“It took my father longer to walk a city block than anyone I know. Many people knew him by name and he knew theirs. He always had time to talk.”
– Ronald D. White (Paul D. White’s son)
Our 2L application for the 2027 Paul D. White Scholars Program is now closed. Please check back for information on our 2027 1L and 2028 2L programs.
For more than 100 years, BakerHostetler has dedicated itself to professional excellence, the highest standards of client service and giving back to the communities in which we work. The Honorable Paul D. White truly exemplified these core values.
White was a prestigious and influential labor and employment attorney who served as Chief Assistant Police Prosecutor for the city of Cleveland, Judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court, Law Director for the city of Cleveland (the top cabinet position in Cleveland’s City Hall with Acting Mayor responsibility) and a partner in BakerHostetler’s Cleveland office. He was the first Black attorney to become a member of a major Cleveland law firm when he joined in 1968.
White was celebrated for his great legal skill, advocacy, fortitude, service and friendship. In addition to his successful law practice, he helped lead a variety of professional and community organizations, including the State Board of Bar Examiners, the Cleveland Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, the East End Neighborhood House, the Eliza Bryant Home for the Aged, Cedar YMCA, Boy Scouts, the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the Urban League of Greater Cleveland.
As his son, Ronald D. White, wrote, “It took my father longer to walk a city block than anyone I know. Many people knew him by name, and he knew theirs. He always had time to talk.” Indeed, White held himself to the highest standards of excellence and service as both a partner and counselor to his clients, and in his role as a staunch advocate in the community.
We celebrate the Honorable Paul D. White’s legacy and seek exceptional law students who are actively building their own legacies.
