Ropes & Gray Names Recipients of 2018 Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship

Ropes & Gray today announced the five recipients of the 2018 Ropes & Gray Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship. The scholarship honors the memory of Roscoe Trimmier Jr., an accomplished trial lawyer, the firm’s first African-American partner and a pioneering leader of the firm’s diversity efforts.

The scholarship recipients will each receive a $25,000 award to offset the expenses of their legal education. They will join the firm as summer associates in 2018, with two joining the firm’s Boston office, two joining in New York, and one in Silicon Valley.

Congratulations to our scholarship recipients: 

• Merilin Castillo, Columbia University (Boston)
• Baldemar Gonzalez, Columbia University (New York)
• Lauren Martinez, Seton Hall University (New York)
• Memme Onwudiwe, Harvard University (Silicon Valley)
• Phillip Yao, Yale University (Boston) 

The Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship was established in 2015 to commemorate Mr. Trimmier’s legacy and to support students from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in the legal profession. The inaugural scholarship recipients served as summer associates at Ropes & Gray in 2016. Three of them joined the firm this year as associates and one will join the firm after completing a two-year clerkship for Judge William Orrick of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. 

Ropes & Gray is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s leading law firms for diversity overall, as well as with respect to minorities, LGBTQ individuals, and women. This year, Ropes & Gray was named the top firm for overall diversity in the United States in the annual Vault rankings, marking the second year in a row the firm has been ranked number one and the ninth consecutive year the firm has ranked among the top five U.S. law firms. 

About Roscoe Trimmier Jr.

Roscoe Trimmier Jr. practiced at Ropes & Gray for 35 years, from 1974 until his retirement in 2009, serving as chair of the litigation department and head of the environmental practice group. His professional distinctions include induction as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and recognition on lists of the Best Lawyers in America and Massachusetts Super Lawyers. 

Mr. Trimmier was a mentor to many young attorneys during his tenure, and served on both the hiring and associates committees. An early leader of the firm’s highly regarded diversity efforts, Mr. Trimmier was a member of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and the Boston Bar Association, as well as one of the founders of the Boston Lawyers Group and chair of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. 

Watch this video to learn more about Roscoe Trimmier Jr., the scholarship that carries forward his legacy of excellence, and the firm’s ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.