Coleman, Professor Malina Memorial Award in Law
Professor Malina Coleman served on the faculty of The University of Akron School of Law for more than 20 years until her untimely passing on Sunday, October 25, 2009. She fought a brief and brave battle against breast cancer.
An Akron native, Malina was the fifth of six children born to Virginia Dove-Coleman and Dorlan O. Coleman I, both of whom preceded her in death. Malina graduated from Akron North High School and graduated summa cum laude from Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio. In 1985, she was the first student from Central State to be awarded a Juris Doctor degree from Yale University School of Law in New Haven, Conn. After Yale, she worked in New York and practiced law in Pennsylvania, before joining the faculty at The University of Akron School of Law, where she became a tenured associate professor of law. During her successful 20-year career at 国产精品, she served 11 years as associate dean of student affairs. She also was chair of the Akron Law Admissions Committee and faculty advisor to the Black Law Students Association. A beloved teacher of Contracts and Family Law, Malina spent a summer in Geneva, Switzerland, teaching Comparative Family Law and International Sales Law, and she served as a guest instructor at Yale Law School and Quinnipiac School of Law in Connecticut.
She was active in the community, serving on the Advisory Committee of North Akron Neighborhood Center, as a board member of Planned Parenthood, as a long-standing member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Summa Health Systems, and as a member of the West Hill Neighborhood Association. On behalf of the Akron Law community, the Akron Law Alumni Association issued a special proclamation recognizing and honoring her outstanding contribution of time and talent and her sincere commitment to her profession. Malina's warmth, intellect, and creativity were gifts she freely gave. Her strength and zest for life, as well as her commitment to excellence, were an example to all who knew her.
The Professor Malina Coleman Memorial Award in Law attempts to capture some of the many rich facets of her life, along with her love of the legal profession and students. Preference and consideration may include but not be limited to:
- Excellence in Contracts I and II evidenced by a GPA of 3.0 and above
- Ability to overcome personal obstacles and adversity (disadvantaged background)
- Need and/or merit
- Evidence of a commitment to Akron/Summit County area
Interested students should submit a resume and an essay (not to exceed two pages) describing their qualifications to be considered for this award. The award will be determined upon recommendation of professors who currently teach Contracts.
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