The scholarships, all of which the Association attempts to maintain in the amount of at least $5,000, are presented to the winners at the Annual Meeting in August.
2025 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Recipient of the 2023 Jacobsen Scholarship
Mersadie Murray (“Sadie”) is ranked first in her class of 282 students at the University of Wisconsin Law School (UW Law), is a member of the UW Law Review, UW Law Moot Court Board, and serves on the e-board of the Public Interest Law Foundation for the past two years. She has undertaken a passionate and selfless commitment to public service in her representation of prisoners serving excessive sentences. In pursuit of her passion, Sadie does the heavy lifting that high-quality criminal defense work demands, including combing through piles of medical records, scouring hundreds of pages of prison records and court reporter’s transcripts, examining police reports and attorney files. Prior to attending law school, Sadie was involved with the restorative justice project and worked directly with inmates at a local prison, which involved facilitating talking circles, organizing speakers, and developing community service projects for inmates. Working with vulnerable clients involved in the court system requires the ability to communicate clearly and in a way that anyone can understand (a skill she learned as the live-in caregiver to and teacher of an autistic child the year prior to law school). During Sadie’s experience with the restorative justice project, she experienced firsthand the personal transformation an offender undergoes when given the resources and opportunity to restore some of the damage for which the offender was responsible. While not entirely sure what she plans to do after law school, Sadie’s experiences before and during law school have made her passionate about helping vulnerable people and she hopes to assist with many more personal transformations in her future professional life.
Catalina Peñéñory
Winner of the 2025 Cohn/Dorsett Memorial Scholarship
Catalina Peñéñory brings a wealth of diverse experiences and a deep global perspective to her study of law. Widely recognized by her professors as an exceptional student, Catalina combines intellectual rigor, discipline, and insightful analysis in both her written work and classroom discussions. Catalina’s academic excellence has earned her roles as both a teaching assistant and a research assistant—testament to her mastery of legal concepts and her ability to communicate them with clarity and precision. She is known for her sharp analytical skills, her capacity to navigate complex legal fact patterns, and her collaborative spirit. Catalina’s personal background profoundly shapes her academic and professional outlook. Raised as an Argentinian in Jakarta, Indonesia, she attributes her worldview to the multicultural and empathetic community that surrounded her-one that, despite its tolerance and diversity, often lacked a strong rule of law. This early exposure inspired her commitment to public service and her dedication to justice.
Lydia Faith Evanson
Winner of the 2025 Lowell Jacobson Memorial Scholarship
Lydia Evanson is a second-year student at Indiana University’s Mauer School of Law who exemplifies the core values honored by the Lowell Jacobson Memorial Scholarship. Despite facing physical challenges and financial constraints, Lydia has remained steadfast in her commitment to public interest law. She ranks in the top 15% of her class and has earned Dean’s Honors every semester—an achievement that speaks to her discipline, intellect, and ability to excel in a demanding academic environment. What truly sets Lydia apart is her unwavering dedication to serving children and low-income individuals through the law. Before law school, she gained firsthand advocacy experience as a public policy intern for the Child Welfare League of America in Washington, D.C., working to support vulnerable children. This summer, she will continue her public interest work with Child Advocates in Indianapolis, further reinforcing her long-term commitment to strengthening the systems that protect society’s most at-risk populations.
Lydia embodies the values the American Counsel Association seeks to encourage—compassion, resilience, and a dedication to improving our society through the legal profession.