Brooklyn and Albany Law Students Receive The New York Bar Foundation's Real Property Law Scholarships

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Ed Clarke

ALBANY, NY (01/21/2014)(readMedia)-- Third-year law students Leanne M. Welds of Brooklyn Law School and Edward H. Clarke of Albany Law School are the recipients of real property law scholarships, The New York Bar Foundation has announced.

Welds of Brooklyn received the $1,500 Lorraine Power Tharp Scholarship. It is named for the past president of the New York State Bar Association and past chair of the Real Property Law Section.

Clarke of Cooperstown received the $1,500 Melvyn Mitzner Scholarship. Mitzner was a past chair of the Real Property Law Section.

"Leanne Welds and Edward Clarke have demonstrated a commitment to and interest in real property law. They have excelled in the classroom and have valuable work experience," said Bar Foundation President Cristine Cioffi (Cioffi•Slezak•Wildgrube). "We expect that these scholarships will help them achieve their career goals."

A graduate of Pomona College, Welds was a summer associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. She was a legal intern at Chartis Insurance and Enterprise Community Partners.

"I am grateful to have received the Lorraine Power Tharp Scholarship. This scholarship will not only help to defray the costs of my final year of law school, but has motivated me to live up to the values of its namesake – to always strive for excellence in my legal career and selflessly contribute to the legal community," said Welds. "I thank The New York Bar Foundation for this opportunity and honor."

Clarke graduated from the State University of New York College at Oneonta in 2010. He was a summer associate at Young/Sommer. He previously interned in the Office of Counsel to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the Office of general Counsel to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He also was a law clerk to Albany County Supreme Court Justice Joseph C. Teresi.

"It is an honor to have been selected for the Melvyn Mitzner scholarship. Mitzner demonstrated a strong commitment to the New York legal community, in particular the Real Property Law Section," said Clarke. "Considering the high cost of law school, I sincerely thank the section and Rosalyn Mitzner for offering this scholarship and promoting academic excellence. I truly value the opportunities that the Bar Association presents to law students."

The Real Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association serves New York real property lawyers and the public, promotes the successful transaction of real estate business in New York State and contributes the sound development of real property law in New York State.

To learn more about The New York Bar Foundation and how to support its charitable programs, go to www.tnybf.org, phone 518/487-5650 or email foundation@tnybf.org.

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