At their monthly meeting yesterday, the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey (CPANJ) presented scholarship awards to four recipients of the Oscar W. Rittenhouse, Andrew K. Ruotolo, Jr., Harris Y. Cotton and John H. Stamler Memorial Scholarships. The CPANJ, a nonprofit corporation, annually awards scholarships to law students, college and graduate students. Each scholarship is a one-year grant in the amount of up to $3,500.00 paid directly to the recipient. Scholarship recipients from previous years are ineligible.
The awards were presented at the Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton by CPANJ President, Fredric M. Knapp and Mercer County Prosecutor, Angelo J. Onofri. The presentation ceremony was attended by Attorney General, Christopher S. Porrino and all New Jersey County Prosecutors.
To be eligible for the Oscar W. Rittenhouse Memorial scholarship, an applicant must be a New Jersey resident accepted for admission into a law school. The application must have an interest in pursuing a career as a prosecutor. The applicant must also demonstrate financial need.
The recipient of the 2017 Oscar W. Rittenhouse Memorial scholarship is, Emma Marie Coffey of Chatham. Emma is currently finishing her undergraduate studies at Boston College and plans to attend law school there, following her graduation. In the past, she was a Victim Witness Advocate for the Cambridge District Court, and Emma currently interns at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Ms. Coffey was unable to attend the ceremony due to a prior commitment in Boston.
To be eligible for the Andrew K. Ruotolo, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, an applicant must be a New Jersey resident accepted for admission to a law school or a graduate school. The applicant must exhibit an interest in, and commitment to, enhancing the rights and well-being of children through child advocacy programs. The applicant must also demonstrate financial need.
The recipient of the 2017 Andrew K. Ruotolo Jr. Memorial Scholarship is, Michael W. Lembo of Ridgewood. Michael is a Police Sergeant with the Ridgewood Police Department, and is a member of the School of Management at Marist College. He also works with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office as a member of their Computer Crimes Task Force. In 2012, Michael was named “Police Officer of the Year” by the Ridgewood Knights of Columbus. Officer Lembo attended the ceremony.
To be eligible for the Harris Y. Cotton Memorial scholarship, an applicant must be a New Jersey resident accepted for admission to a law school. The applicant must have an interest in pursuing a career as a prosecutor with an emphasis in Domestic Violence or Hate Crime prosecutions. The applicant must also demonstrate financial need.
The recipient of the 2017 Harris Y. Cotton Memorial scholarship is, Gianna Marie DeLizza of Voorhees. Gianna Marie is studying law at Rutgers Law School-Camden. In her time at Rutgers, she has served as the Student Director of the Rutgers Domestic Violence Project and is presently a Student Attorney for the Rutgers Domestic Violence Clinic. She also worked in the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office as a Trial Unit Intern. Ms. DeLizza was unable to attend due to a work obligation.
To be eligible for the John H. Stamler Memorial scholarship, an applicant must be a New Jersey resident and sworn law enforcement officer seeking educational advancement on a college or graduate level to improve his or her effectiveness as a law enforcement officer. The applicant must also demonstrate financial need.
The recipient of the 2017 John H. Stamler Memorial scholarship is Claire G. Odierna of Norwood. Claire Odierna has been a Detective at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office since 2003. She is furthering her education, studying for her Master’s Degree in Public Administration at Fairleigh Dickinson University. In the past few years, Detective Odierna was selected as the lone representative from New Jersey to attend a Sex Offender Investigation training course, run by the United States Marshal Service. She also organized and executed Operation Evade, which resulted in the arrest of 19 convicted sex offenders in Hudson County. Detective Odierna attended the ceremony and was presented with her award by Hudson County Prosecutor, Esther Suarez, and they can be seen in the photo below.
Congratulations to the 2017 scholarship recipients from the County Prosecutors Association of the State of New Jersey.
