Boston, MA, January 13, 2014 – The Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation Corp., a nonprofit, tax-exempt entity established by attorneys from the law firm of Brown Rudnick LLP, awarded a Community Grant to Thurgood Marshall Academy in Washington, DC for camera equipment that students on the debate team can use to record practice sessions. Brown Rudnick supports a number of debate and mock trial programs including the award-winning New York City Urban Debate League.
Josh Biederman, Thurgood Marshall Academy teacher and grant applicant, said “As a law-themed high school, our mission is to prepare students to succeed in college and to actively engage in our democratic society. The debate team links students from DC’s most underserved community with a valuable educational experience that connects them to global discussions about economics, social justice, the environment, international relations, and local politics. Using the camera equipment to record practice sessions will allow students to reflect on their own performance by analyzing their verbal pacing, poise, and professionalism as they present their case for an issue.”
Commenting on the grant, Al Wallis, Executive Director of the Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation Corp., said, “The Foundation has seen the value of debate teams in education. By exposing students to a variety of local and global issues and by promoting the skills of research, critical thinking, and advocacy, debate builds the foundation for students to become active, socially engaged citizens. We are delighted to support this program.”
Created to support front-line educators who often do not have a voice in funding decisions, the Community Grants subsidize small, concrete projects, which will improve inner-city education within Boston, Hartford, London, Providence, New York, or Washington DC within the coming year. The Foundation will generally consider grant applications monthly and award grants in an amount totaling not more than $2000 in any one month. The grant applications and an explanation of the program can be found here.
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Brown Rudnick is an AmLaw 200 firm with offices in the United States and Europe. With relentless focus on the client’s objectives, the firm represents clients from around the world in high stakes litigation and business transactions. Our clients include public and private corporations, hedge funds, venture capital funds, private equity funds, multinational Fortune 100 businesses, and start-up enterprises. We also represent investors, as well as official and ad hoc creditors’ committees in today’s largest corporate restructurings, both domestically and abroad. Brown Rudnick is among the vanguard of law firms advising clients in times of unprecedented opportunity, capital convergence and cross-border uncertainty. The Brown Rudnick Center for the Public interest is an innovative model combining the Firm’s pro bono, charitable giving and community volunteer efforts. For more information, please visit www.brownrudnick.com.