AGG Excellence in Leadership Book Award
The AGG Excellence in Leadership Book Award was established as a means to reach out to and support students interested in the practice of law and to demonstrate the Firm’s support of diversity and inclusion in the legal field. The annual award includes a scholarship in the amount of $1000 and is intended for a rising senior student from Morehouse College and Spelman College. Award recipients must meet the following criteria: active community service volunteer, academic achievement, participation in student leadership programs, and a demonstrated intent to pursue a legal career or interest in legal studies.
Melvin A. Colbert, II, the 2009 Arnall Golden Gregory LLP Excellence in Leadership Book Award recipient, currently attends Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and is expected to graduate in 2010 with a degree in History. After completing his undergraduate studies, Melvin plans to attend law school to study civil rights. In 2006, Melvin graduated from Suitland High School, located in his home town of Fort Washington, MD, just outside Washington, D.C. Melvin is involved in numerous school and community activities and organizations, which demonstrate leadership skills, a commitment to excellence, as well as vocational interests in law and government. Melvin currently serves as the 2009-2010 Vice President of Morehouse College Student Government Association, the NAACP Chairman of Political Action Committee, and the International Secretary of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. Since 1999, he has completed over 3200 community volunteer hours. Additionally, Melvin’s professional background includes a congressional internship with U.S. Congressman Albert Wynn, as well as an associate position with AFLAC Insurance Company, which he currently holds.
Marva Jones Brooks Summer Internship The Marva Jones Brooks Summer Internship is awarded to young minority women and men currently in high school who have shown an interest in pursuing a legal education and becoming attorneys. It is the firm’s hope that their experiences with AGG will inspire them to continue on that path. The internship has been named in honor of AGG’s distinguished retired partner, Marva Jones Brooks. The purpose of the AGG Marva Jones Brooks Internship Program is to encourage the exploration of a legal career by a minority high school student and to provide him or her with early exposure to a law firm environment.
Julian A. Hinds, the 2010 Arnall Golden Gregory LLP Marva Jones Brooks Internship recipient, is currently a senior at Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology in Conyers, Georgia. As a participant in the internship program, Mr. Hinds will spend four weeks in July 2010 at AGG, during which time he will shadow attorneys, learn about the day-to-day business of a law firm and gain hands-on experience and exposure to the legal field.
Mr. Hinds says that he has always been fascinated by the diversity of the legal field and is particularly interested in environmental law, media law, and entertainment and sports law. The internship provides high school students the opportunity to spend time at AGG and learn, first-hand, about the practice of law.
Mr. Hinds has an impressive academic record with an accelerated course load. His academic achievements include the 2009 and 2010 Superintendent's Award, given to the top 10 students in each class; second place at the Rockdale County Science Fair in both 2009 and 2010; the Advanced History Award; Algebra II Award; and the J.C. Kerr Jr. Award of Excellence for Industry, Integrity and Science. In his spare time, he volunteers with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and Stone Mountain Food Bank, is a member of the Model Atlanta Regional Commission, and teaches math at Kumon of Conyers.
High School Pipeline Project for Minority Students AGG hosted the State Bar lunch and a one-on-one mentoring session as part of the 2008 High School Pipeline Project for Minority Students. The summer program targets high school students and has two primary objectives: improving students skills in grammar, writing and speech to assist them in college and law school; and providing mentoring sessions with members of the judiciary and attorneys who can inspire, educate and motivate students to consider law as a career. For more information about this program, please click here.
