Law Scholarships
You take a break from your standardized test prep and find there’s a Tom Cruise movie marathon on television. Do you identify most with his portrayal of Brian Flanagan in “Cocktail,” Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in “Top Gun” or Lt. Daniel Kaffee in “A Few Good Men”? If you chose the latter, the odds are pretty good you’re already considering a career in law. But can you handle the truth…about funding your education?
Becoming a lawyer requires four years of undergraduate study (no doubt filled with political science, history and communications classes), three years of law school and countless hours studying in the library, participating in moot court and cramming for the bar exam in between. Time for friends, sleep and work will be minimal but the rewards for doing so – a higher-than-average salary, a prestigious career and the knowledge that you’re working toward the greater good every day – are pretty amazing, which is why countless organizations are more than happy to provide current and prospective law students with law scholarship opportunities.
So where can you find law scholarships you can actually win? The American Bar Association is a great place to start, as are local law firms and PanHellenic organizations. Some colleges, like Yale and Northwestern, have their own database for student grants and fellowships but the only students who benefit are those applying to or already attending those schools. Scholarships.com, however, allows anyone with a profile to complete a free scholarship search and obtain other assistance in paying for school. We've listed a few law scholarships below but your search will also turn up essay scholarships, minority scholarships, scholarships for returning students and myriad other opportunities based on your unique situation. Looks like you can handle the truth after all!
Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest
Application Deadlines:
September 17, Annually
Annual Essay Contest on Ayn Rand’s Novel, Atlas Shrugged, for College Students (Graduate and Undergraduate) and 12th Graders/HTMLCHUNK_4/
First Prize: $10,000
3 Second Prizes: $2,000
5 Third Prizes: $1,000
20 Finalists: $100
20 Semifinalists: $50
All information necessary to enter the contest is contained on our [...] More
Thomas G. Labrecque Smart Start Scholarship Program
Application Deadlines:
January 17, Annually
Each year, 10 high school graduating seniors across New York City become part of the Thomas G. Labrecque Smart Start Scholarship Program. Since 1992 the Scholarship program has had an impact on over 450 students throughout the five boroughs of New York City by providing education, work-related and financial benefits./HTMLCHUNK_4/
Scholarship recipients receive a full-tuition scholarship (less [...] More
TELACU Scholarship Program
Application Deadlines:
March 17, Annually
Each year, the TELACU Education Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships to students in California, Texas, Illinois and New York. To apply for a scholarship, download the application from our website and return it, with required attachments, to the office indicated on the application./HTMLCHUNK_4/
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a low income, first generation college student
- [...] More
Anheuser-Busch NAPABA Law Foundation Presidential Scholarships
Application Deadlines:
Varies
Each year, two Anheuser-Busch National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Law Foundation Presidential Scholarships of $7,500 are awarded to law students who demonstrate outstanding leadership potential to serve the Asian Pacific American community. Only a student enrolled as a law degree candidate in an accredited law school in the United States at least half-time as determined by [...] More
George A. Strait Minority Scholarships
Application Deadlines:
April 01, Annually
George A. Strait Minority Scholarships are awarded annually by the American Association of Law Libraries and an endowment from Thomson West, a provider of e-information and solutions to the U.S. legal market. Applicants must be college graduates with meaningful law library experience who are members of a minority group as defined by current U.S. government guidelines, degree candidates in an [...] More
Lim, Ruger & Kim Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
Varies
In 2004, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Law Foundation established its Lim, Ruger & Kim Scholarship in the amount of $2,500 through the generosity of the law firm of Lim, Ruger & Kim in Los Angeles. /HTMLCHUNK_4/
Only a student enrolled as a law degree candidate in an accredited law school in the U.S. at least half time as determined by the school is eligible for a [...] More
Islamic Scholarship Fund
Application Deadlines:
April 12, Annually
ISF’s goal is to encourage Muslim students to pursue a college or post-graduate degrees in humanities, social sciences, liberal arts and law through awarding annual scholarships of $1000-$10,000 to deserving students./HTMLCHUNK_4/
Eligibility
Scholarships are awarded to Muslim students who have been accepted to top- ranked four-year colleges and universities for undergraduate and post-graduate [...] More
