Outside Scholarships
To assist you in your search for free money, we have provided a list of scholarship opportunities awarded by outside agencies. All outside agency scholarships have specific application procedures, criteria, and deadlines. We encourage you to let us know of any other scholarships you find that may be available to others.
If you are awarded any outside agency scholarship, please advise the Office of Student Financial Services so that we may assist you in determining how the scholarship will affect your cost of attendance.
Scholarships and prize money are offered in a variety of categories:
Categories
The scholarships below are organized by deadline month. Please be sure to visit the scholarship's website for the exact deadline date.
Deadline: January
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
|
$15,000 | The Zelle LLP law firm is proud to offer a scholarship. Applicants must demonstrate commitment to diversity community involvement, financial need, academic transcript, and personal statement. |
| Check the website | The Taco Bell Foundation is proud to offer a scholarship. Applicants must submit a short video essay. | |
| Varies | For applicants enrolled in a full-time graduate program. The scholarship recipient is selected on the basis of academic achievement, and promote diversity in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, or Ally (LGBTQA) community. | |
| Varies | The scholarship program assists underrepresented minority students who intend to enter the intellectual property law field to attend law school. |
Deadline: February
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Varies | The Black Women Lawyers Association awards its scholarships on the basis of financial need, community service, academic achievement, and legal writing ability. Eligibility is limited to second- and third-year law students. | |
| Varies | The Doyle Foundation is proud to offer a scholarship. Applicants must submit an application, essay, two letters of recommendation, and transcript. | |
|
JABA Educational Foundation Scholarship
|
Varies | The Japanese American Bar Association Educational Foundation is proud to offer a scholarship to a law student connected to the Japanese American and/or Asian/Pacific Islander (API) community who demonstrated a commitment to community service. |
| Varies | The Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP law firm is proud to offer a scholarship to a first-year law student. Applicants must submit an application, letter of recommendation, official transcript, resume, and financial need. | |
| Varies | The Marshall-Motley Scholars Program is offered to first-year law students who intend to pursue a career in Civil Rights law. Applicants must submit an application, essay, academic transcript, resume, and personal statement. | |
| Varies | Awarded to continuing law students who demonstrate financial need, community service, leadership experience, and any hardship experienced in pursuing an education. |
Deadline: March
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | The law firm of Arnold & Porter LLP is proud to offer a scholarship to law students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and must contribute to the diverse background of the law school student body, and entering the legal profession. The scholarship recipients must submit an application, current resume, official law school transcript, and a 500-word essay. | |
| Varies | The Bowman and Brooke Foundation proudly offers a scholarship to a first-year law student. | |
| $5,000 | The applicant must demonstrate a commitment to social justice, public service, and intent to pursue a legal career in California after graduating from law school. The applicant must demonstrate financial need. Interested applicants must contact the UCI School of Law Financial Aid Office for a statement of nomination. | |
| Varies | The Islamic Scholarship Fund is open to Muslim students or active members of the Muslim community who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement. The scholarship recipient must submit an application, letters of recommendation, resume, and academic transcript. | |
| $5,000 | The Sarita and Claire Wright Lucas Foundation proudly offers a scholarship to prepare for the Bar exam. Applicants must be Black female law students committed to careers as prosecutors. | |
| Varies | Must be a current law student enrolled in an accredited law school program. Must have graduated from a high school in Sonoma County or currently reside in Sonoma County. Applicants must submit two essay responses, unofficial transcripts, and their LSAT score. | |
| $5,000 | The USLAW Network Foundation is proud to offer a scholarship to a law student. Applicants must submit an application, letter of recommendation, official transcript, resume, and personal statement. | |
Deadline: April
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Varies | The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund encourages racial and ethnic minority students to apply to law school and provides financial assistance to the scholarship recipients. | |
