We encourage all students to start the process of learning about the cost of legal education and available resources, including scholarships, early. Below are some resources for students who have been historically underrepresented, though note that this list is not intended to be comprehensive. We encourage you to reach out to Cindy Schaarschmidt, Director of Student Fellowships, to learn more about how to individualize your search for law school funding.
Scholarship Databases and Opportunities:
The LSAC Admission Council provides a list of available law school scholarships, including a section dedicated to scholarships specific to students who have been historically underrepresented.
AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank is a powerful tool in the search for law school scholarships.
The NAACP offers the Earl Warren Scholarship, which is awarded annually to rising law students whose commitment to racial justice reveals outstanding potential for training as civil rights and public interest attorneys. Eligible law students include those entering their first or second year of full-time legal study at an accredited law school.
The American Bar Association (ABA) awards an annual Legal Opportunity Scholarship to first-year law students. The mission of the program is to encourage racial and ethnic minority students to apply to law school and to provide financial assistance to attend and complete law school. The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship grants 10 - 20 incoming diverse law students with $15,000 of financial aid over their three years in law school.
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States. Through education scholarships, they invest in the graduate education of 30 New Americans—immigrants and children of immigrants—who are poised to make significant contributions to US society, culture or their academic field.
The Point Foundation Scholarship is open to all LGBT students nationwide and covers tuition, books, supplies, room and board, transportation, and living expenses, and is set up with the individual college to meet the needs of the Point Scholar.
The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and Foundation offers three scholarships of $2,500 each, annually. Additionally, the LGBTQ+ Bar has created a list of external scholarships from law firms, law schools and organizations that LGBTQ+ law students are encouraged to apply for.
Financial Resources for DACA students (compiled by the West Coast Consortium of Private Law Schools)
