Stanford Law School announced the inaugural class of Sallyanne Payton Fellows, which supports diverse students who seek a career in legal academia.

“The new Sallyanne Payton Fellowship is an innovative way for our school to provide a supportive pathway for pursuing a legal academic career for diverse students,” says Jenny Martinez, Richard E. Lang Professor of Law and Dean. “Named after one of our most illustrious, involved, and well-loved alumni, this unique fellowship is an integral part of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative that we hope will expand and develop innovative policies and practices across the entire institution.” 

Payton, JD ’68 (BA ’64), the first African American to graduate from Stanford Law School, had a trailblazing legal career, holding numerous positions in both Democratic and Republican administrations in Washington, D.C., before being appointed to the faculty at the University of Michigan Law School.

Fellows commit to preparing and submitting three papers for publication during their JD studies. In addition to individual mentorship and guidance, they will convene with sponsoring faculty to discuss research methods, research design, and interdisciplinary approaches to legal thought, as well as engaging in other supportive programming. The inaugural class includes Alexis Abboud, JD ’21, Olamide Abiose, JD ’20/PhD ’24, Viviana Andazola Marquez, JD ’23, Sydney Jordan, JD ’23, Daniel Khalessi, JD ’22 (BA ’13), Diana Li, JD ’21, and Timothy Rosenberger, JD/MBA ’22. SL