Students in the Justice Fred H. Dore courtroom at Sullivan Hall at the School of Law

Gifts in Action: Law School ARC Program

That Lena Madden persevered and succeeded in fulfilling her aspirations of attending college—all the while embroiled in a child custody battle—speaks volumes about her dedication and tenacity.

Such traits are the running thread in the stories of students who benefit from the efforts of the Seattle University School of Law's Academic Resource Center (ARC). The center enables access to a legal education that might otherwise be challenging, if not impossible, to attain.

An anonymous donor has contributed $5.5 million to fund a scholarship endowment earmarked for law students enrolled through the Alternative Admissions Program. The same donor has also provided an additional $350,000 for current scholarships awarded to these students.

The ARC scholar program meant everything to Madden, who received a scholarship to attend the School of Law. “Without it, I wouldn't be in law school. Receiving a scholarship makes a huge difference for a single parent.”

The endowment provides scholarships from $2,000 to $7,500 annually, distributed to about 40 percent of the students in the program.

“What the endowment means is they have a lighter economic burden and graduate with less debt,” said Professor Paula Lustbader, director of the Academic Resource Center. “And more importantly, it tells these students that people believe in them and want them in the legal profession.”

Madden, 32, overcame a number of obstacles. A teen parent involved in a troubled relationship, she enrolled at the University of Washington after two years at Seattle Central Community College. She received her bachelor's degree in zoology from the UW, then set her sights on the next phase of her education.

A desire to study law was sparked by a custody issue that led Madden to a job working as a paralegal for the lawyer representing her in the case.

With her acceptance to the School of Law, Madden, now a third-year student, is working toward becoming a litigator. She clerks for a federal district court judge, after working in the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Madden wants people to know about this important program. “SU took a chance on me. Telling my story is my way of saying, 'thank you.'”

From the Fall 2007 issue of the Campaign Newsletter