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Judge Judyis giving back.
The scholarship fund will cover full tuition and book expenses for 10 women enrolled at the school. In addition, “Judge Judy” Sheindlin will also offer a summer fellowship to all 10 women once they’ve completed their first year of law school.
Sheindlin’s contribution comes 57 years after her own graduation from NYLS in 1965. Her daughter, Nicole Sheindlin, also graduated from the institution in 1993, while her granddaughter, Sarah Rose — who nowstars beside her on their new series,Judy Justice— is expected to graduate from the law school in the spring.
“New York Law School has evolved into a welcoming and nurturing institution since I graduated in 1965,” Sheindlin said in a statement. “It is a joy for me to be able to support talented women in their pursuit of a career in the law. Independent and focused women not only enrich the profession, but the world.”
Judge Judy with her daughter Nicole Sheindlin.Ben Hider/Getty
NYLS' Dean and President, Anthony W. Crowell, said he sees Sheindlin’s legacy as a high point for the school.
“Judge Judy Sheindlin is one of the most prominent graduates in our school’s history,” he explained in a statement. “Her gift is a profound commitment to women aspiring to attend law school, and will ensure they have the opportunity to gain a first-class education and become leaders throughout the profession.”
“I am proud that women are now the majority of our student body, and they have an extraordinary role model and champion in Judge Sheindlin,” he went on. “I look forward to working with her, Nicole, and Sarah, to support our women students and giving them the tools to succeed.”
Judge Judyaired on television until July 2021, when she ended the NBC series after 25 years.
While Sheindlin is now able to gift $5 million, she previouslytold PEOPLEthat she wasn’t always in a position to financially help others.
“The majority of my life, I spent buying on the sale rack,” she explained. “I didn’t bother going into [Neiman Marcus], [Bergdorf Goodman] and Saks [Fifth Avenue] because I couldn’t afford it.”
The success ofJudge Judy, and her subsequentJudy Justiceseries, wasn’t expected either.
Sheindlin started her career as a New York lawyer with a focus on domestic violence and child abuse cases. She later became a judge in 1982 and a supervising judge in 1986. Her tough reputation earned her media buzz, first in a 1993Los Angeles Timesprofile and later that year in a60 Minutessegment that caught the attention of a CBS production company.
RELATED VIDEO: Meet the New Stars of ‘Judy Justice’ — Including Judge Judy’s Granddaughter!
“I was hoping we would have a three- or four-year run and that my husband and I would be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment one block off the beach in Florida as a retirement place,” she told PEOPLE. “We were civil servants. We had five kids that were all educated, most went to graduate school. We tried to see to it they weren’t burdened with a lot of debt.”
source: people.com
