Joshua R. Bonney '13 L'16 attended the 2016 Fundamentals of Municipal Bond Law Seminar in Chicago this month as one of five recipients of a national scholarship that recognizes the potential and professional dedication of future municipal bond attorneys.
Joshua R. Bonney ‘13 L’16, who graduates from Elon Law later this month, traveled to Chicago earlier in May for the 2016 Fundamentals of Municipal Bond Law Seminar. He was one of five recipients of the national award, joining students from Stanford, Howard, Rutgers and Mississippi at the conference.
Bonney’s passion for municipal bond law stems from a personal interest in service, he said. While many current and prospective law students may think of service through a prism of public interest law – helping the indigent, for example, or working pro bono to advance social issues – Bonney said he wants to use a more unconventional legal approach to civic engagement.
Bond lawyers can represent governments, financial institutions, and bondholders, all of whom play a role in developing public infrastructure and community services such as schools, roads, water systems and even medical facilities.
“We deal with things that are going to shape the future of tomorrow. I’ll be the one to ensure that a public school is built, or a hospital is constructed in that neighborhood with questionable access to health care,” Bonney said. “I get to do all of these things that no one ever thinks about, even though we wouldn’t be able to get by as a civilized society without them.”
Bonney, who graduated from Elon University with a degree in communications science after playing for four years on the men’s basketball team, has been prolific in his professional activities while at Elon Law. He served as a research fellow to former presidential adviser David Gergen this spring through Harvard University’s Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Other experiences include:
- Interning for Justice Robert H. Edmunds Jr. of the Supreme Court of North Carolina
- Working as a summer associate for Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP in Raleigh, N.C.
- Working as a summer associate for Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP in Charlotte, N.C.
- Working as an in-house legal intern for Duke Energy Inc.
He also has been involved with the Elon University School of Law Moot Court Board and the Black Law Students Association.
“Joshua is an exceptional student, and I consider myself fortunate for having him in my classes, working with him, and getting to know him,” said Elon Law Associate Professor Tom Molony, for whom Bonney has worked as a research assistant over the past year. “He takes difficult questions head on and presses not just for answers, but for understanding. I expect great things from Joshua in the future.”
The National Association of Bond Lawyers was established in 1979 to “promote the integrity of the municipal market through the education of its members in the laws affecting state and municipal bonds.” According to its website, among other activities, it provides commentary and recommendations at the federal, state and local levels with respect to legislation, regulations and rulings affecting bonds, and on occasion submits friend of the court briefs or memoranda in connection with court or administrative proceedings.
The scholarship itself was renamed two years ago in memory of longtime NABL member Frederic L. “Rick” Ballard Jr., who passed away in 2014.
“The Education Committee was pleased to see that in the fifth year of this program, the diversity and caliber of applicants remains consistent with the first four years,” Rene Moore, chair of the NABL’s Education and Member Services Committee and a member of the selection committee, said on the website. “We look forward to meeting the recipients in Chicago and watching them begin their journey into the world of public finance.”