Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs LLP announced that Sandler Sowell, a second-year law student at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, has been awarded the law firm’s Benjamin L. Hooks Law Scholarship.
The scholarship is given in honor of the late judge and Civil Rights leader Benjamin L. Hooks, who was a partner with the Wyatt law firm until his death in 2010. During his career, Hooks also served as a minister, the executive director of the NAACP, and as a member of the Federal Communications Commission.
Sowell is the eighth recipient of the Benjamin L. Hooks Law Scholarship, which will help to fund her law school tuition and course-related expenses. A top law student, Sowell is a member of the Association for Women Attorneys and the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Student Chapter.
“Dr. Hooks had a remarkable career in law and public service,” said Lee Harkavy, partner in charge of Wyatt’s Memphis office. “We are honored that Dr. Hooks was with our firm for many years, and we are pleased to honor Ms. Sowell with this scholarship.”
Former Memphis mayor Jim Strickland, now dean of the University of Memphis Law School, said the scholarship in memory of Hooks is important to the law school. “Not only do scholarships like this help us to recruit top law students, but they also help to retain them. My sincere thanks to the Wyatt firm for its generosity. And congratulations to Sandler, who deserves this honor.”
Sowell received her undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi.
“With the support from this scholarship, my goal is to continue excelling in my studies until graduation and secure a position as a litigation attorney in Memphis,” Sowell said. “I am particularly drawn to the challenges and dynamic nature of litigation, as it requires strong analytical abilities, persuasive communication and the ability to be a strong advocate for future clients.”
Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs LLP maintains an active national practice with five offices located in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky; and New Albany, Indiana.