| Varies | The American Association of Law Libraries is committed to providing opportunities for professional growth. Each year, the Association awards scholarships in significant amounts in the categories listed on the web site to assist individuals in achieving their goal of becoming a law librarian. Minorities are particularly encouraged to apply. | |
| $10,000 | The ChIPs Scholarship is awarded to a rising third-year female law student who has demonstrated commitment to ChIPs mission of advancing and connecting women in technology, law, and policy. | |
| $15,000 | The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund looks for students that are involved in civil rights struggles, economic justice, international solidarity, or other progressive issues. | |
| $3,000 | Currently enrolled graduate student who is pursuing a degree in environmental law with career goals that coincide with an interest to communicate and interpret the wonders of nature. | |
| $10,000 | The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) is proud to offer a scholarship to incoming law students who have demonstrated excellent academic achievement, interest in corporate law, and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and community. The applicant must demonstrate financial need. The scholarship recipient must submit an online application, an essay, and their academic transcript. | |
| $5,235 | Any low-income undergraduate or graduate student who is currently enrolled in law school or is actively applying to law school may apply for this scholarship. | |
| $1,000 | The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and Foundation is proud to offer a need-based grant to graduating transgender and/or nonbinary law graduates. | |
| $7,500 | The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) Foundation is offering a scholarship to students who have demonstrated a commitment to issues affecting women, children, minorities, or other historically marginalized groups. |
Deadline: May
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) proudly offers scholarships to a continuing law student. Applicants must submit an online application, two letters of recommendation, a law school transcript, and a resume. | ||
| $1,500 | Awarded by the American Association for Justice, this scholarship is open to first and second-year AAJ law student members. | ||
| $5,000 |
|
Deadline: June
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
American Intellectual Property Law Association- Robert C. Watson Award |
Varies | Applicants must submit articles on a subject relating to the protection of intellectual property. |
| Varies | The scholarship is awarded to a second-year law student who is a resident of Alabama. | |
| Varies | The Dwyer Williams Potter Attorneys, LLP Scholarship is awarded to students accepted for enrollment to an accredited law school, who have graduated from an Oregon University and demonstrate outstanding academic achievement. | |
| $2,000 | The Orange County Asian American Bar Association (OCAABA) is proud to offer a scholarship to law students who must demonstrate leadership in the Asian Pacific American community. Applicants must submit an application, a personal statement, and a law school academic transcript. | |
| M. Katherine Baird Darmer Equality Scholarship | $5,000 | Awarded to current or incoming law students, who demonstrate a commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community in Orange County. |
| $2,000 | Recipient must be a member of an ethnic or racial minority or demonstrate a defined commitment to issues of diversity within their academic career. Open to students currently enrolled in their first or second year of law school. | |
| $2,000 | The Orange County Asian American Bar Association (OCAABA) is proud to offer a scholarship to law students who must demonstrate leadership in the Asian Pacific American community. Applicants must submit an application, a personal statement, and a law school academic transcript. | |
| $2,500 | Applicants must have a cumulative college grade point average of at least 3.0 and must be currently attending or planning to enter a law school accredited by the ABA or AALS. Applicants must submit a written essay, slideshow presentation, or video explaining their motivation for becoming an attorney and what they hope to accomplish as an advocate. |
Deadline: July
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $7,500 | Any diverse student who plans to begin their 1L year this Fall at a California law school is eligible. | |
| Varies | This scholarship is open to anyone attending an ABA-Approved law school in California or any California resident attending an ABA-Approved law school. The applicant must also demonstrate financial need. Applicants must provide proof of full-time enrollment and submit a 2-minute video along with the application. | |
| Dominguez Legal Scholarship | $2,500 | The Dominguez Firm is proud to offer a scholarship to law student must demonstrate superior academic performance. Applicants must submit an application, academic transcript, and an essay. |
