Lydell Benson, Class of 2020, served as the inaugural Brown Rudnick 1L Social Mobility Diversity Fellow in 2018. During the fellowship, Mr. Benson worked in the Brown Rudnick New York office as a summer associate as a member of client teams. “Being the first Social Mobility Diversity Fellow motivates me to do better and create opportunities for myself so I can create opportunities for someone else who may be in a similar situation.”
The fellowship is a holistic program to support students as a summer associate and throughout the academic year. It provides the opportunity for substantive work and professional development experience and a significant scholarship. Fellows are invited to firm events, lectures, and trainings throughout their law school career and receive individualized coaching from professional development experts. The fellowship is available to first-year law students who are also the first members of their families to graduate from college. “I take a lot of pride in being the first member of my family to graduate from college,” Mr. Benson says.
Born in West Philadelphia, Mr. Benson came to Washington, D.C. to pursue his law career after earning his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from Temple University. “I chose GW Law for many reasons. I knew that I would be challenged and that GW Law would put me in the best position to learn and to succeed as a lawyer.”
Since starting at GW Law, Mr. Benson has served as the Vice-President of the Black Law Students Association and Secretary of the Criminal Law Society. He has also been a member of the Journal of Energy and Environmental Law and the Mock Trial Board. “GW Law has taught me not to be a victim of comparison - the only person that I try to compete with is myself, and in doing so, I push myself much harder.”