The Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association (MBLA) has selected Reginé Cooper ’24 for its prestigious Fletcher “Flash” Wiley Legacy Scholarship Award, an honor she will receive at the group’s annual gala on May 5. The award supports students who display academic excellence and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and the success of those around them. Cooper joins other BC Law students in this honor: In its inaugural year in 2018, Stephanie Johnson ’19 won the award, and Travis Salters ’23 was the recipient last year.
Cooper, who is the president of the Law Students Association and co-president of the Black Law Students Association at Boston College Law School, is a graduate of Colgate University, where she was also a community leader. During her 1L summer at BC Law, she interned K&L Gates in the Asset Management/ Investment Funds Group.
Cooper said of the Wiley scholarship: “We all have a civic duty to serve the community and make it filled with love, intentionality, and purpose. I am just honored to do my part.”
“I have taught thousands of students over the years,” said BC Law Professor Ingrid Hillinger, who supported Cooper’s nomination, “and Ré is among a handful I call ‘extraordinary.’ I have never met anyone like Ré. Moreover, I cannot think of anyone more deserving of the Flash Wiley Scholarship. Every fiber of Ré’s being is committed to lifting others and helping them to succeed.”
The award’s namesake models such leadership. The MBLA website describes Wiley as a valued figure in the Massachusetts legal and business communities and the non-profit sector for decades. Wiley’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is shown through his many leadership roles within minority-focused organizations.
The MBLA is a network for attorneys of color throughout Massachusetts and provides career support, continued education, and mentorship programs to its members, and collaborates with other organizations interested in supporting communities of color. The Wiley award is typically given annually to two recipients in Massachusetts and comes with a scholarship of up to $5,000.