“USC Law taught me everything about what it means to be a great lawyer,” says Alysja Carlisle. “I learned what it means to be a great professional, a true advocate and about the importance of giving back to the community that allows us to practice what we love.”

Carlisle, a 2015 alumna, was the first person in her family to go to college or attend a post-graduate professional program. She says the scholarship she received from the University of South Carolina School of Law enabled her to attend law school and was a deciding factor when choosing South Carolina Law.

Now a corporate and securities attorney at Womble Bond Dickinson’s Charlotte office, she has made a commitment to pay it forward – helping future law students like her who truly need the extra assistance to enable them to choose a career path that would otherwise be unobtainable.

In 2017, Carlisle and her husband, Jim, established the James J. and Alysja S. Carlisle Law Scholarship Fund to help recruit students to South Carolina Law. Alumni support is important now more than ever, given the competitive world of legal education. Financial contributions from alumni are a critical component to the School of Law’s continued success.

“We hope our gift helps the law school attract more bright and talented students, and that those students will feel assured that alumni remain invested and committed to helping them in their future careers,” Carlisle says.

Her financial contribution isn’t the only way Carlisle gives back to the law school. She frequently communicates with prospective students at Winthrop University, her undergraduate alma mater, or current law students looking to get into corporate law. She does it because she wants to help future students the same way the law school helped shape who she is today.

“I am truly grateful for everything I learned during my time at USC Law, and continue to appreciate the countless hours invested by their phenomenal faculty in helping me determine my path during and after law school,” she says.