Scholarship
Legal education made accessible
When Wendy Perdue enrolled at Duke University School of Law, a scholarship changed the trajectory of her legal education — and she never forgot it.
“My scholarship allowed me to worry less about money and focus more on my education,” she said. “It’s a privilege that I wish were available to each of our students.”
Decades later, that conviction led Perdue and her husband, David, to establish the Dean’s Opportunity Scholarship Fund, seeding it with a $100,000 gift in 2019. The initiative reflects values both Perdues absorbed growing up. “Dave and I come from families who valued education and emphasized the importance of supporting educational institutions,” she said. “Our mothers were very active in raising money for their alma maters, so we internalized an expectation that, as our resources allowed, we should provide support to the institutions that are important to us.”
The response has been extraordinary. Together, donors grew the fund to nearly $3 million, sponsoring 40 Richmond Law students to date.
“Without this financial support, my goal of becoming an attorney would not be possible.”
Dean’s Opportunity Scholars are selected based on financial need, academic excellence, perseverance in the face of adversity, and potential for leadership in the profession. A gift of $10,000 per year for three years — $30,000 total — sponsors one scholar.
Jada Smith, L’28, is among those who have benefited. “As a student who is underrepresented in the legal field, receiving this scholarship is both an investment in my future and recognition of the determination and grit required to enter a profession where few lawyers look like me,” she said. “Without this financial support, my goal of becoming an attorney would not be possible. This scholarship is a reminder that my voice and presence matter.”
Today, Perdue looks ahead at a landscape of increasing financial burden for those attending law school. “With recent changes in federal financial aid policies, I expect to see an even greater need for student support,” she said. “I would like to be able to assure every admitted student that they can afford a Richmond Law education.”