Government Lawyer Section awards Butterworth Public Service Scholarship
Farah Ali, a 3L at the FSU College of Law, received the inaugural Robert Butterworth Public Service Scholarship from the Government Lawyer Section. An extern with the U.S. Public Defender for the Northern District of Florida, Ali has racked up more than 300 hours of public service while still residing academically near the top of her class.
The Government Lawyer Section has chosen an exceptional law student to receive the inaugural Robert Butterworth Public Service Scholarship.
Florida State University 3L Farah Ali, an extern with the U.S. Public Defender for the Northern District of Florida, has racked up more than 300 hours of public service while still residing academically near the top of her class.
“We are very pleased to get this scholarship up and running and thrilled to have awarded it to such a deserving law student,” said John J. Bajger, an associate deputy of civil litigation for Attorney General Ashley Moody who chairs the Government Lawyer Section Awards Committee.
Ali has worked as an investigator in the Capital Homicide Division of the Public Defender’s Office of the Second Judicial Circuit and volunteered with Capital City Youth Services.
“Most recently, she joined the Federal Public Defender’s Office in the Capital Habeas Unit as a summer extern,” Assistant Federal Public Defender Elizabeth L. Vallejo wrote in a letter of recommendation. “I have had several conversations with Ms. Ali over the years and it is clear to me that she has deliberately and carefully chosen her externships and extracurricular activities, all in preparation for a legal career with government.”
Among other things, Ali will receive $1,000 toward her tuition or other school-related expenses, a plaque, and a Government Lawyer Section student membership.
Scholarship recipients must have demonstrated an interest in public service and have a minimum 3.0 grade-point-average. Applicants must also describe a need.
In addition to academic success and public service, Ali has a compelling personal history.
She was raised by a mother who worked outside of the home while caring for Ali’s father, a Pakistani immigrant, businessman and part-time chef who suffered a severe head injury when Ali was still in kindergarten. To attend her high school IB program, Ali rose two hours before most other students to accommodate her long bus ride.
“As a high-schooler, I saw the IB Program as my main avenue to escape poverty and obtain an education — but many juveniles did not have access to these privileges,” Ali wrote in her scholarship application, describing why she felt so compelled to give back.
The award takes its name from an iconic Florida government lawyer.
Bob Butterworth served as a county and circuit judge, Broward County sheriff, and Sunrise mayor before he was elected Florida’s 33rd attorney general in 1986. He served four consecutive terms under four governors — Bob Martinez, Lawton Chiles, Buddy MacKay, and Jeb Bush.
