Foley Hoag is pleased to announce that Madeleine Tutwiler, a rising second-year student at Boston College Law School, and Jason Lee, a rising second-year student at New York University School of Law, have been selected as the firm’s 2026 Charles J. Beard Fellows. The Beard Fellowship is named in memory of the former Foley Hoag attorney who became the first African-American partner at a major Boston firm.  It is awarded each year to first-year law students, with a focus on advancing opportunities for people from backgrounds underrepresented in the legal profession.

“We are looking forward to welcoming Madeleine and Jason to Foley Hoag as Beard Fellows this summer,” said Managing Partner Jim Bucking. “Through their education and community service, Madeleine and Jason have demonstrated their commitment to upholding the values that Charlie Beard embodied.” 

Beard was renowned for his wisdom, wit, and intellect, as well as his belief in the transformative power of education to unlock personal growth and opportunity for young people.

Tutwiler earned a Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies at Northwestern University, where she served as a School Senator in Northwestern’s Student Government and as a Research Assistant. Tutwiler also served as an intern in the office of Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, where she designed and launched a youth advisory council.

“I’m thrilled to join Foley Hoag as a Beard Fellow,” said Tutwiler. “Charlie Beard’s career was defined not only by excellence in the law, but by integrity, mentorship, and a commitment to public service. I am humbled by the opportunity to join a program that honors his example and seeks to carry forward those values.”

Lee graduated summa cum laude from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of The Emory Wheel Newspaper and President of the Economics Student Society, and received the Emory Leadership and Service Award. While at Emory, Lee supported the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation Saturday Lawyer Program, conducting intake interviews with tenants facing unsafe housing conditions, and advancing local housing justice initiatives. 

"I am excited to join Foley Hoag as a Beard Fellow,” said Lee. “The Beard Fellowship is an opportunity for me to develop my skills as an attorney, advocate, and public servant, and I am honored to carry forward the legacy of Charlie Beard.”

For more information about the Beard Fellowship, please click here.