HARRISBURG, Pa. (Jan. 22, 2024) — Samuel Roos, a third-year student at Penn State Dickinson Law in Carlisle, was selected for the 2023 Pennsylvania Bar Foundation Joseph T. McDonald Memorial Scholarship.
Established in 2013, the annual scholarship provides $3,000 to a full-time, third-year Pennsylvania resident involved in the Penn State Dickinson Law trial advocacy program and whose goal is to pursue trial advocacy after graduation.
Roos spent nearly 10 years working as an actor, improvisational comedian and writer. He decided his public speaking experience, quick-thinking ability and storytelling skills positioned him well for a career as a trial attorney.
During his second year of law school, he received the George F. Douglas Jr. Memorial Prize, which is awarded to the top student in an Advocacy I course. “More than any other course in law school, I felt I came alive and began to realize my potential in that course,” Roos said.
Roos’ additional accolades include receiving the D. Arthur Magaziner Human Services Award for good character, sound academic performance, high ethical standards, fidelity in the profession and commitment to human service; The Honorable John B. Hannum Federal Practice Award for academic achievement in federal practice; and CALI Excellence for the Future awards for academic achievement in advocacy, civil procedure, criminal law, federal criminal practice and sports law courses.
At his law school, Roos is president of the Public Interest Law Fund, chair of the Student Bar Association Honor Code Committee and articles editor of Dickinson Law Review. He is also a member of the 2023-24 National Trial Team. In addition to serving as a certified legal intern for the Dauphin County Public Defender’s Office, Roos served as a judicial intern for Judge Jessica E. Brewbaker, Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas and Judge Christopher C. Conner, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
After law school, Roos plans to pursue a position in criminal law with a focus on public defense, or civil law with a focus on civil rights and legal aid. His long-term goal is to present oral arguments in federal court.
Roos received his Master of Fine Arts from The New School, New York City, and his Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.
The Joseph T. McDonald Memorial Scholarship Fund is administered by the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. For more information on this and other scholarships, visit www.pabarfoundation.org.