Scholar Entries - Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund of Illinois

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Are you a past recipient of an Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund award?

Name

Nicholas Segura

Current Mailing Address

1122 W. Catalpa Ave. UNIT 616
Chicago, IL 60640
United States
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If mailing address is temporary, expected date when current mailing address is no longer valid

08/01/2026

Permanent Address (only if different from Current Mailing Address)

1907 West Bradley Place
Chicago, IL 60613
United States
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Phone

(773) 294-3755

Connection to Illinois

Permanent Resident

In what city do you intend to practice law upon graduation?

Chicago

Name of Law School

Chicago-Kent College of Law

Class year

2nd year law student

Full Time or Part Time Student?

Full Time

Date you began attending THIS law school

08/13/2024

Anticipated Graduation Date

05/16/2027

Current GPA

3.184

Law School Honors, Awards or Special Recognitions

Activities:

Hispanic Latino Law Student Association (HLLSA) - Member
American Constitution Society - Member
Sports and Entertainment Law Society - Member

Name of Undergraduate Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Degree (BA, BSE, etc.) and Concentration/Major

Bachelor of Science | Major: Agricultural and Consumer Economics | Concentration: Public Policy and Law

Undergraduate Graduation Date

05/14/2023

GPA

3.89

Undergraduate Honors, Awards, or Special Recognitions

Graduated magna cum laude (High Honors) - Top 7% in my respective College
Dean's List - 6 semesters
International Legal Honor Society of Phi Delta Phi - Member

Were you employed in 2025?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

Amundsen Davis, LLC (part-time)

What was your immediate family’s (including you and your spouse or domestic partner, if applicable) estimated income from all sources for the 2025 Tax Year?

$200,000 (combined)

Do you expect to be employed in 2026?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

Amundsen Davis, LLC

Please estimate your immediate family’s (including you and your spouse or domestic partner, if applicable) income from all sources for the 2026 Tax year

$200,000 (combined)

Please estimate your parent's average annual household income over the last five years

$150,000 - $200,000 (combined)

Do your parents own or rent their home? Please describe, if necessary

Rent

Describe your parents' health insurance situation. Do they have employer-sponsored health insurance, health insurance through the exchange, or no health insurance?

Employer-sponsored health insurance

LIST below your total EXPENSES for attending law school for ONE YEAR (Please refer to example in FAQs)

Total Tuition Cost $

$43,080

Books Cost $

$1,216.00

Fees Cost $

$1,182.00

Housing Cost $

$6,000.00

Food Cost $

$1,800.00

Other Costs $ (describe)

Transportation: $1,000 | Loan Fees: $1,117.00 | Health Costs: $480.00 | Law School Study Materials (Quimbee): $33/month ($396 total) | Suit Dry Cleaning (Interviews, Work, Trials): $100

Total Expenses $ (add above entries)

$56,371

LIST below your total FUNDING sources you plan to use to pay for these expenses (Please refer to example in FAQs)

Student Loans $

$20,500

Scholarships and Grants $

$5,000

Work Study, if any $

N/A

Personal Contribution (Savings/Employment) $

$6,856

Family Contribution $ (include parents, spouse, partner, etc.)

$24,015

Total Funding $ (add above entries)

$56,371

For 2Ls and 3Ls, what is your current TOTAL loan debt from the previous law school years?

$40,568

Please list any community service activities with which you have been involved in the last ten years, paying particular attention to activities in support of the Hispanic community. For each activity, please include the dates of your participation, a short description of the organization and the community they serve, and a description of the activity you performed to help them. (Please read FAQs before completing)

Common Pantry (Aug. 2015 - Present): As a volunteer for Common Pantry, responsibilities primarily include gathering food for nearby homeless/poverty-stricken people. In addition, I volunteered in the Pantry's soup kitchen and aided in the Pantry's Christmas gift program.

PAWS Chicago (Aug. 2015 - Dec. 2024): As a volunteer for PAWS Chicago, the primary goal was caring for sheltered dogs and cats. Responsibilities include cleaning, laundry, dishes, and walking sheltered animals.