| Varies | The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) is offering a scholarship to California Native American law students. Applicants must submit certified copies of original birth or death certificates for each generation of the applicants’ ancestry, linking them to a person with a CDIB showing a California tribal affiliation on the California census rolls of 1928 or 1933 or the California Judgment Fund Rolls of 1953 or 1972. The scholarship recipient must submit an application and provide the required supporting documentation. | |
| Varies | The Jaime and Blanca Jarrin Foundation and Los Defensores are proud to offer a scholarship to a law student. The scholarship recipient must submit an application, academic transcript, recommendation letter, and Latino community service. | |
| $1,000 | The law firm of O'Connor Runckel & O'Malley is proud to offer a scholarship to law students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement. The scholarship recipient must submit an application, an essay, and their academic transcript. | |
|
The Women Lawyers Association of San Luis Obispo Scholarship |
Varies | Awarded by the San Luis Obispo County Women Lawyers Association, this scholarship is open to current law students or students accepted for enrollment in law school with a demonstrated connection to San Luis Obispo County. |
| Varies | The Vietnamese American Bar Association of Southern California (VABASC) proudly offers a stipend to a law student taking the February or July California Bar Exam. |
Deadline: August
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
Jackson Lewis Scholarship
|
$5,000 | Jackson Lewis LLP, one of the nation's largest labor and employment law firms, offers a generous scholarship to second or third-year law student who demonstrates an interest in, or aptitude for, employment or labor law. |
| $2,000 | Candidates must be female law students who have successfully completed at least one year of law school and have not graduated. Preference will be given to current or former residents of Fresno, Kings, Madera, or Tulare counties, especially if they intend to practice in the counties. Primary considerations are academic achievement and the breadth and depth of the applicant's extracurricular and community activities. | |
| $1,000 | The Lemon Law Experts are proud to offer a scholarship to law students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement. Applicants must submit an application, an essay, and their academic transcript. |
Deadline: September
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | Applicant must be enrolled in an accredited law school, have a 3.0 GPA or higher, be a citizen of the U.S., and be at least 17 years of age. Applicants must submit a video of 3 to 5 minutes in length answering the following prompt: What has inspired you to pursue a career in the legal field? How do you see yourself impacting the legal community in the future? | |
| $5,000 | The U.S. Court of Federal Claims Bar Association proudly offers a law student a scholarship. Applicants must submit a letter of recommendation, an unofficial transcript, a resume, and an essay. | |
| $2,500 | The Planning and Law Division of the American Planning Association are proud to offer fellowship to a law student. Applicants must submit an application, letter of recommendation, official transcript, resume, and personal statement. | |
| $1,500 | We are asking current law school students to create an infographic that illustrates the negative impact that children face when involved in the family court system. And, propose possible alternative solutions that the family court system could adopt or implement in an effort to minimize the impact of trauma in children who are the subject of child-related disputes. | |
| $1,000 | UC Irvine School of Law 1Ls who demonstrate a commitment to promoting the success of underrepresented individuals in the legal profession. | |
| $7,000 |
Demonstrated commitment to promoting LGBTQ+ rights, inclusion, and equity, particularly those which intersect with the development and advancement of Hispanic/Latino students, legal professionals, and community members. |
|
|
Justice Stephen K. Tamura Scholarship To apply: Contact UCI Law Financial Aid Director |
$2,500 | The Justice Stephen K. Tamura Foundation offers scholarships to students who overcame financial barriers and demonstrate financial need. |
| Varies | The National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) LGBTQ Affinity Network offers a scholarship to a law student. Applicants must submit an application, two letters of recommendation, an academic transcript, a 500- word essay, and a resume. | |
| $2,000 | The NFALA Foundation is proud to offer a scholarship to a law student. Applicants must submit an application, two letters of recommendation, an academic transcript, a 500- word essay, and a resume. | |
| $10,000 | The NFALA Foundation is proud to offer a scholarship to a law student. Applicants must submit an application, two letters of recommendation, an academic transcript, a 500- word essay, and a resume. |
Deadline: October
