To an untrained eye, the odds appear to have been stacked against Juanita Rodriguez 11 years ago when she was a pregnant teen. But, Rodriguez, who is now 28, was destined not to be just another teen, single-mother statistic. The same drive that compelled her to complete high school, college and then pursue a law degree at the DePaul University College of Law—all while balancing single motherhood and work—recently helped her earn one of two $10,000 scholarships offered for the first time by the Defense Research Institute (DRI), an international association of lawyers and others concerned with the defense of civil actions.

“Although I have had the weight of the world on my shoulders, I have always had a spirit of service coupled with a passion for justice,” said Rodriguez, a fourth year evening student who hopes to litigate or practice medical malpractice law. “I completed my undergraduate degree in night school while working full-time to make ends meet as a single parent. It has been a test of balance to be competitive with my peers, who don’t have the same responsibilities that I do.”

DRI’s Law Student Diversity Scholarship competition was open to female and minority students who were second year and above and who attended institutions approved by the American Bar Association. As part of the competition, students were required to write a 1,000-word essay about the civil jury system. They also had to demonstrate academic excellence, service to the legal profession, service to the community and service to the cause of diversity.

“Juanita was impressive not just because of her essay—which was the best—but because of her commitment to community,” said Katrina Holland, director of member and committee services for DRI. “We wanted to give the award to someone who demonstrated through their work ethic that they could be a future leader in the defense community and DRI.”

One of the things that really made an impact and helped propel Rodriguez above others vying for the award was her community commitment. What particularly stood out was her work with the Arts of Living High School, an alternative high school for teen-age mothers. Rodriguez once attended the school, which recently was closed because of budget cuts. While mentoring there, she stood as a living model of what the young mothers could accomplish through education. “I was their example that they did not have to live by low societal expectations, as I have not,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez also is quick to point to the College of Law’s commitment to diversity as one of the elements that provided her the confidence to go out and earn the award. “The education and training that I have received through DePaul’s law school, in addition to its commitment to diversity, played a large part in the end result,” she said.

In August, 2004, the College of Law was cited by “Black Issues in Higher Education” magazine as one of the top law schools in the country for awarding law degrees to minorities. Specifically, it was ranked 17th in total law degrees awarded to Hispanics, 22nd for degrees awarded to Asian Americans and 25th for degrees awarded to African Americans. Of the 1,202 students enrolled in the College of Law for the 2004-2005 academic year, 76 are African American; 83 are Asian-Pacific and 78 are Hispanic.

“Juanita’s accomplishment in winning the DRI award, as well as her ability to be successful in law school, is why the College of Law at DePaul is so committed to diversity,” remarked Charlotte Taylor, assistant dean for multicultural affairs. “The College of Law celebrates and supports the variety of perspectives that students from different backgrounds and cultures bring to our classrooms. That variety has the potential to impact how our students look at the law and, in turn, how they practice.”