Martin County Bar Association

The MCBA is a Voluntary Bar Association dedicated to serving Martin County’s legal community and legal needs.

2024 MCBA Scholarship Program

Scholarship Sponsors:  Jack Sobel -Donaldson & Weston / TD Bank / Martin County Bar Association

 Criteria:  2023 Martin County School District graduating High School Senior; Minimum GPE:  3.0 unweighted; Standard school application plus a 1,000 – 2,500-word essay in response to the following:

Section 1 of the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution states:

“nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Section 5 of the 14th amendment states:

“The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

“Do you believe the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution creates and protects:

(i)    a right to have an abortion; and

(ii)   a right for members of the same sex to be legally married?

Please explain the basis for why you believe one way or the other.

Scholarships will be given to the most qualified candidate(s) regardless of school of graduation, financial need or career aspirations; funds will be paid for fees associated with college attendance and paid directly to the institution.

Awards: $4,000 for one student, $2,000 for one student and $1,500 for one student.  These are one-time awards to be collected by June 30, 2023.

Form: Standard School Application Form plus a 1,000 – 2,500 word essay responding to the topic above.

Region:  Martin County – public or private schools

Evaluation Process:  The MCBA Scholarship Committee will review the essay from each qualified application.  All student identifying information will be redacted and the application assigned an ID # as means of identification for scoring purposes.

Evaluators will score each essay on four criteria:

    1. Persuasiveness of the argument;
    2. Quality and use of logic, facts, examples, and/or expert opinion;
    3. Quality and accuracy of the writing and
    4. Overall quality of the essay.

Essay Submission Deadline:  December 1, 2023

MCBA’s Annual Professionalism Award

The recipient of the annual MCBA Professionalism Award must be a current member of the Martin County Bar Association. The Professionalism Award recognizes an attorney who has demonstrated or promoted outstanding professionalism in Martin County, as defined by exemplary ethical conduct, character, and integrity, respect for the legal system and all of its participants, commitment to maintaining the highest levels of professional competence, courtesy and civility, and commitment to serving clients, the community and the public good.

In 2019 the Professionalism Award was renamed the George W. Bush Jr. MCBA Professionalism Award in honor of the late George W. Bush, Jr. a long-time MCBA member, friend, and Past President.

Nominations will be accepted through midnight on August 31, 2022.  Each nomination should outline why the candidate is to be considered along with supporting rationale and a list of related accomplishments.

Please send nominations to martincountybarassociation@msn.com.  For questions, please contact Robyn O’Heron at 772-382-9076.

Past Recipients of the MCBA Professionalism Award

2021 Honorable Steven J. Levin, Circuit Judge 19th Judicial Circuit
2020 Jason D. Berger, The Law Offices of Jason D. Berger, Esq.
2019 Edwin “Ted” Mortell
2018 Stephen C. Page, Esq. Gunster, Yoakley & Steward, P.A.
2017 Richard Levenstein, Esq., Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce, P.A.
2016 Preethi Sekharan, Esq., Gunster, Yoakley & Steward, P.A.
2015 George W. Bush, Jr. Esq., Fox, McCluskey Bush Robison, PLLC

Send nominations to martincountybarassociation@msn.com. For questions, contact us at 772.220.8018.