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | The Law Offices of David A. Kadzai, LLC is proud to offer a scholarship. Applicants must submit a short video essay. | |
| $1,000 | Applicant must have a demonstrated connection to the San Joaquin Valley, and a desire to practice law in Fresno, Madera, Merced, Kings, or Tulare County. | |
| Varies | This fellowship is for New Americans to provide opportunities for continuing generations to achieve leadership in their chosen fields. |
Deadline: November
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $15,000 | The Foundation of the Federal Bar Association is proud to offer a scholarship to a law student. Applicants must submit an application, two letters of recommendation, a transcript, law school enrollment verification, and a personal statement. | |
| $2,000 | Student must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident and must be currently enrolled in or recently accepted to an accredited U.S. law school. Student must submit as essay answering the following prompt: What compelled you to become a lawyer? Are there any special areas of law that you want to target, and what goals do you want to accomplish as an attorney? | |
|
Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County - Wallace (Wally) R. Davis Memorial Scholarship Fund |
Varies | The Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to Orange County Latino students who are presently attending law school and who have demonstrated involvement in the Latino community. |
| Check website | The John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles proudly offers a scholarship to law students. Applicants must submit an online application, letters of recommendation, official transcript, resume, and personal statement. | |
| $3,000 | Applicant must be enrolled at least part-time in a program leading to a J.D., L.L.M., or S.J.D. at a law school (a) accredited by the American Bar Association, (b) accredited by the California Committee of Bar Examiners (CCBE), or (c) registered with the CCBE as an unaccredited law school. | |
| $5,000 | The Platta Law Firm proudly offers a scholarship to law students. The scholarship recipient must submit an application, essay, and academic transcript. | |
| Varies | See website. | |
| Varies | The Special Needs Planning Symposium is proud to offer a scholarship to a student. Applicants must submit a letter of recommendation, resume, and personal statement. |
Deadline: December
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | The Angeleno Accident Lawyers Law Firm is proud to offer a scholarship to a law student. Applicants must submit an application, academic transcript, and an essay. | |
| $1,000 | The Behan Law Group, P.L.L.C., an Arizona law firm, is proud to offer a scholarship to law students who are U.S. military Veterans, current service members, or children of a Veteran. Applicants must submit an application, an essay, and an academic transcript. | |
| $10,000 | The Richard Linn American Inn of Court is proud to offer a scholarship to law students who demonstrate a commitment to the pursuit of a career in Intellectual Property Law. The scholarship recipients must submit an application, resume, essay, and academic transcript. | |
| $1,000 | The NW Corporate Law Scholarship is open to continuing law students with a demonstrated interest in business law. | |
| Varies | This scholarship is designed to help promising LGBTQ students achieve their full academic and leadership potential despite obstacles. Scholars must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership skills, community involvement, and financial need. | |
| Varies | The Roy A. Gustafson Scholarship is awarded to Ventura County residents. Applicants must submit an online application, essay, letters of recommendation, official academic transcript. |
Deadline: Check website/application
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley Scholarship |
Varies | The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley (APABA) is proud to offer a scholarship to a law student who has demonstrated a commitment to serving the needs of the Asian Pacific American community. The scholarship recipient must submit an application, resume, and essay. |
| Varies | The O.C. Hispanic Bar Association proudly offers a bar stipend to a third-year law student. Applicants must submit an application, resume, personal statement, and proof/receipt of registration for the February or July California Bar Exam. | |
|
The Orange County Women Lawyers Foundation Bar Stipend Award |
$1,000 | The OCWLA Bar Stipend Award includes a demonstration of financial need; community service, the advancement of women or women's issues; and involvement with the Orange County community. |
|
The Orange County Women Lawyers Foundation Diversity Bar Stipend Award |
$1,000 | Recipient must be a member of an ethical or racial minority who demonstrates financial need; community service, the advancement of diversity in the legal profession; and involvement with the Orange County community. |
The writing competitions below are organized by deadline month. Please be sure to visit the competition's website for the exact deadline date.
