Belleville: 618-234-9800 | Edwardsville: 618-656-2244 | ST. LOUIS: 314-421-2325

BELLEVILLE, Ill – August 17, 2016 – Today, the law firm of Mathis, Marifian and Richter, Ltd. (MMR) announced the recipients of the firm’s 2016 Law Scholarship Award. High school seniors Samuel Geiger of Belleville Township High School West, Jada Green of Alton High School and Madeline Parker of New Athens High School each received $1,000 scholarships from MMR. All three students are planning to pursue legal careers and applied for the scholarships through a nomination process open to all high school seniors in Madison, St. Clair and Washington Counties.

MMR Awards Law Scholarships to Three Metro East Students

From L to R: Rebecca Wohltman, Patrick Mathis, Madeline Parker, Jada Green, Samuel Geiger, Deanna Litzenburg

Geiger looks forward to continuing his self-proclaimed passion for learning by pursuing a law career after college. During high school, he served as the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial editor for his school newspaper. As a member of the speech and debate team, he wrote an oration about the First Amendment that placed fifth in the state and qualified him for a national speech tournament. A National Merit Scholar, Geiger was the recipient of the Raytheon Merit Scholarship from the NMSC. Geiger plans to attend the University of Chicago and major in Political Science.

Green discovered her interest in law during a trip to Europe, where she was fascinated by what she calls “the intricate relationship between happiness and regulation.” A scholar athlete, Green is a National Honor Society member, an Illinois State Scholar, a four-year varsity volleyball player and an Illinois All-Star softball player. With a passion for economics, Green wants to apply this discipline to a law career so she can continue her aspirations in community service, in which she has already volunteered more than 100 hours. She plans to attend the University of Kentucky to study economics before continuing on to law school.

Parker has wanted to be a lawyer since she was twelve years old when her sixth grade English teacher discovered she excelled at debate, even debating topical positions she didn’t necessarily agree with personally. Parker was especially moved in her sophomore year when she learned about the number of children in the United States living in foster care, and today wants to pursue a career in family law, specifically adoption law. Parker plans to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which she chose, in part, due to their law school’s reputation.

“These students have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments already, and we’re honored to help them develop and contribute to the legal community,” said Patrick B. Mathis, a shareholder at MMR. “The selection process was very difficult, but we were gratified to receive applications from so many qualified candidates.”

The law scholarship recipients are chosen based on a number of qualifications. Applicants had to be a current high school senior, planning a career as an attorney, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, achieve an ACT score of at least 26 or SAT of at least 1180, rank in the upper 25th percentile of their graduating class and be involved in extracurricular activities. The selection process involved a comprehensive review of all applicants by MMR attorneys who weighed other factors such as essay, high school achievements and teacher/school recommendations.

This is the 17th year that MMR has awarded scholarships to local high school students. Shareholders of the firm established the scholarship as a means to encourage and assist students in pursuing a legal career.

About Mathis, Marifian and Richter, Ltd.

Mathis, Marifian and Richter, Ltd. (MMR) is recognized as a top law firm in the greater St. Louis and Metro East areas. With broad experience and a regional focus, the attorneys at MMR represent all types and sizes of businesses, including publicly traded corporations, global product manufacturers, financial institutions, engineering firms, hospitals, medical and healthcare providers, retail enterprises, automobile dealerships and locally owned small businesses. With offices in Belleville, Edwardsville, Nashville and Saint Louis, MMR provides representation in matters pertaining to business law, tax law, estate and trust law, banking law and civil litigation. To discuss your legal issues, contact the lawyers of Mathis, Marifian & Richter at 618-234-9800 or 618-656-2244.

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