Page 43 - FDCC_February2026_Flyer

In 2025, the Foundation established
the John C. Trimble Fund to honor
the life and legacy of an outstanding
member of the legal profession, a
former instrumental member of
the FDCC Board of Directors, and
a man of impeccable character.
The Foundation’s Ladder Down
Program—which is designed to
empower professional women to
further their careers as women
lawyers and leaders in Risk and
Insurance Management—continues
to actively work to fulfill its mission
through robust programs in
Arizona, Seattle, and Cleveland.
In the summer of 2025, the
Foundation proudly announced the
two law-student recipients of the
Barb Currie Diversity Scholarship:
Caleb Love and Kashae Garland.
Caleb Love, a second-year student
at Thurgood Marshall School
of Law in Houston, Texas, was
awarded a $10,000 scholarship
which was presented by FDCC
Foundation President-Elect Ned
Currie on October 14, 2025, during
a ceremony held at the law school.
The event was attended by Caleb’s
parents, brother, fiancée, and two
daughters, along with Distinguished
Professor and former Dean James
Douglas, Assistant Dean Susan
Bynum, and a gathering of students,
faculty and administrators. Faculty
members present uniformly praised
Caleb’s leadership, character and
academic excellence. A respected
student-leader, Caleb has served
as Class President and is highly
regarded by his peers.
In Ned Currie’s remarks, he
highlighted the mission of the
FDCC and the work for the
Foundation, which administers the
www.thefederation.org
FDCC PILLARS
Over the past year,
and through your
generous donations
and our programs,
the Foundation
has raised north
of $80,000 and
expended those
same amounts on
such programs as
Ladder Down, our
FDCC Winter and
Summer Meeting
CLE Programs,
donations to the
National Foundation
for Judicial
Excellence (“NJFE”)
and the Foundation
scholarship
programs.
Barb Currie Diversity Scholarship.
He also shared the story and
legacy for the scholarship’s
namesake, Barb Currie, whose
commitment to mentorship and
inclusion continues to inspire the
Foundation’s charitable work.
Jermaine Hatten, IT Director for the
Houston Housing Authority, and
keynote speaker at the FDCC 2024
Annual Meeting at the Broadmore
Resort, also gave a heartfelt story
of how Barb Currie inspired him to
achieve educational and vocational
success. A link to Caleb’s personal
statement, which was instrumental
in his selection to receive the award
can be found following this article.
The Foundation Board also
awarded a $5,000 Barb Currie
Scholarship to Kashae Garland, a
Villanova University undergraduate
and first-year law student at
the University of the District of
Columbia David A. Clarke School
of Law. This second award shows
the Foundation’s commitment
to support diversity in the legal
profession. While at Villanova,
Kashae served as Director of the
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
section of her college’s student
government association. Her
advocacy, along with other diverse
students, led to the creation of the
Aequitas Task Force and ultimately
to the Underrepresented Student
Center at Villanova. Kashae now
serves as a first-year law student
Senator for her law school’s student
body association. Kashae will be
formally awarded the scholarship
during the David A. Clarke Law
School’s Annual Gala on November
20, 2025, in Washington D.C., from
Ned Currie. A link to Kashae’s
personal statement can be found
following this article.
Finally, a special thank-you to our
terrific Foundation Board Members,
whose hard work and dedication,
along with our FDCC Members,
make the Foundation a success.
We look forward to holding our
Silent Auction at the Scottsdale
Meeting, raising much-needed
funds, and seeing everyone there!
Elizabeth Lorell is a Past President of the
Federation and a Partner in Gordon Rees
Scully Mansukhani LLP, practicing in its
Livingston, New Jersey office. Elizabeth
currently serves as President of the
Foundation.
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