Deadline: January
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | ESsay Topic |
|---|---|---|
| $3,500 | How do you think being a first-generation college student has shaped your perspective/outlooks, and how will that perspective contribute to the Los Angeles community and the broader legal profession? |
Deadline: February
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
| $1,500 first place, $750 second place, $400 third place | Papers will be accepted on any legal issue specifically concerning American Indian law or indigenous peoples. | |
| Varies | This competition is open to Law Review Articles authors who are juris doctorate and LLM candidates enrolled at an ABA or California State accredited law school during the eligibility period and whose article is published during the period. | |
| $5,000 first place, $2,500 second place, $1,000 third place | Varies by year; see website | |
| $3,000 for winner and $1,000 for two runners-up | Possible paper topics include, but are not limited to, voting rights, civil liberties, freedom of speech, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, labor, money in politics, racial equality, religious freedom, Second Amendment, or the roles of state attorney generals. | |
| $1,000 cash prize and $5,000 grant to support the author’s related public interest work | Submissions must focus on a specific legal issue within the realm of public interest law, including any issue relating to social justice or advancing the general welfare and good of the public. In addition, the author must include a brief grant proposal for $5,000 to support public interest work related to the essay topic. Topics can be local, state, national, or international in breadth or impact. | |
| Varies | Workplace law, including employment law, labor law, employee benefits, and discrimination. | |
| $1,500 | Submissions should be focused on American regulatory or administrative law, broadly construed. |
Deadline: March
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
|
Affordable Housing & Community Development Law Student Legal Writing Competition |
$1,000 | Any legal issue regarding affordable housing, fair housing and/or community development law. |
| Varies | Any legal issue concerning Native American children. | |
|
Hon. William C. Conner Intellectual Property Law Writing Competition |
$2,500 first place, $1,500 second place | An entry must be directed to any of the following subject areas of intellectual property, i.e., patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair trade practices, as well as antitrust and data security/privacy issues to the extent they relate to intellectual property. |
| $1,000 first place, $750 second place, $500 third place | The Public Investors Advocate Bar Association (PIABA) sponsors this contest for papers touching on securities law and securities arbitration. Strong preference will be given to articles that advocate pro-investor positions, provide updates on or surveys of securities or ADR law, and/or are consistent with PIABA’s mission of promoting the education and interests of the public investor in securities and commodities arbitration, protecting public investors from abuses in the arbitration process, and making securities and commodities arbitration fair through legislative reforms to arbitration forum providers. | |
| $2,000 | A legal topic of important to the Asian Pacific American community. |
Deadline: April
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 first place, $500 second place | Submissions accepted on topics at intersection of law and technology, including but not limited to: intellectual property, antitrust, First Amendment, entertainment and new media, telecommunications, biotechnology, internet and cybercrime. | |
|
Marshall M. Schulman Competition for Student Papers in Criminal Law and/or Criminal Procedure |
$2,500 grand prize, $1,000 for honorable mention | Criminal law and/or criminal procedure, with a particular focus on contemporary issues of concern in the State of California. |
| $10,000 | In 5 pages or less, please write a persuasive essay concerning who is best to govern the use of AI for hiring, disciplining, and firing decisions. Consider factors such as ethical and privacy concerns, efficiency, and principles of federalism in your response. | |
| $5,000 | Entrants must submit an original article, which has already been published or which is scheduled to be published on a current topic dealing with antitrust or consumer protection law. | |
| $2,500 | Entries should concern any issue within the general category of legal ethics. |
Deadline: May
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
| $650 | Any subject relevant to law librarianship. | |
|
ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Student Writing Contest |
$2,500, full-tuition scholarship to the University of Miami School of Law's Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning OR Robert Traurig-Greenberg Traurig Graduate Program in Real Property Development, one year free membership in the Section, and free round-trip economy-class airfare and weekend accommodations to attend the Section's Fall Leadership Meeting. | Submit an essay on a current topic dealing with real property, trust and estate law. |
| $15,000 First Place, $7,500 Second Place, $5,000 Third Place, $2,500 Finalist, $2,500 Finalist, and $5,000 to the Scholarship Fund selected by the Dean of the law school in which the First-Place candidate is enrolled. | No topic restriction except that writing must be on legal subject. | |
