Rebekah Bailey, second-year law student at SMU’s Dedman School of Law, is the recipient of this year’s McCleary Scholarship.
The Donald C. McCleary Gardere Leadership Scholarship, sponsored by Gardere law firm, is awarded annually to a second-year SMU law student who has demonstrated leadership qualities consistent with the values embraced by Mr. McCleary, a former Gardere managing partner.
Bailey has won several moot court and brief writing awards, including “Best Advocate Award” at the ABA Moot Court Competition in the spring of 2009.
She also co-founded and co-led the Cornerstone Kids Weekend Ministry at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Fair Park. This program provides a safe and stable environment for children to play and expands their awareness of their community by taking them on various field trips throughout North Texas.
According to Steve Good, managing partner at Gardere’s, Bailey was selected because of her impressive involvement in school and in the community, an involvement that Don McCleary hopes to inspire.
The scholarship program is in its third year at SMU. Among other factors, an applicant has to write an essay.
Taylor’s longtime involvement in community affairs prepared her to compete effectively to win the scholarship.
“In college, I was the Advancement Committee Chair for S.M.U.’s Student Foundation,” Bailey said. “In that role, I worked with the Office of Development and External Affairs to train and provide student ambassadors to important university events.”
She also served as the Secretary for Sigma Tau Delta—the English Department honors society. In law school, she held the Donor Retention Chair position with the Association of Public Interest Law.
Bailey said she has a strong desire to better the community.
“My mom has been involved in non-profit work as long as I can remember and she inspired me to do the same,” Bailey said. “Given the unique way the law intersects every aspect of life, there are great opportunities to serve the community with and through a career in law.”
Martin Camp, Dedman School of Law Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, SMU is in Tier 1, which means that it is among the top 50 law schools in the country.
“We encourage our students to be involved in the community in order to be well-rounded,” Camp said. “They are required to serve 30 hours of community service before they graduate.”
“Many students go above and beyond 30 hours of community service, and I they find this to be rewarding,” Molly Raynor, a third–year student in Deadman Law School said.
McCleary, who passed away in 1996, served as Gardere’s managing partner from 1991 through 1995. His vision for Gardere included participation in local, state and national public affairs, humanitarian activities and pro bono work.
He established many of the community outreach programs that have become a hallmark of the firm, including GardereProud, which honors the military service of firm members and their families and the Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition, which will celebrate 19 years in 2011.
Previous recipients of the McCleary scholarship were Amy Binks Sanderson in 2009 and Ausra Laurusaite-Kromelis in 2008.
After graduation, Bailey plans on pursuing a career in criminal law.
