The National Association of Bond Lawyers has renamed its existing Fundamentals of Municipal Bond Law Seminar scholarship program to honor longtime NABL member Frederic L. “Rick” Ballard, Jr. who passed away in 2014. NABL’s decision to bestow this honor on Mr. Ballard stemmed from his longstanding commitment to educating young bond attorneys. As Mr. Ballard’s contributions to NABL touched so many of its members, NABL is confident that the Frederic L. Ballard, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Program will become part of his enduring legacy.
In recognition of the newly named program, the law firm of Ballard Spahr LLP made a generous donation in his memory to the Scholarship fund. That donation was followed by another generous donation from the American College of Bond Counsel. NABL invites all of its members to support the continued funding of the Frederick L. Ballard, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Program. Contributions should be made to NABL’s affiliated 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, the Robert H. Hilderbrand, Jr. Fund, which will oversee and administer the scholarships with assistance from NABL’s Education and Member Services Committee. NABL encourages each of its members to consider enhancing NABL’s educational outreach with a gift to the Hilderbrand Fund to be dedicated to the Frederic L. Ballard Jr. Memorial Scholarship Program.
Current NABL President Tony Martini remarked, “Rick Ballard was a giant in the municipal bond world. He was known in the industry as a highly skilled attorney who generously shared his time and knowledge of municipal bond law with all, especially new associates. The NABL Board of Directors felt that renaming our annual Fundamentals scholarship program in his honor would be a fitting and lasting tribute to his legacy, recognizing not only his many contributions to NABL, but to the industry as a whole.”
The scholarship program began with the 2012 Fundamentals Seminar, for which NABL’s Education and Member Services Committee selected five law students from a pool of nearly twenty applicants to attend the Fundamentals Seminar at no cost. In three years, the scholarship program has given fifteen law students/clerks early exposure to public finance not available in most law schools. Several of the scholarship recipients have started their legal careers practicing bond law, and some of the earliest recipients have already returned to the Fundamentals Seminar as NABL members.
NABL Board member Teri Guarnaccia, a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP and the Chair of the 2014 Fundamentals Seminar, said, “The scholarship program gives a unique opportunity for an early exposure to our field in one of the best ways to experience it. Many of us remember Fundamentals as not only the time when we began to solidify our burgeoning knowledge of public finance concepts – but forged friendships that have lasted throughout our careers. Rick was certainly one of the most patient and wonderful teachers in the business – support of this program to allow law students to attend Fundamentals is a perfect way to honor him!”
Those interested in contributing to the Scholarship Fund can download this form and submit it along with the donation to Linda Wyman, NABL’s Chief Operating Officer. NABL will recognize those members who contribute to the Hilderbrand Fund for the benefit of the Frederic L. Ballard, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Program in various publications throughout the year.
The Hilderbrand Fund was established in 1981 and renamed in 1986 in honor of Robert H. Hilderbrand, Jr., a partner in the Philadelphia firm of Saul, Ewing, Remick & Saul, who perished in an airplane accident on November 11, 1985. The members of the NABL Executive Committee also serve as the members of the Board of Directors of the Fund. Donations to the Fund are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.