2021 Oliver W. Hill Scholarship Awarded to Shakuan Smith '23
Shakuan Smith '23
Shakuan Smith, a first-year student at William & Mary Law School, was honored Wednesday evening as the 2021 Oliver W. Hill Scholarship recipient. The announcement was made by Associate Dean for Law School Admissions Dexter Smith at a virtual reception for alumni and students hosted by the Black Law Students Association (BLSA).
Smith is a 2020 graduate of Davidson College, where he majored in political science. He was among ten top law students chosen earlier this year to participate in the Charlotte, N.C., Legal Diversity Clerkship program. As part of the program, he will be a summer associate at McGuireWoods LLP and the legal department of Red Ventures.
He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and served as chapter president for his undergraduate chapter. He is currently the Bushrod associate for recruitment and logistics for the Law School’s Moot Court Team. In addition, he serves as BLSA’s first-year representative for the Law School and is a participant in the Law School’s Leadership Institute.
"I am truly honored to be awarded this scholarship,” Smith said. “ I am grateful to the W&M Black Alumni Network for having this opportunity. Oliver Hill was a giant, and I am humbled to walk in his footsteps and I am determined to help continue his legacy."
Oliver W. Hill (1907-2007) was a Richmond, Va., civil rights attorney who spent his career fighting to end racial discrimination, arguing Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, one of the five cases decided under Brown v. Board of Education. He was honored by President Bill Clinton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999, and, in 2005, the NAACP honored him with the Spingarn Medal for outstanding achievement.
About William & Mary Law School
Legal education in a university setting began at William & Mary in 1779. Now in its third century, America's first law school continues its historic mission of educating citizen lawyers who are prepared both to lead and to serve.