| $5,000 first place, $2,500 second place, $1,000 third place | Any aspect of legal history that deals significantly with best papers on California or pre-California legal history, broadly considered. Acceptable topics include those addressing constitutional, judicial, social, and/or cultural aspects of California's legal past. | |
| $7,500 first place, $4,000 second place, $1,000 third | Entrants should take advantage of the fact that health law is a very broad and diverse field, encompassing aspects of almost every area of law. Papers may address any traditional area of the law as applied to health care (e.g., antitrust, tax, corporate) or areas of law unique to health care (e.g., fraud and abuse, managed care, Medicare/Medicaid, clinical trials, telehealth/telemedicine). | |
| $1,000 cash prize | Business Law |
Deadline: June
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Varies | Students should choose a subject which can be written about through the legal lens with a balanced full spectrum legal analysis, relevant and useful to labor and employment lawyers. | |
| First prize will range between $300 and $1,000, depending on whether multiple awards are given. | Submission may address any aspect of disability law, theory, or practice. Other permissible topics include issues arising under any of following statutes: Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of Education Amendments of 1972; Age Discrimination in Employment Act; Family and Medical Leave Act; or any state statutes or municipal ordinances prohibiting discrimination on basis of sexual orientation. | |
| $1,000 | Students must choose one of three: 1) Tell us about a time that you helped someone with a family law issue and how that impacted your interest in seeking a career in the area of family law. 2) Tell us about your passion for family law. 3) Tell us what makes you a unique asset to the practice of Family Law. | |
| Varies | U.S. patent law | |
| $1,000 | Any aspect of dispute resolution practice, theory, or research. | |
| See website | Pharmacy Law | |
| $2,500 | Submit your law school admissions essay | |
| $1,000 |
Areas of legal history, rare law books, and legal archives, and to acquaint students with the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and law librarianship. |
|
|
$750 first place, $500 second place, $250 third |
Topics are limited to FDA and regulated agencies' law and regulation. Papers should provide an in-depth analysis of a current legal issue concerning food, drugs, animal drugs, biologics, cosmetics, diagnostics, dietary supplements, medical devices, veterinary devices, cannabis, or tobacco. |
Deadline: July
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
| $350, plus travel expenses of up to $650 if the prize winner attends the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association to receive the prize in person. | Send papers centering the analysis of political and/or legal institutions and processes. We encourage submissions that expand the purview of political and legal anthropology and challenge us to think in new ways about power, politics, and law. | |
|
Committee on Animals and the Law Student Writing Competition |
$1,000 first place, $500 second place | Any topic on animal law |
| $2,500 | What do you think our country should do to foster unity? | |
| $2,500 | An accident you or your loved one experienced and how you faced the aftermath. | |
| $5,000 first place, $2,500 second place, $1,500 third place | Papers on any federal or state tax-related topic may be submitted. | |
| See website | Please submit an original, unpublished, essay of 10,000 to 20,000 words on a topic of your choice addressing issues of professionalism, ethics, civility, and excellence. | |
| $2,500 | See website for details |
Deadline: August
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
|
California Lawyers Association DEI Student Writing Competition |
Varies | In Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. 181 (2023), the United States Supreme Court held that race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions processes violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. What impacts does this holding have on Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, programs, and grants in college and law school admissions and, by extension, employer DEI programs in law firms and legal departments? What practical steps and efforts may voluntary state bar associations and organizations take to advance DEI programs and initiatives in the legal profession, in light of this holding? |
Deadline: September
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
| See website | Legal brief | |
| $2,000 first place, $1,000 second place, $500 third place | A topical issue of interest to the public contract and grant law community. |
Deadline: October
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
|
$10,000 for winner, $2,500 for runners-up; see website for additional prize information |
Identify and research a pressing legal issue facing the music industry today and outline a proposed solution in a 3,000-word essay. |
Deadline: November
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | Law students are invited to submit to the International Section an article concerning any area of public or private international law or practice. | |
|
American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers Writing Competition |
