2007 AAJ Scholarships and Awards Recipients 

Augusta Akpotu is the recipient of the 2007 Leesfield Scholarship. Sponsored by Ira Leesfield of Leesfield Leighton & Partners, PA and AAJ, this scholarship has been established to award $1,500 to a law student for attendance at AAJ's 2007 Annual Convention. Augusta is a rising third year law student at the University of Memphis Cecil Humphreys School of Law. Ms. Akpotu has been an AAJ law student member since her first year of law school. At a southern regional conference in her first year of school, Augusta had the opportunity to witness first-hand the power of a regional coalition of attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students, working to promote justice and fairness for injured persons. Also that same year, she participated in the National Black Law Student Association regional conference which further renewed her commitment to trial advocacy. She has not looked back since. Augusta was part of the team which won her school’s most prestigious award, The Champion of the Freshman 1L Moot Court Competition, where she had the opportunity to argue esteemed members of the bar and is proud to say that she won! Subsequently, Augusta joined AAJ her first year of law school and decided to run as president of the AAJ Law School Chapter. She came in and revived the student run organization that was dying out. She has been relentless in promoting AAJ on campus, increasing membership, and keeping current law student members from the University of Memphis law school well informed on the benefits and current activities of AAJ. She is also a member of the Black Law Students Association, a member of the moot court board, and the president of her school’s International Law Students Association. Augusta’s passion for trial advocacy and commitment to preserving the civil justice system, has earned her a spot as the regional director for the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition next year. Ms. Akpotu has participated in numerous trial advocacy extracurricular activities, and spent a summer in England last year taking classes at the City University of London to continue the advancement of her trial advocacy skills. Augusta hopes to model her career after one of her heroes, Thurgood Marshall. Her hard work, dedication, and initiative, make her a wonderful choice for this scholarship.

Lauren Christopher is the recipient of the 2007 AAJ Trial Advocacy Scholarship. The Scholarship is awarded to an AAJ Law student member that demonstrates a commitment to AAJ and dedication to its mission, as well as an interest and proficiency of skills in trial advocacy. Lauren Christopher is a rising third year law student at the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in Washington DC. She has served as an officer of the moot Court Board for the past several years and represented her school at four moot court competitions. Her interest is a career in litigation, particularly in environmental tort litigation representing plaintiffs. She has previously interned with the US Environmental Protection Agency and presently works for the US Department of Health and Human Services. Her accomplishments include the award “Best Brief” for the Appellee-US EPA award, “Best Oralist” and “Best Memorial” awards from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Lauren has been accepted to represent her school at the ATHGO International Global Forum on the Environment which will be held at the United Nations Headquarters. She will also participate in an international commercial arbitration competition in Vienna, Austria next year. Her substantial involvement in moot court has cemented her desire to build a career in public interest litigation. Lauren vows to be involved as much as possible with AAJ in her last year of law school by assisting in the formation of a law school chapter, and writing for the AAJ Law Student newsletter. Lauren’s dedication and hard work make her an obvious choice for this scholarship.