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Edited By: Law Scholarships
Key takeaways:
- Law school has gotten even more expensive in recent years. In 2023, the average tuition cost for three years of law school was $146,484.
- About 81.23% of law students receive some form of grants or scholarships.
- The average age of a law school graduate is typically around 27 years old. Many students take a gap year or gain work experience before entering law school.
Law school is expensive. Even though many people may think lawyers automatically graduate making six figures or more, many will not. And many also graduate with the burden of significant debt. If you're not interested in working for Big Law or spending upwards of 80 hours a week in a corporate environment, you may find it difficult to pay off those loans.
That's where law scholarships come in. Keep reading to understand how these scholarships work, where to find them and how to determine whether you are eligible to apply for them.
What is a law scholarship?
A law scholarship is given to either a current law school student or a prospective one. If you're studying to be a paralegal, you may also be eligible for law scholarships; just make sure to consult the rules of eligibility before applying.
Some law scholarships may have extra requirements, while many also have a need-based component. Many awards will prioritize students who are underrepresented in the legal field, like those from a certain racial or ethnic background. There may also be special law scholarships for women.
How to apply for a law scholarship
Once you find a scholarship you’re eligible for, you can start working on the application. The application may require an essay, a reference letter and a transcript from your undergraduate school or your law school, if you’re already enrolled.
Give yourself plenty of time for the application; you never know what will come up between now and the deadline. And remember, if you miss the deadline, there’s little chance you’ll get the award.
Many scholarships will require that students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You must fill out the FAFSA to be eligible for federal student loans and grants. However, what many students don’t understand is that schools and scholarship organizations often rely on FAFSA data to determine eligibility.
How to qualify for law school scholarships
Each scholarship has its own particular requirements, which can vary widely. For example, most scholarships are only open to U.S. citizens, but some may accept non-citizens, including DACA recipients.
Some scholarships may have geographic limitations or may only be given to students attending a particular school. For example, the John F. Moriarty Scholarship is only given to students from Hampden or Hampshire County in Massachusetts who have lived there for at least five years. You can be a prospective or current law school student to qualify.
To find local law scholarships, try searching Google for your state, ZIP code or county and the phrase "law scholarship". You can also search by regions, such as New England or the Bay Area.
Many law scholarships require a certain GPA. If you're a prospective law student, you may also have to provide your LSAT score to be eligible. While each scholarship has its own eligibility rules, an LSAT score of 170 or higher can make it easier to get a scholarship. If your LSAT score is below that threshold, it can be harder to find scholarships you're eligible for.
You can look for scholarships based on your skills, interests and overall characteristics.
For example, the HCBA Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship is given to students who are either currently in the military or veterans who were honorably discharged. There is both a merit- and a need-based component for this award. The scholarship amount may vary, but will never be less than $1,000. Multiple winners will be chosen.
Some law scholarships may be awarded to students who are interested in a specific type of law. For example, the Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Scholarship is given to students who want to study intellectual property law. Also, only students who are underrepresented in law schools will be eligible for this $10,000 award.
Some law scholarships are for only one year, while others can be renewed for multiple years. If a scholarship is eligible for renewal, then there is usually a minimum GPA you must maintain to remain eligible.
Continue reading the article below the scholarship list.
25 Law Scholarships with Approaching Deadlines
Where to find law scholarships
There are many places to find law scholarships. You can start by creating an account at Scholarships.com and creating a student profile. This method will match you not just to law scholarships, but to any and all scholarships in our database that match your profile.
As a general rule, you should look for smaller, less competitive awards, not just major ones. The smaller the award, the fewer applicants there will be. And while it might seem like a waste of time to apply for $1,000 scholarships when law school can cost $50,000 a year, you're more likely to get those smaller awards.
Don't be afraid to use Google to find scholarships. List your unique traits and then use each keyword, plus the word scholarship, to find potential awards. For example, if you're a first generation college student, you can Google “first-generation student law scholarship.”
For example, the IABA Foundation Scholarships are given to students of Iranian descent who are attending an accredited U.S. law school. Applicants must also be dedicated to helping the Iranian-American community. Two awards are given, each of which is worth $2,500. The winner will receive a year of mentorship from the Iranian American Bar Association Foundation.
There is no specific timetable when you should start looking for scholarships. However, the sooner the better. If you're already enrolled in law school, it’s not too late. You can still continue applying for awards. You can also reach out to your school’s financial aid department and see how you can qualify for more funding. They may have additional suggestions for you. For example, they may be able to tell you about additional third-party scholarships you can apply for.
Also, don't be afraid to look at general graduate school scholarships. Law school scholarships are a subset of this category, so you may find some grad school scholarships not exclusively for law school that will still include law school in their eligibility requirements.