Professor Judith A.M. Scully has taught at Stetson Law since 2009 and has built her career around racial equity, criminal justice reform, and preparing students to lead with purpose. The Truth Tellers Scholarship Fund was established in her name to continue that work and support future attorneys committed to justice. Photo courtesy of Judith Scully and Steston Law School.

Stetson University College of Law has established the Professor Judith Scully Truth Tellers Scholarship Fund, a new initiative recognizing decades of leadership in legal education and advocacy. 

The scholarship honors Judith Scully’s sustained work advancing racial equity, challenging wrongful incarceration, and promoting human rights, while investing in students prepared to continue that legacy. 

Inspired by civil rights leader Ida B. Wells, the scholarship was created to introduce students to her life and fearless commitment to truth, while helping close financial gaps that can limit access to legal education for low- and middle-income students.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862–1931) was an investigative journalist, educator, and early civil rights leader born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, who later became a co-founder of the NAACP. The Truth Tellers Scholarship Fund draws inspiration from her fearless reporting on racial injustice and her lifelong commitment to truth and equality. Image retrieved from usmint.gov

Professor Judith A.M. Scully joined Stetson Law in 2009 and teaches criminal law, criminal procedure, trial advocacy, and courses examining race and the legal system. A law professor since 1996, she previously represented civil rights plaintiffs and criminal defendants in private practice. 

At Stetson, she founded and co-directs the Social Justice Advocacy Certificate of Concentration, has led the Stetson Law Innocence Initiative, and serves as President of the St. Pete Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Center.

Prof. Scully with TRHT students and members after a civil rights presentation by Dr. Sybil Hampton. Photo courtesy of Judith Scully.

“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them,” Scully said, quoting Ida B. Wells. She said that focus on truth guides her work in legal reform, community engagement, and the training of students who are prepared to challenge injustice both inside and outside the courtroom.

Scully traces her commitment to justice back to her time in law school, where she encountered attorneys from the National Conference of Black Lawyers whose work in civil rights and human rights advocacy shaped her understanding of what legal responsibility demands. 

Through that work, she became involved in international human rights efforts, including advocacy connected to South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy. Those experiences, she said, reinforced her belief that law must be used to confront inequity, not reinforce it, and that students must be prepared to recognize the difference.

“My goal is to do my part to dismantle policies, practices, and procedures that embed inequity in our lives and to make sure that my students understand that they too have the power and skills to do the same,” Scully said.

 Professor Scully at Fannie Lou Hamer statute in Ruleville, Mississippi, with law students Zenea Johnson and Shantanice Vaxter. Photo courtesy of Judith Scully.

That philosophy, centered on courage and accountability, is what ultimately shaped the vision for the Truth Tellers Scholarship Fund.

That philosophy resonated with Stetson Law alumnus Diriki T. Geuka ’17, who created and funded the scholarship in Professor Scully’s name. Geuka said his decision was influenced both by her impact on his legal education and by recent federal changes limiting how much students can borrow to finance graduate and professional school.

“My focus is on supporting fearless attorneys of all disciplines,” Geuka said. “When the weight of the government or an opposing party comes down on you or a loved one, the only friend you truly have is your attorney, and you don’t want that attorney to be hesitant to do what it takes to defend you.”

Stetson Law alumnus Diriki T. Geuka ’17 created the Truth Tellers Scholarship Fund to support students pursuing justice-focused legal careers. Image courtesy of Gueka.

Geuka credits scholarship support with making law school possible for him and sees this fund as a way to create that same opportunity for future students.

“I want to pay it forward and make law school more affordable for current and future students,” he said. “Stetson Law produces the best oral advocates in the world, and this is an effort to keep that world-class education attainable for students who embody the fearlessness of Ida B. Wells-Barnett.”

Professor Scully agreed with that focus on access.

“Diriki and I are hoping that this scholarship will help low- and middle-income students complete their education,” Scully said. “It is our hope that this scholarship will help close that gap for at least a few students.”

Students applying for the scholarship are required to submit an essay identifying a legal practitioner or organization that carries forward Wells-Barnett’s legacy of fearless truth telling. Open to all current Stetson Law students, the award is designed to prompt serious reflection on how the law can be practiced in ways that advance equity rather than reinforce imbalance.

To contribute to the Professor Judith Scully Truth Tellers Scholarship Fund, visit the Stetson Law giving page and select “other designation,” entering the scholarship name in the text field. Donate here: https://hubs.ly/Q044fJt50

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More Photos

Dr. Scully officiating wedding of two students. Photo courtesy of Judith Scully.

Dr. Scully with civil rights class at the Woodson African American  Museum of Florida.