% of his class, is a member of the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society, and a recipient of the faculty academic scholarship.

Summer 2006 - Babak Lalezari, Class of 2008

Babak Lalezari graduated magna cum laude from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles in 2008, and was elected to be a member of the Order of the Coif. While in attendance at Loyola, Babak served as Chief Symposia Editor of the Loyola Law Review, as research assistant to Professor John T. Nockleby, he was a Sayre-MacNeil Scholar, and was ultimately chosen for membership in Alpha Sigma Nu. His most recent authorship, published in the inaugural edition of the Phoenix Law Review, is titled, "Domestic Violence, Enough is Enough, Any Force is Enough." After graduating, Babak was hired for a prestigious one-year clerkship to serve as law clerk to the Honorable Judge Mary M. Schroeder for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to law school, Babak received his B.A. degree in Psychology, summa cum laude with College Honors and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California, Los Angeles. While at UCLA, he was a teaching assistant for Dr. Edward Geiselman (Psychology and Law Courses) and Dr. Roger Bohman (Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Department).

Summer 2005 - Cameron Fredman, Class of 2007

After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Southern California, Cameron Fredman worked as a software developer and department manager for various internet companies during the dot-com heydays, before returning to law school. While at Loyola of Los Angeles Law School, he has worked as a research assistant for Loyola professors John T. Nockleby and Karl Manheim, as well as Harvard Law professor Lucie White. In addition, he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Loyola Law Review, ranked in the top 10 of his class, is a member of the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society, is a Sayre MacNeil Scholar, and was on the Dean's Academic Honor List. Cameron was featured in an article appearing in "Loyola Lawyer" magazine, 2006. (view pdf)