Ali Ilahi Named Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Law School Diversity Scholarship Winner

SOUTHFIELD, MI – Nov. 1, 2024 – Buckfire Law is pleased to announce M. Ali Ilahi, of Pennsylvania, has been named this year’s recipient of the 2024 Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Law School Diversity Scholarship. 

This annual award began in 2013 as a way for the Michigan-based law firm to show its commitment to helping law students pursue their educational and career goals.  

Ilahi is currently enrolled at Penn State Law School. He earned his undergraduate degree in accounting and finance from Lahore University of Management Sciences, and his master’s degree in public administration from Cornell University. 

Ilahi is a first-generation immigrant and law school student. “As an underrepresented ethnicity in the field of law, I believe that my success in law school would help encourage others in my position who might be looking to purse a similar trajectory,” he said. 

Ilahi is currently in the top 10% of his program at Penn State Law, despite coming from a non-traditional background, and is proficient in Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi.  

Ilahi is active in various co-curricular activities and organizations, including serving as the Treasurer for the Penn State Law Immigration Law Society, participating at the Penn State Immigration Law Clinic, interning at the ACLU of Pennsylvania, a legal research assistant, and being involved with the First-Generation Law Student Association, and the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association.  

“For a lot of these workplaces, I am the first person of my background to have worked at these offices, which depicts my contribution to the diversity of not only the law school, but the legal professional networks as well,” Ilahi said.  He plans to continue using the resources and networking opportunities through these organizations. 

Ilahi is currently externing with a firm while in school and plans to learn intermediate Arabic. He is the recipient of several awards and fellowships, including the FLAS Fellowship and the AEF First-Generation Law Student Scholarship. 

“Ali’s determination and passion to help others is admirable,” said Lawrence J. Buckfire, President and Lead Trial Attorney at Buckfire Law. “We are proud to have Ali as this year’s recipient and we look forward to seeing what he accomplishes in the future.” 

Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. awards one student each year with the $2,000 Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Law School Diversity Scholarship. The scholarship is available to a student attending law school who is also a member of an ethnic, racial, or other minority, or someone who demonstrates a commitment to issues of diversity within their community. 

Buckfire Law offers four separate academic scholarships annually for students wanting to continue their education. For more information on the scholarship program, visit our page, buckfirelaw.com/scholarships/law.