Reynoso Scholarship Receives $263,000 Cy Pres Award
The Cruz and Jeannene Reynoso Scholarship for Legal Access has been granted a $263,000 Cy Pres award that will help students with financial needs afford a legal education at UC Davis School of Law. The award was directed to the Reynoso Scholarship by the San Francisco Superior Court as part of the settlement of a class action suit negotiated by attorney Taras Kick, an admirer of Professor Cruz Reynoso who had previously made a private contribution to the scholarship fund.
The class action suit known as Oshaben v. Tickle was filed in 2006 on behalf of consumers who alleged they had been charged subscription fees by the Tickle.com and Emode.com websites without their consent. A settlement was approved in June 2009, and because it was not feasible to contact all of the estimated 500,000 members of the class, the Court made a number of Cy Pres awards to distribute settlement funds, including the award to the Reynoso Scholarship.
Cy Pres awards are granted when full restitution to all injured parties in a class action suit is not possible, and the court must decide how to disperse the residual funds in a way that would have indirect benefits to the class. Attorneys for the plaintiffs may make recommendations regarding appropriate awards, and in Oshaben v. Tickle, Kick suggested the Reynoso Scholarship.
"I am deeply impressed by Professor Reynoso's life story and achievements," said Kick. "I think that the Reynoso Scholarship is a wonderful use of the Cy Pres funds."
A child of migrant farm workers, Professor Reynoso was the first Latino to serve on the California Supreme Court. He is an internationally known civil rights leader and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
"We are profoundly grateful to Taras Kick for the role he played in directing this award to the Reynoso Scholarship," said Law School Dean Kevin R. Johnson. "The award will not only honor Cruz Reynoso and his achievements, but also support access to legal education for students in need. By supporting this scholarship, Mr. Kick has helped to make it possible for future generations of students to follow Professor Reynoso's example."
The Cruz and Jeannene Reynoso Scholarship for Legal Access was created by Professor Reynoso and his late wife Jeannene in 2007 to help ensure that admitted students with economic needs are able to attend the Law School. The scholarship's first recipient is Xochitl Lopez of the Class of 2012.
To help support the Cruz and Jeannene Reynoso Scholarship for Legal Access, please contact Jean Flournoy Korinke, Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, at [email protected]. You may also send your support directly to The Cruz and Jeannene Reynoso Scholarship for Legal Access, UC Davis School of Law, 400 Mrak Hall Drive, Davis, CA 95616. Checks should be made payable to the UC Davis Foundation - Reynoso Scholarship.