The Women of 50 For 50: Alice M. Starr

“The 50 for 50 scholarships will encourage women who have done well in undergraduate school to apply to Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. It will be a prestigious and beneficial scholarship enabling women to afford a unique law school education.”

Alice M. Starr has been a consistent supporter of Pepperdine University and Caruso School of Law for many years. Alice is president and CEO of Starr Strategies Co., assisting nonprofits and startup businesses, and is active on advisory boards throughout the United States. Alice and her husband Ken have generously supported Caruso Law with gifts to the William H. Webster Chair in Dispute Resolution, the Ken Starr Excellence Fund, the London Law Program, the William French Smith Endowed Lecture Series, and the recently established Starr Endowed Scholarship.

What inspired you to become a partner in the 50 for 50 initiative?

My husband Ken and I are big believers in scholarships for law students. The expense of law school is so great that many top students cannot afford to go to a private law school.

How would you like to see the 50 for 50 scholarships make a difference for students, and particularly for women?

The 50 for 50 scholarships will encourage women who have done well in undergraduate school to apply to Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. It will be a prestigious and beneficial scholarship enabling women to afford a unique law school education. 

What were your experiences or challenges as a female professional?

I am not a lawyer, however, when my husband Ken went to law school, there were only five women in his class. Now more women choose law for a career and apply to law school. In my career, I was one of only two women executives that worked for a large commercial real estate firm. I was the only woman serving on a bank board for 16 years. I believe women add excellent perspective to the board room and can be counted on to be mission-focused and extremely hard-working.

What kind of meaningful support or encouragement did you receive along the way, and has that factored into your interest in providing opportunities for today's students?

Throughout my career, I worked in an old-boy network and was encouraged by my male counterparts. By having a can-do attitude, I never had to apply for a job, but instead was sought out by various companies. For the past 16 years, I have chosen to form my own firm to help non-profit organizations with marketing, public relations and fund-raising.

Presently, my husband and I mentor men and women to achieve whatever their passion may be.  We are currently mentoring several students to apply to law school.  Once they are in law school, we continue to give them encouragement and tips for success.

The Pepperdine Caruso Law 50 For 50 Scholarship Campaign raises funds in order to alleviate the burden of student debt and to reinforce Pepperdine's place among America's leading law schools. Many of the campaign's founding partners are women, which reflects a nationwide increase of women in philanthropy. The Surf Report is featuring the female founding partners of the 50 For 50 campaign and what it means to them to support this special initiative.

Learn more about the 50 For 50 Scholarship Campaign