Baker Donelson has named Ronak Chokhani as the 2018 recipient of the annual Baker Donelson Diversity Scholarship.
Mr. Chokhani, who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Baylor University, is in his second year at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law and will be a summer associate in the Firm's Houston office in 2018.
Mr. Chokhani was selected from 188 applicants attending 74 law schools across the country, including Duke University School of Law, New York Law School, University of California Berkeley School of Law, University of Michigan Law School, University of Virginia School of Law and Vanderbilt University Law School.
"Ronak, who was born in Mumbai, India, overcame numerous challenges to pursue an education and, after being inspired by an attorney who worked pro bono to help his family, a career in the legal profession," said Mark A. Baugh, chair of Baker Donelson's Diversity Committee. "We're extremely proud of the role Baker Donelson will play in helping Ronak overcome just some of the obstacles often encountered by minorities and women interested in the legal profession. We continue to be committed to ensuring that both our Firm and our profession are represented by attorneys with a diversity of backgrounds. Enhancing opportunities for diverse law school students like Ronak is an essential step in fulfilling that commitment."
Established in 2008, the Baker Donelson Diversity Scholarship Program awards scholarships annually to diverse law school students who have completed their first year of law school. Each recipient receives a salaried second year summer associate position in one of the Firm's 22 offices. Upon completion of the summer associate position, the Firm also awards each recipient a $10,000 scholarship during the student's third year of law school.