FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 29, 2009
 
Contact: Cynthia Carrasco
Phone: 202-496-7206
Email: ccarrasco@hnbf.org
 
The Hispanic National Bar Foundation Partners with Comcast to Create Opportunities for Promising First-Year Law Students With An Innovative Law Fellowship Program
 
Washington, DC-The Hispanic National Bar Foundation (HNBF) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2009 HNBF Law Fellows Program for first-year law students, thanks in large part to the generous sponsorship of Comcast Corporation and the Comcast Foundation.  The HNBF, along with its corporate partners, designed this exciting new program for Hispanic law students with the goal of creating significant professional opportunities and impacting diversity in corporate legal departments.  PepsiCo and Chevron have also joined Comcast as sponsors in this effort to opening opportunities for Hispanic law students in the legal profession.
 
The 2009 HNBF Law Fellows Program will run for eight weeks and will provide an opportunity for first-year law students to spend the summer at the corporate legal department of the sponsors.  The Law Fellows will also spend time in the Washington D.C. company offices to learn about the interplay between legal matters and government relations/public policy issues important to company business. 
 
“The HBNF Law Fellows Program provides students with the support and resources they need to fulfill their potential in the legal profession,” said Susan Gonzales, Comcast’s Senior Director of Federal and External Affairs and Vice President of the Comcast Foundation.  “The fellows will be the first class to benefit from this exciting partnership, and we at Comcast are eager to be part of their future success.” 
 
The program will take place from June 5 through July 31, 2009, and include outstanding law students from some of the nation’s top law schools.  The fellows will have an opportunity to partake in professional networking and legal training to develop critical skills for success in the legal profession.  Each Law Fellow will be assigned a mentor from the legal community in Washington D.C.  The program will provide an avenue for law students to prepare for careers in corporate law with the aim of joining the ranks of companies like Comcast in the future.  “It is an honor for the Hispanic National Bar Foundation to collaborate with corporate leaders like Comcast who believe in the work of our organization and the talents and promise of Hispanic students,”  said HNBF Board President Mayda Prego.
 
The 2009 HNBF Law Fellows will participate in a legal training boot camp at the beginning of the program and will attend panels on preparing for careers as in-house counsel or corporate lawyers.  Comcast partnered with the HNBF to strengthen the local community by creating opportunities for the Hispanic leaders of tomorrow. 
 
The 2009 HNBF Law Fellows Class consists of the following law students:  Justin Carlson, American University; Gabriela Gross, American University; Rafael A. Perez, University of Pennsylvania; and Thais Pagan, University of Detroit.  These law students have superior academic credentials, strong writing and oral communication skills, and demonstrated leadership skills.  Interning with Comcast will be Gabriela Gross of Washington, D.C. and Rafael A. Perez of Philadephia. 
 
Comcast is committed to the communities where its customers and employees live and work.  The company and its Foundation focus its community investment initiatives on building tomorrow’s leaders, promoting community service and expanding digital literacy.
 
The Hispanic National Bar Foundation (HNBF) is a non-profit organization for charitable and educational purposes and has been the principal force behind the education of Hispanic attorneys and law students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico for the past 15 years. 
                                                       
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