From Access to Opportunity: Tulane Law Celebrates the Power of Scholarships
Tulane Law School celebrated the transformative power of scholarships Tuesday evening at its third annual Celebration of Scholarships, bringing together students, donors and alumni for an event highlighting how philanthropic support expands access to legal education and shapes future leaders.
Held at the Jill H. and Avram A. Glazer Family Club at Yulman Stadium, the reception featured remarks from Dean Marcilynn Burke, alumnus and donor Larry Aldrich (L ’77), and student speaker Daiana Lilo (L ’27), whose personal story underscored the powerful impact of scholarship support.
Burke welcomed guests by emphasizing that scholarships are central to Tulane Law’s mission, enabling students to pursue their education with focus and purpose while strengthening the broader legal profession.
“Today is about honoring the generosity of our donors, celebrating the achievements and promise of our students, and recognizing the life-changing power of philanthropy to open doors, expand opportunity, and shape futures,” said Burke.
Aldrich, who established the Wendy & Larry Aldrich Endowed Scholarship in Legal Entrepreneurship with his wife in 2014, spoke from a donor’s perspective about the role scholarships play in fostering innovation and opportunity. A Tulane Law graduate, Aldrich has built a career spanning public service, media leadership and entrepreneurship, and said supporting students allows him to invest in the next generation of lawyers.
With humor, he reminded attendees that, “I didn’t get here just by my hard work or grit; I got here because of the institution that built me. And that was Tulane Law School.”
Aldrich, moved by the impact of the collective power of giving, announced that he would be expanding his scholarship to assist more students.
The evening’s student speaker, Lilo, offered a powerful account of how scholarship support made her legal education possible.
“Your generosity is not abstract,” Lilo told the audience. “It is real, it is tangible, and it is standing right in front of you,” she said, emphasizing that scholarships make law school possible for so many students.
Lilo explained that in her unique case, she did not have access to federal financial aid and traditional student loans, making law school seem unattainable despite her academic success, which included graduating as her high school’s valedictorian and earning a full scholarship to Harvard University.
“I was afraid that no law school would ever be willing to take in a student like me,” she said.
But Tulane Law School understood, she said.
“Because of the law school, and because of all of you, I am able to stand here in front of you and proudly call myself a Tulane Law student,” Lilo said.
Now in her second year, Lilo has served as a judicial extern with the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, a research assistant to faculty, and is a junior member of the Tulane Law Review.
“One of the most powerful things about scholarship support is that it changes what becomes thinkable,” Lilo said, noting that its impact extends beyond individual students to the clients and communities they will serve.
If you are interested supporting Tulane students with scholarship funding or creating an endowed scholarship fund, please contact Treb Winegar or members of the Law Advancement team here.