Cash payment ($5,000 for books, $3,500 for articles, reviews, or book chapters; and $1,500 for student work) | Eligible entries must discuss some aspect of U.S. consumer financial services law. Topics that relate principally to securities regulation, bankruptcy, insurance, or the safety and soundness aspects of banking regulation are not eligible, but works on subjects within these (or other) areas will be considered if they bear directly on U.S. consumer financial services law. |
Deadline: December
| writing Competition | Amount (estimated) | Essay Topic |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | We are asking students to write a 500-word essay about what employment discrimination law is and how job discrimination rates can be reduced and mitigated. We are looking for the most creative and cohesive essay. | |
| $5,000 | If you could spend a year studying abroad experiencing another culture, where would you go and why? | |
| $1,000 | Describe how you plan on giving back to your community once you become a lawyer. | |
| $1,000 | 1) What is your inspiration for a career in the legal profession? How do you intend to serve society after law school to fulfill that inspiration? Or 2) What makes a good, effective attorney? | |
| $5,000 first place, $2,500 second place, $1,000 third place | The importance of the Jury Trial in our justice system or the importance of civility in the legal profession |
For unpaid positions with nonprofit organizations and government agencies, students usually choose between receiving externship credit or PILF funding, as you cannot do both. These types of positions generally qualify for PILF funding, but you must also meet PILF's eligibility requirements to apply for a summer stipend. All questions regarding PILF stipends should be directed to PILF .
*The AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank includes nearly 800 scholarship opportunities and writing competitions, including over 600 opportunities for returning law students . Select the filter “Returning Law Students” under “Scholarship Type” along with a specified “Location” (likely “No Location Required” or “California”). To narrow your search further, check out the “Interest Area” and “Applicant Attributes” filter options or choose between “Need Based” or “Merit Based” opportunities.
The PSJD Summer Funding Source list gets updated annually in late fall/early winter. This list includes sources from affinity groups, bar associations, and nonprofits. To create an account on PSJD, register by clicking on the "New Jobseekers" link at the top right of the home page in the Orange Box.
Deadline: January
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $7,500 | The WLALA Foundation’s Inner-City Law Center (ICLC) law student fellow spends 10 weeks working full-time at ICLC during the summer in ICLC’s Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project (PEHP). The fellow gains hands-on experience with administrative law and litigation projects, including evictions, expungements, benefits advocacy, and other legal needs. | |
| $15,000 | Zelle LLP is proud to offer a scholarship to first-year law (1L) students attending an ABA-accredited law school who are eligible to apply upon their acceptance to a Summer internship in one of the firm’s offices for the summer following the student’s first year of law school. |
Deadline: February
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Varies | To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants need to be legally blind, maintain a 3.0 GPA to be eligible for most scholarships, be a full-time student or a part-time student who works at least 32 hours per week, and be involved in their school and local community. | |
| Varies | The Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara LLP law firm is proud to offer a scholarship to a first-year law student. Applicants must submit an online application, community involvement, official transcript, and personal statement. | |
| Varies | This fellowship is open to a first-year law student who demonstrates outstanding academic achievement and involvement in diverse organizations, and commitment to community service. The scholarship recipient must submit an application, a personal statement, resume, and undergraduate academic transcript and copy of the current law school transcript. | |
|
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Diversity Fellowship |
$4,500 | 1L and 2L students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, in good academic standing, and enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school. NACDL defines "historically underrepresented backgrounds" to include people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and persons with disabilities. This list, however is not exhaustive. |
| $7,500 | The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) and LACBA Counsel for Justice Veterans Legal Services Project (VLSP) are proud to offer a fellowship. The fellowship is available to 1L and 2L students and funds a social justice-oriented project. |
Deadline: March
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Varies | The Alaska Bar Association offers law school scholarships to current 1st and 2nd year law students who demonstrate ties to Alaska, and an intent to return to Alaska within two years of graduation. | |
|
California Lawyers Association Labor and Employment Law Section & California Lawyers Foundation |
$8,000 | Scholarship award to diverse law students pursuing employment or labor related work during the summer. |
| Varies | The NAPABA Law Foundation Community Law Fellowship is proud to offer a Fellowship to a second-year law student with a demonstrated commitment to public interest law and Asian-Pacific American issues. | |
