UC Davis School of Law Announces Scholarship for Legal Access
Announcing the Cruz and Jeannene Reynoso Scholarship for Legal Access. The UC Davis School of Law is grateful to the Reynosos for their inspiration and dedication to helping ensure legal education remains accessible to all. Details about the scholarship and support information are included below on this page.
Cruz Reynoso
Professor of Law Emeritus, UC Davis School of Law
Boochever and Bird Chair for the Study and Teaching of Freedom and Equality
Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient
UC Davis Medal Recipient
Former Associate Justice, California Supreme Court
Vice Chair, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
American Bar Association Robert J. Kutak Award recipient
Director, California Rural Legal Assistance
Professor and former Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, Cruz Reynoso has dedicated his life to public service championing the underdog in civil rights, immigration and refugee policy, government reform, and legal services for the poor. Although Cruz Reynoso began his career in private practice, it wasn’t long before he took leave to serve the public. He became the assistant director of the California Fair Employment Practices Commission and later served the federal government as associate general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C. He returned to California in 1968 to head California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), a pioneering legal services program organization, at a critical time in its history. In 1972, Reynoso joined the faculty at the University of New Mexico School of Law. In 1976, he was appointed associate justice of the California Courts of Appeal. In 1982, Reynoso became the first Latino to be appointed an associate justice of the California Supreme Court. Reynoso later returned to private practice, and resumed his teaching career by joining the UCLA School of Law. In 2001, he became the inaugural chair holder of the Boochever and Bird Chair for the Study and Teaching of Freedom and Equality at the UC Davis School of Law. Continuing his longstanding commitment to public service, Reynoso has also served as Vice Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, as well as a member of the Select Commission on Immigration and Human Rights.In 2000, President Bill Clinton honored Cruz Reynoso with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, for his lifelong devotion to public service. Reynoso has also been honored with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Hispanic Heritage Award in Education and the American Bar Association’s Robert J. Kutak and Spirit of Excellence Awards, for his significant contributions toward increased cooperation between legal education, the practicing bar, and the judiciary.
UC DAVIS MEDAL
On September 15th, Professor Cruz Reynoso became the seventh individual to receive the UC Davis Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the campus. The quality of UC Davis is dependent, literally, upon thousands of dedicated individuals. Each person’s inspiration for assisting the campus may be subtly different, but at bottom the result is the same – we will be better tomorrow than we are today because of their work. On a rare occasion, one of these individuals stands out among all others. That person shows in unique ways and by rare accomplishment that he or she is among the best of the best, surely deserving of special acknowledgement. The UC Davis Medal is intended to recognize that individual – to be heralded today and in perpetuity – as an extraordinarily special member of our University family.
News article about the event honoring Cruz Reynoso on September 15, 2007.
REYNOSO SCHOLARSHIP
The Cruz and Jeannene Reynoso Scholarship for Legal Access has been established at the UC Davis School of Law to help admitted students with economic needs to attend the Law School. Cruz and Jeannene Reynoso want to ensure that students are admitted based on their abilities, promise, and willingness to work hard and that they are able to attend regardless of their ability to pay the cost of increasing student and professional fees. The creation of the Reynoso Scholarship announces to students from families of all backgrounds that, if they are admitted, the School of Law will help them with their desire to enter the legal profession.
Scholarship Support Form (PDF)
For further information on the Cruz and Jeannene Reynoso Scholarship for Legal Access, please contact Jean Korinke at [email protected] or 530-752-1067.