Thompson Coburn Names 2009 Thomas F. Eagleton Scholarship Winner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Thompson Coburn LLP presented first-year Washington University School of Law student Nicole Rivers with the Firm’s 2008 Thomas F. Eagleton Scholarship. As the winner of the scholarship, Ms. Rivers, who earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a B.A. in Spanish from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2007, will receive $10,000 for tuition, a paid summer internship at Thompson Coburn in 2009 and mentoring from a Firm partner for one year.

As an undergraduate student at Eckerd College, Ms. Rivers earned several honors, including a Dean’s Scholarship, the Kathleen A. Rome Endowment Scholarship, and membership in the Omicorn Kappa Delta Honor Society. She also was awarded the Washington University Scholar of Law Scholarship.

Ms. Rivers has also been extremely active in civic and college organizations, serving as:

• Treasurer of the Afro-American Society at Eckerd College
• A volunteer in the Eckerd College Writing Lab
• Treasurer of the Eckerd College Pre-Law Club
• A volunteer with the Eckerd College Recycling program
• A volunteer on the Eckerd College annual Service Trip to Ecuador
• A volunteer with the St. Louis Crisis Nursery

Being chosen as the recipient of Thompson Coburn’s Thomas F. Eagleton Scholarship will help Ms. Rivers fulfill her dream of becoming an attorney. “As an undergraduate, I took part in an internship at a law firm and knew right away that I’d found the right career path,” she said. “During my internship, I saw just how many opportunities are available in the legal profession. At this point, I’m interested in labor law, international law and environmental law. I’m looking forward to my internship at Thompson Coburn; it’s an opportunity that I know will have a positive effect on my career.”

Thompson Coburn LLP Chair Thomas J. Minogue presented the scholarship to Ms. Rivers at Washington University on October 23. Tom was joined by a number of other representatives of the Firm, including Ruthanne Hammett and Steve Sherman of the Firm’s Diversity Committee, and Diversity Manager Michelle Martin. Also present were Barbara Eagleton, members of Ms. Rivers’ family and Kent D. Syverud, Dean of the Washington University School of Law.

“The interest in the Thomas F. Eagleton Scholarship has grown immensely during the past year, and the law students who applied for the scholarship were outstanding,” Tom said. “The level of competition was high, and a number of the students were extremely well-qualified. We’re confident that Nicole Rivers is an outstanding law student who is an ideal recipient of the Eagleton Scholarship. We look forward to working with her in the next year and to being a part of her growth and success in our profession.”

The Firm established the annual scholarship in memory of former U.S. Senator and Firm partner Thomas F. Eagleton in the fall of 2007. The scholarship is awarded each year to a qualified minority candidate attending his or her first year of law school at The University of Missouri, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University or the University of Illinois-Champaign.