Isaly Ortiz (’25) is the first recipient of the Leonard and Stacey Mandell Endowed Scholarship. Isaly was born and raised in Chicago by teen parents and wanted to go to law school after the death of her father.
“I became motivated to go to law school due to the tragic loss of my father by gang violence,” said Isaly. “I am truly grateful for the scholarship support that I have received, which has enabled me to make my dream of law school a reality. I intend to help families like mine who have yet to receive justice and be an example to younger kids by showing them that there is always a way out, just as my mother taught me.”
This scholarship was created in memory of former Associate Dean and Professor Emeritus Lenny Mandell who passed away in 2021. Dean Mandell served the students for over 30 years in a number of roles. Most notably, he founded the Prize Moot Court Competition in 1982 and served as its Coordinator as well as Faculty Advisor of the Moot Court Society. The competition was renamed in his honor following his retirement in 2013. This scholarship will help the NIU College of Law continue our efforts to further access, opportunity and diversity in the legal field with student recruitment and aiding current students in need.
