This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the Jeffrey K. Poilé Memorial Civil Rights Scholarship that has honored the memory of a remarkable man while supporting University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law students dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ rights and equality.

Established in 2001 and first awarded in 2002, the scholarship commemorates Jeff Poilé, the late life partner of Associate Dean for Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Professor of Law Larry Levine. Poilé passed away in 1992 at the age of 37, but his legacy continues to inspire generations of students committed to using their legal education to extend and protect the civil rights of LGBTQ+ individuals.

 “The fact that McGeorge has this scholarship is absolutely thrilling. Not only does it keep Jeff’s memory alive, but it serves a critically important purpose,” Levine said. 

The scholarship was created during a pivotal period for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. Levine said he recognized the need for future lawyers to use their legal training to advocate for equality and help advance civil rights protections for the LGBTQ+ community.

McGeorge School of Law was nationally recognized for its support of LGBTQ+ students as the 2025 recipient of the LGBTQ+ Institutional Inclusive Excellence Award from the Association of American Law Schools Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues. McGeorge is one of only six law schools nationwide to receive this prestigious award.

What began as a single scholarship award has grown into McGeorge’s third largest endowed scholarship. Moreover, it’s one of the largest LGBTQ+ focused scholarships at any U.S. law school. Since awarding its first $1,250 scholarship in 2002, the Poilé Scholarship has provided $452,653 in financial assistance to 198 students who have expressed an interest in using their law degree to advance civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community. This past year alone, 22 scholarships totaling $70,500 were awarded.

Beyond financial support, Levine believes the scholarship sends an important message to students about belonging and inclusion.

"I think it's more than just about the financial support, although that is really important," Levine said. "The scholarship signifies that McGeorge values the contributions of these students and who they are."

That message resonated with alumna Ashley Silva-Guzman '21, a former member of McGeorge's Lambda Law Society and a Poilé Scholarship recipient. Today, she practices employment law and frequently advocates for LGBTQ+ employees facing workplace discrimination.

"I definitely work with a lot of LGBTQ+ employees who have been discriminated against or wrongfully terminated because of their sexual orientation or their gender," Silva-Guzman said. "That's been a really great opportunity for me to expand my experience in the employment field and also feel like I'm helping out a community that I belong to and that I hope to continue to assist throughout my career."

For alumna and Poilé Scholarship recipient Lexi Howard '15, who now serves as an attorney at the California Department of Water Resources in the Office of the General Counsel, the scholarship's impact extended beyond financial assistance.

“The Poilé Scholarship was for me both a recognition and an ignition,” Howard said. “It said both ‘we see you’ and ‘we believe in you’—timeless messages that remain relevant.”

The scholarship's growth has been made possible through the generosity of alumni, law firms, faculty, staff, friends of the law school and the Powell Match Program, which matches every gift donated to the scholarship. Gifts from last year's fundraising event helped the Poilé Scholarship endowment surpass $1.4 million, creating additional opportunities to support students while preserving the fund's long-term impact.

Still, Levine sees this as just the beginning. With full-time tuition currently at $64,558, he hopes to increase the endowment so future awards can provide even greater financial support to students.

Levine’s goal is to double the size of the endowment corpus in the next year or two to better assist McGeorge law students dedicated to advancing justice and equality.

"The goal is for the Poilé Scholarship to soon become the biggest scholarship at McGeorge, not just the third biggest," Levine said.

McGeorge School of Law will celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the scholarship at the annual Poilé Scholarship Reception on Friday, Nov. 13. Please contact the Advancement Office for sponsorship opportunities at 916.739.7300.

Make a gift to McGeorge’s Poilé Scholarship. 

To learn how to support the Poilé Scholarship, contact Quentin Graeber at 916.739.7229 or qgraeber@pacific.edu.