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Law School Announces Inaugural Leonard Armato ’78 Scholarship Fund Recipient

San Diego (May 25, 2011) – The University of San Diego (USD) School of Law today announced the inaugural recipient of the school’s newest scholarship. Second year law student Jordon Gaytan has been selected as next year’s recipient of the Leonard Armato Entrepreneurial Scholarship Fund. The recipient receives a $20,000 scholarship along with highly-prized mentorship opportunities with the scholarship’s funder, Leonard Armato, ’78 (JD).

"We are pleased to have one of our distinguished alumni giving back in such a significant way to establish this scholarship," said USD School of Law Dean Kevin Cole. "Leonard’s offer to provide additional professional mentorship created a truly unique scholarship and gives Jordan a tremendous opportunity to gain valuable insights from someone of Leonard’s caliber."

The Leonard Armato Scholarship Fund was created to provide financial support and real-world enrichment opportunities to top notch students pursuing legal careers in sports and entertainment law or as entrepreneurs. Recipients of this annual award are selected through a committee process.

About Leonard Armato

Leonard Armato, '78, is the chief marketing officer and president of the fitness group at Skechers USA Inc., the second largest footwear company in the U.S. and the fastest growing footwear company in the world. Prior to joining Skechers, Armato served as chief executive officer of the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour from 2002 until 2009.

He has been at the forefront of sports and entertainment marketing for many years. As founder, chairman and CEO of Management Plus Enterprises (MPE), Armato represented sports icons such as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Ronnie Lott, Hakeem Olajuwon, Ahmad Rashad, Oscar De La Hoya and Shaquille O’Neal. He has negotiated some of the most lucrative contracts in sports history and created a comprehensive system for transforming celebrities into brands. Armato also played a major role resolving the last NBA lockout, which led to the current collective bargaining agreement.

In 2007, Leonard received USD’s Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award, and gave USD School of Law’s 2010 commencement address.

About the University of San Diego School of Law

The University of San Diego School of Law is a center of academic excellence focused on preparing its students for legal practice in the new century. One of the most selective law schools in the country, the School of Law’s nationally recognized faculty create a demanding, yet welcoming environment that emphasizes individualized education. USD law school graduates consistently score higher than the state average on the California Bar Exam and go on to practice law throughout the country and abroad, forming an influential network of alumni. USD School of Law is one of only 81 law schools in the country to have a chapter of the Order of the Coif, the most distinguished rank of American law schools. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, nonprofit, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.