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Remembering Our Dear Friend Cal LaRoche

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Legal Launch

Preparing the Next Generation of Legal Trailblazers

Enrollment Now Open!

2026 SCHEDULE

2026 Legal Launch will be in Washington DC

  • Wed, June 24: Wilson Sonsini & Dentons
  • Thur, June 25: Available for Firm Sponsorship

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Firm sponsorship is $10K and includes a private audience with all participants. For event sponsorship information, contact Holly Duke. 

Legal Launch Colloquium is an annual joint program of the Ron Brown Scholar Program and Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

This multi-day event brings together a select group of scholars who demonstrate extraordinary academic distinction, leadership capacity, and pre-law potential. 

Participants gain practical exposure to the legal profession through workshops, and networking opportunities with accomplished attorneys. This initiative equips Jack Kent Cooke Scholars alongside Ron Brown Scholars and Ron Brown Captains to navigate law school and build legal careers confidently.

After the event, participants remain connected through our Legal Launch Connect Community, fostering ongoing mentorship and peer support. 

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In Memoriam:
Cal LaRoche (1946–2025)

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Cal LaRoche, a brilliant and dedicated advisor and champion of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, who left us on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025.

Born in New York in January 1946, Cal graduated from Central State University in Ohio, where he joined the Eta Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. His career spanned decades of leadership and innovation, beginning at the National Security Agency and continuing through key roles at IBM, SkyTel Communications, and The Orkand Corporation. 

A visionary entrepreneur, Cal later co-founded DC Ventures and Associates.

His commitment to service was unwavering. Cal chaired the Boards of Trustees at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda and Norwood School and served with distinction for 15 years on the Advisory Board of the Ron Brown Scholar Program. His leadership extended to the Beta Mu, Boulé Foundation Board, where he served as Chair, and to Patients For Affordable Drugs, where he was a founding board member and Treasurer.

An avid golfer and advocate for equity in the sport, Cal co-founded the Pro-Duffer/Carter Foundation Scholarship to promote diversity in golf. A long-time member of TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, he was as passionate about creating opportunity as he was about the game itself.

Cal’s legacy is carried on by his beloved family: his mother, Lucille “Gloria” David; his wife, Esperanza, and their sons, CJ and Ethan; his former wife, Cheryl LaRoche; their daughters, Gina LaRoche, Renee LaRoche-Morris, and Danielle LaRoche; six grandchildren; and his siblings. His wisdom, warmth, and unwavering belief in the potential of young people will remain an enduring part of the Ron Brown Scholar community.

We are forever grateful for Cal’s enduring support, leadership, and love. He leaves behind a legacy of excellence, generosity, and deep humanity. He will be deeply missed.
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