Esfuerzo Mentorship Program (2025 - Present): Currently registered as an Esfuerzo Mentorship Program Mentor, awaiting a pairing with a high-school / college student pursuing a legal career. Program is designed to give first-generation Latino students the tools necessary to succeed in in law school.

Please provide a statement describing your background and focus your statement on your reasons for pursuing a legal career and your legal career goals. This statement is important. Please give it appropriate attention. (min. 1000 characters) (Please read FAQs before completing)

I am a 24-year-old Mexican-American law student whose path to the legal profession has been shaped by sacrifice, lived experience, and a deliberate choice to respond to adversity with discipline and excellence. My career goals, challenges, and motivation to serve others are inseparable from my heritage and values instilled in me long before law school.

My grandparents immigrated to the United States from Jalisco and Guanajuato, Mexico. My grandfather arrived with ten dollars, spoke no English, and worked sixty- to seventy-hour weeks while sending money back to his wife in Mexico. From him, I learned that dignity is defended not through confrontation, but through consistency, self-control, and perseverance. He taught me that the most powerful response to doubt or disrespect is to succeed anyway — a lesson that continues to guide me to this day.

Growing up as a Mexican-American, I encountered racism in both subtle and overt ways. I was followed in stores, questioned about whether I belonged in academic or professional spaces, and reduced to stereotypes before ever being known. At times, strangers changed their route to avoid crossing paths with me. These experiences were isolating, but they forced an early decision: I could respond with anger, or I could respond with achievement. I chose the latter, learning to channel frustration into focus and to let performance speak louder than assumptions.

My relationship with my Pakistani partner has further shaped how I confront discrimination. Together, we have experienced overt racism, including being denied service in public spaces. Witnessing that exclusion reinforced my commitment to purpose over resentment. Rather than internalizing my frustrations, I doubled down on my goals and by succeeding in environments that once felt unwelcoming, without abandoning my values.

At Chicago-Kent College of Law, I carry these principles into both my academic work and the community I have built. My closest friends come from diverse racial, cultural, and personal backgrounds, including Mexican, Pakistani, Indian, Iranian, and Irish peers, many of whom identify as LGBTQ+. These relationships reflect my belief that diversity sharpens judgment and strengthens leadership, particularly in demanding environments like law school.

Law school has also clarified the type of lawyer I want to become. Through Trial Advocacy, I developed a strong interest in trial practice and oral advocacy — an interest that emerged despite a long-standing fear of public speaking. Law school presented a choice: avoid discomfort or confront it directly. I chose the latter. Through preparation and repetition, I learned not only to manage fear, but to perform under pressure and continue improving. Trial work rewards credibility earned through clarity and discipline, and I am committed to becoming that kind of advocate.

After graduation, I hope to work at a mid-size law firm in downtown Chicago focusing on civil litigation defense. I am drawn to mid-size firms for their emphasis on collaboration, long-term professional relationships, and sustainable excellence. I aspire to work in an environment that values rigorous advocacy while recognizing balance and life beyond billable hours. In addition, I intend to remain engaged in pro bono and mentorship efforts supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds. Generally, I hope to be a resource for students who look like me and are facing the daunting task of becoming the first attorney in their family.

My heritage informs not only why I pursue law, but how I intend to practice it. I am committed to becoming a trial lawyer who earns credibility through preparation, judgment, and performance. Support from the Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund would allow me to continue developing as a trial advocate while remaining rooted in mentorship and service to communities like my own. I intend to honor that support by practicing with excellence and helping strengthen a profession where representation always matters.

Please upload a copy of your financial award letter labeled as follows: LastName.FirstName.FinAwardLtr*

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Segura.Nicholas.FinAwardLtr.pdf

Please upload a copy of your resume labeled as follows: LastName.FirstName.Resume*

Please upload a copy of your law school transcript labeled as follows: LastName.FirstName.LSTranscript*