Legacy Environmental Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
May 03, Annually
Legacy, Inc., Partners in Environmental Education, is a not-for-profit organization working to create environmentally responsible citizens through balanced, fact-based education that considers diverse environmental views. The organization operates through a grassroots partnership network to develop and disseminate balanced environmental information./HTMLCHUNK_4/
Legacy's Scholarship Program [...] More
New York University Post Graduate Fellowships
Application Deadlines:
Varies
Many graduates embark on their career by obtaining a post-graduate fellowship. Organizations offer fellowships in a national competitive process, and our students and alumni have always done terrifically, as demonstrated by the list of the Recent Fellowship Recipients. Additionally, NYU offers some fellowships that are designated only for its graduates./HTMLCHUNK_4/
For more information about [...] More
Mimi Deatherage Memorial Law Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
May 15, Annually
Marion (Mimi) Deatherage practiced law and loved the game of golf. Born and raised in Long Beach, she attended Wilson High School, and obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado before attending Southwestern School of Law. After graduation from Southwestern, she joined her father's law office. During the seventeen years she spent practicing [...] More
Army Staff Sgt. Special Agent Richard S. Eaton Jr., Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
January 31, Annually
Please read fully, and do not send postal mail, use our web form at the website for asking for more information and getting a quicker answer. Also, please review other scholarships we have on our website./HTMLCHUNK_4/
The Army Staff Sgt. Richard S. Eaton Jr., Scholarship provides $1,000 in honor of Staff Sgt. Richard Eaton, a United States Army Counterintelligence Special Agent and Bronze Star [...] More
Peggy Kommer Novosad Scholarship Fund
Application Deadlines:
April 01, Annually
Student must be a resident of Kent County, Michigan currently completing or possessing an undergraduate degree from GVSU or MSU and will be pursuing a full-time graduate or post-graduate degree in business or law at any accredited university in Michigan. Must have financial need and a minimum 3.5 GPA./HTMLCHUNK_4/
For more information and to apply, please visit our [...] More
GRCF Vivian M. Kommer Scholarship Fund
Application Deadlines:
April 01, Annually
Student must be a senior at West Catholic HS in Grand Rapids, Michigan entering undergraduate studies in business or pre-law. Must demonstrate financial need and have a minimum 3.0 GPA./HTMLCHUNK_4/
For more information on this and other GRCF scholarships, please visit our [...] More
Miller Johnson West Michigan Diversity Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
April 01, Annually
Students of color accepted to or presently attending an accredited law school within the U.S. with a permanent residence in Michigan. Must demonstrate financial need and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. /HTMLCHUNK_4/
For more information, please visit our [...] More
Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship Award
Application Deadlines:
February 14, Annually
The $1,000 Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship Award is presented annually to one senior female collegiate basketball player who intends to pursue a career in law. Any applicant is only eligible to win one scholarship award. All senior female collegiate basketball players who intend to pursue a career in law are eligible for this $1,000 scholarship award. Applicants must be nominated by their [...] More
ALBA George Watt Memorial Essay Contest
Application Deadlines:
July 01, Annually
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA) is pleased to announce the continuing annual competition for the George Watt Memorial Essay prizes. Graduate and undergraduate students from the United States and elsewhere are invited to submit an essay or thesis chapter about any aspect of the Spanish Civil War, the global political or cultural struggles against fascism in 1920s and 1930s, or the [...] More
Allegheny Mountain Section Air & Waste Management Assn. Scholarships
Application Deadlines:
March 31, Annually
The Allegheny Mountain Section of the Air & Waste Management Association is an undergraduate award for students who are currently enrolled, or high school seniors accepted full time,in a four or five year college or university program within the geographical area served by the section (all of PA west of the Susquehanna River and West Virginia) which will lead to a career in the environmental [...] More
Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
May 11, Annually
The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) is a nonprofit voluntary membership organization of over 8,000 attorneys, law students and legal professionals in the Bay Area. Founded in 1872, BASF is one of the largest and most dynamic metropolitan bar associations in the U.S., with a long and distinguished record of community action, public service and service to the legal [...] More
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals
