For Matt Fantauzzo, returning to Northeast Ohio for law school was both a homecoming and a leap of faith—one made possible through scholarship support and strengthened by meaningful mentorship at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
A native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, who completed his undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University, Fantauzzo knew he wanted to build a career in business law and ultimately return to Cleveland.
When it came time to choose a law school, financial support played a critical role. “The Sugarman Scholarship was certainly a huge factor—I probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that assistance,” he said. The scholarship not only made law school financially feasible, but also opened the door to a program uniquely aligned with his professional goals.
What truly set Case Western Reserve School of Law apart, Fantauzzo explained, was the Sugarman program’s integrated mentorship model. Unlike other scholarship offers he considered, this opportunity paired financial support with direct access to accomplished mentors.
Beginning in the fall of 2024, Center for Business Law co-directors Eric Chaffee and Juliet Kostritsky prioritized recruiting mentors for each Sugarman scholar—successfully attracting more than 50 participants, the majority of whom are School of Law alumni.
Fantauzzo was matched with Luke Dauchot (CWR ’83, LAW ’86), a business and IP trial lawyer at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago, whose guidance has already had a tangible impact.
“Networking is everything in the business law world,” Fantauzzo said. “Just having a direct source to one of the best law firms in the country—it gives you a leg up for sure.” That access has translated into interviews and internship opportunities that are often difficult for first-year law students to secure.
Through regular check-ins, phone calls and in-person interactions at events like the Kaufman Lecture Series, Dauchot has helped Fantauzzo navigate the legal profession early in his law school journey.
“I volunteered because I was the beneficiary of mentors in my own career,” Dauchot said. “There are so many bright, hard-working aspiring lawyers, and mentorship can help open doors that might otherwise be closed.”
Beyond individual mentorship, Fantauzzo credits the Sugarman cohort experience and faculty engagement for fostering a strong sense of community. Regular lunches, guest speakers and cohort gatherings create space for collaboration and professional growth, while professors are deeply invested in the success of their students.
Now nearly finished with his first year of law school, Fantauzzo is beginning to fully appreciate the significance of the support he’s receiving.
“Looking back, I’m realizing just how important the Sugarman Scholarship really is—and how much it’s helping me already,” he said. One day, he hopes to pay that support forward by serving as a mentor himself.
For Fantauzzo, the combination of scholarship and mentorship at Case Western Reserve didn’t just make law school possible—it’s helping shape his future.
And as for Dauchot, he believes that “fundamentally, mentorship is something that we owe. In this business, experience and relationships are extraordinarily important. That makes mentorship even more essential to what we do.”
