John Calhoun Memorial Scholarship

John L. Calhoun was a trusted friend and colleague. He was a 1966 graduate of Hereford High School where he played varsity baseball for four years and was captain of the debate team.

He attended Randolph Macon College on full scholarships, graduating in 1970 with a double major in History and French. In 1973 he received a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. He was married to Annamarie "Trudy" (nee Maccentelli) Calhoun for 38 years John was proud of his two children, their spouses, and his three grandsons. John embraced golf passionately.

He was a highly skilled legal advocate, and a member, of the Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia bars and admitted to seven federal courts. Over the course of his notable career, John tried many serious cases including over 40 murder trials. In one area of law, John possessed an undefeated record, the only attorney I know to have such a distinction. He also taught paralegal courses at area colleges and authored several books on commercial collections law. As memorable as his professional accolades and accomplishments might be, John was an unforgettable man. He was possessed of interests, knowledge and understanding embracing all manner of human endeavor. Talking to John was a frequently humorous and always informative experience. He was known to spontaneously bust into a rendition of anything from blues standards to mid-70s country. John passed away in December of 2014 after an epic battle with cancer. I think John might also hold a record for the longest survival from diagnosis to demise for his type of cancer. The courage and ferocity of his battle surprised no one.

John frequently spoke of his enjoyment of growing up in Baltimore county, and practiced he law and raised his family there as man. John and I often discussed the requirements for admittance to the practice of law, how those requirements grew more taxing over time, and varied, greatly, from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The convergence of these two topics led to the creation of the John Calhoun Memorial Scholarship.

The $1000 award is presented once per year to the winner selected from a pool of essays submitted by applicants. The subject, generally, is why, as the writer begins college, they are considering a career in the law. To receive the award, the applicant must enroll and attend a college. The essay will be not less than 1000 nor more than 1500 words. Please submit your contact information below, between January 1st and March 15th each year, and we will respond to you by email with additional instructions. To ensure equal treatment, kindly do not contact the firm by any other method than the specific method mentioned in these instructions.