The UW School of Law has announced the first recipients of the William H. Gates Public Service Law (PSL) Scholarship, an award that fully covers five law students' expenses, so they can pursue careers in public service.

The law school chose Emily Alvarado, Vanessa Torres Hernandez, Illana Mantell, Colleen Melody and Michael Peters as this year's winners.

The program, revealed on William H. Gates, Sr.'s 80th birthday, will last 80 years and pay for students' tuition, academic supplies and room and board. The winners are chosen based on their academic successes, aptitude, leadership in public service and, as a tiebreaker, financial need. Those who receive the scholarship are expected to commit themselves in the public service arena for five years after their graduation.

The scholarship is for one year and will be renewed annually based on academic performance and participation in program activities and internships. Scholarships must be repaid if the student does not graduate or complete the required service period following graduation.

Gates, a UW regent, dedicated much of his law practice to public service. After he retired from his law firm, he became co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which donated $33.3 million to found the Gates PSL Scholarship, according the law school Web site.

The Foundation created the scholarship at Gates' alma mater to honor his practice of law in the spirit of public service. The intent of the program is to address the continuing decline of new lawyers entering public interest fields.

According to a December 2005 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the starting salary for public-interest lawyers in Washington State is $50,000 less than it is for lawyers who work at private firms.

This has led to a 46-percent decline in UW law school graduates entering public-interest fields in the last 25 years, according to the article.

The UW law school is addressing this problem by requiring students to complete 60 hours of public service before graduation. Students either complete a public service externship, where they work in a professional law setting for UW credit, enroll in a law school clinic or teach a practical law course to high school students.

The program then complements the law school's commitment to students' service for the public.

"UW was chosen because of its long history and commitment to public service," said Shari Ireton, public information and outreach officer for the UW School of Law.

Ireton said most students exceed the required service hours because of their excellence and most are genuinely involved in public service from the start.

"When you attract that type of student body, they will be interested beyond a paycheck," she said.

One aspect of the program is support for seminars and internship opportunities to collaborate with other Washington state law schools on public service issues. The Law Center for Career Planning and Public Service helps students find opportunities in public service while attending school and upon graduation.

Reach Daily reporter Erica Tartaglione at [url='mailto:news@thedaily.washington.edu']news@thedaily.washington.edu[/url].