| Varies | SABANY plans to award at least three grants to law students or recent law graduates who will be working in unpaid public-interest jobs in New York State during the summer of 2025. |
Deadline: April
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | Diverse second-year law (2L) students attending an ABA-accredited law school are eligible to apply upon their acceptance to a Summer internship at a qualified federal agency or a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization in the areas of antitrust, consumer protection, or privacy law. | |
| $10,000 | The law firms of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC is proud to offer three scholarships to diverse law students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and simultaneous commitment to the community. Recipients will be awarded a salaried 2L Summer Associate position in one of the law offices. | |
| $8,000 | Law students who will spend the summer interning at a LAAC member organization; and who plan to work at a rural organization, an urban organization working on rural issues, or any organization working on racial justice work. Applicants must also have a strong interest in a career in public interest law, working to defend and expand the legal rights of people who live in poverty. Students of color and students from low-income backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. | |
| $3,000 | The fellowship competition is open to first-year law students who intend to carry out significant activities during the summer (in between their first and second year) in the areas of civil rights and/or civil liberties. | |
|
South Asian Bar Association of DC Public Interest Fellowship |
Varies | SABA-DC provides financial assistance in the form of summer fellowships to law students working at public interest organizations in the metropolitan D.C. area. The primary purpose of the fellowship is to help fund a student’s internship with a public interest organization for the benefit of the South Asian community and the metropolitan D.C. area. |
| See website | SCCLA Scholarships are awarded based on (1) financial need, (2) academic accomplishments, and/or (3) active involvement and/or expected future contribution to the Chinese-American and/or APA community, particularly in Southern California. | |
|
Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Fran Kandel Public Interest Fellowship |
$7,500 | The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) Fran Kandel Public Interest Fellowship enables law students to work with an organization or individually to develop and implement a project in the field of public interest law in the spirit of Fran Kandel. The WLALA Kandel Fellowship is designed to fund social justice-oriented projects with a tangible outcome. Strong preference is given to applicants who have the support of a sponsoring organization and who have arranged for an organization or suitable individual to supervise their project. |
Deadline: May
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $6,000 |
Fellowship is committed to inspiring law students to pursue careers in sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy and to identifying the next generation of leaders committed to promoting rights and equity for the LGBT community. Through the fellowship, students gain experience and insight into the field and provide much-needed support to various organizations and scholars. Fellows must spend at least ten weeks at their placements. |
|
| Varies | Fellowship for law students pursuing public interest law employment during the summer. |
Deadline: June
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $7,500 | The NAPABA Law Foundation Community Law Fellowship is proud to offer a Fellowship to a rising 2L student who has demonstrated a commitment to the interests of the Asian-Pacfic American community. |
Deadline: Check website
| Scholarship | Amount (estimated) | Eligibility Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | The Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP law firm is proud to offer a scholarship to second-year law students and a salaried summer associate position at one of the firm’s 33 offices. | |
| Varies | KASF scholarships are offered to qualified Korean American students. If extra funds are available, other students may qualify for scholarships. Specifically, descendants of American veterans served during the Korean War may qualify for scholarships. | |
| See website | Be a current college or graduate student or a recent graduate (this includes community college, technical school, and online degree programs), identify as Latinx/a/o, and secured a public service summer internship. |
Some or all instruction for all or part of the Academic Year may be delivered remotely. Tuition and fees have been set regardless of the method of instruction and will not be refunded in the event instruction occurs remotely for any part of the Academic Year. Figures for tuition and fees represent currently approved or proposed amounts and may not be final. Actual tuition and fees are subject to change by the University of California as determined to be necessary or appropriate. Final approved tuition and fee levels may differ from the amounts presented.
State of California Disclosure: Federal student loans are available to most students regardless of income and provide a range of repayment options including some income-based repayment plans and loan-forgiveness benefits, which other education loans are not required to provide.