The mission of DRN is to address the lack of opportunities for people with disabilities in the legal profession. Notably, 20% of California’s population have a disability but less than 1% of employees in law firms report being disabled according to the ABA Profile of the Legal Profession 2021.
Scholarship Details
- One scholarship is awarded annually
- Scholarship award amount is $5,000
- Supports California law students interested in disability rights and inclusion
- Scholarship funds are paid directly to the recipient
- Funds may be used for tuition, fees, books, housing, or other related educational expenses
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a current law student enrolled in a California law school
- Open to first-, second-, and third-year law students
- Must demonstrate a commitment to or interest in disability rights and inclusion within the legal profession
- Must complete all required application materials by the stated deadline
- Recipients must agree to allow Disability Rights Now to use their name, photograph, and excerpts from their essays for promotional purposes
Application Process
- Prepare responses to the two required essay questions, with each response limited to 500 words
- Describe how your disability has influenced your decision to pursue a legal career
- Discuss actions that could increase opportunities for individuals with disabilities within the legal profession
- Review all application materials for completeness and accuracy
- Email the completed application and essays to the designated scholarship contact before September 1st
- Monitor communications regarding scholarship review and recipient selection
Recipients must agree to allow Disability Rights Now to use their names, photos, and essay excerpts for promotional purposes as DRN looks to increase awareness as to the need to increase job opportunities for people with disabilities in the legal profession. Scholarship funds will be sent directly to the recipient, to be used as needed toward tuition, fees, books, housing, or related expenses.