Application Deadlines:
December 01, Annually
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals is a full-year work-study fellowship program with a strong focus on cultural exchange. CBYX annually provides 75 young Americans with an understanding of everyday life, education, and professional training in Germany. The program begins in July and includes two months of intensive German language training in Germany (no prior [...] More
Environmental Law Institute Research Internship
Application Deadlines:
Varies
The Environmental Law Institute (ELI), a non-profit research and education center in Washington, DC, seeks individuals to conduct research on natural resource protection and pollution prevention. Interns work directly with staff attorneys, scientists and economists on a variety of projects. Substantive areas of focus include: land use policy, public participation in environmental regulation, [...] More
Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
March 31, Annually
The Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship awards $10,000 to a graduate students for the coming academic year to support research and preparation of a paper on an aspect of wilderness. Proposals relating to climate change are strongly encouraged. Additional funding will be provided to pay travel expenses for the recipient to work with staff members of The Wilderness Society on this [...] More
Hatton W. Sumners Law Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
February 01, Annually
The Hatton W. Sumners Scholarship is a prestigious, nationally-recognized full scholarship program. Oklahoma City University School of Law is one of only two programs in the country to offer these awards. The award includes a renewable full-tuition scholarship, an annual book allowance and a small living stipend./HTMLCHUNK_4/
Sumners scholarships are designed to foster and encourage excellence [...] More
Law Student Assistance Fund
Application Deadlines:
June 02, Annually
The Law Student Assistance Fund may assist one or more students from Shelby County, Ohio and the surrounding counties abutting on Shelby County, Ohio in their FINAL year of law school by providing assistance to defray the cost of tuition, books and such other expenses incident to attending law school. /HTMLCHUNK_4/
To be eligible for this award, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- A [...] More
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Application Deadlines:
Varies
The National Science Foundation aims to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States and to reinforce its diversity by offering approximately 1,000 graduate fellowships in this competition. The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral [...] More
ACJA LAE National Student Paper Competition
Application Deadlines:
January 31, Annually
The National Student Paper Competition is open to any degree-seeking student enrolled in an academic program at either the undergraduate or graduate level who is a member of the American Criminal Justice Association-Lambda Alpha Epsilon. Membership applications may accompany entries. Those with terminal degrees are not eligible. All entries must be original papers which deal with issues and [...] More
Legal Support Professionals of Iowa Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
February 15, Annually
The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of merit. The scholarship award may be granted to any qualified applicant, male or female, enrolled in a law-related field of education, i.e. training for legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, or attorney. Members of Legal Support Professionals of Iowa (LSPI) are eligible to apply for the scholarship./HTMLCHUNK_4/
The candidate must:
- Be a [...] More
Otto M. Stanfield Law Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
February 15, Annually
The Stanfield Scholarships Program is funded by a trust created by Mrs. Marion Barr Stanfield for Unitarian Universalists studying the field of law. The Otto M. Stanfield Law Scholarship was established in memory of her husband. It is available to Unitarian Universalist students entering or attending law school at the graduate level. Pre-law or political science majors are not eligible. The [...] More
WIFLE Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
May 01, Annually
The WIFLE Foundation (WIFLE) is an organization whose goal is to achieve gender equity within federal law enforcement through the recruitment, retention and promotion of qualified women in law enforcement, and to develop an information-sharing and support network for all women in law enforcement. In July 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics announced that as of [...] More
Maryland Graduate and Professional School Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
Varies
Who may apply: Degree-seeking graduate and professional students./HTMLCHUNK_4/
How to apply: Complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Also contact the financial aid office of the institution you will attend and ask to be considered for a Graduate and Professional Scholarship.
When to apply: Contact the financial aid office of the school you will attend for their [...] More