Law School Scholarships Guide
Beginning the search for law school scholarships can be overwhelming. Prospective applicants may wonder which opportunities they qualify for, how many they should apply to, and whether to focus on scholarships for Juris Doctor (JD) degree programs versus more general ones.
This article can serve as a helpful resource for law students. The following list covers scholarships that are not state- or school-based, which means they are open to more students. In addition to general scholarships, it highlights some that are for diverse populations, women and paralegals.
General Scholarships for Law Students
There are a variety of general scholarships available to help cover the costs of law school. The following opportunities are open to incoming and current students.
One Lawyer Can Change the World Scholarship
The One Lawyer Can Change the World Scholarship is sponsored by BARBRI and is designed to support students entering law school who want to use their legal education to make a meaningful impact. Applicants typically submit an essay, and the scholarship’s exact requirements may vary by cycle, so be sure to confirm the current prompt and submission process on the official listing.
- Qualifications: Typically open to students entering law school (requirements may vary by year).
- Awards: Multiple awards may be available; the number of awards may vary by year.
- Total Amount: Award amounts vary by year.
The Judge John R. Brown Award for Excellence in Legal Writing
The Judge John R. Brown Award for Excellence in Legal Writing is offered annually and recognizes excellence in legal writing by students enrolled in accredited U.S. law schools. Applicants generally submit a legal writing sample and a recommendation from a faculty member or legal professional. Rules, deadlines, and award details may change from year to year, so applicants should review the official program page for the current cycle.
- Qualifications: Students enrolled in an accredited U.S. law school (J.D. or LL.B. track, per current rules).
- Awards: Multiple awards may be available; the number of awards may vary by year.
- Total Amount: Award amounts vary by year.
FCBA Foundation Law School Scholarship Program
The FCBA Foundation Law School Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to rising second- and third-year law students who have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) law and policy. Application requirements and deadlines vary by year, so applicants should confirm current details on the FCBA Foundation scholarship page.
- Qualifications: Rising second- or third-year students enrolled in an accredited U.S. law school with an interest in TMT law/policy (per current rules).
- Awards: Varies by year.
- Total Amount: Varies by year.
Answering Legal’s Future Attorneys of America Scholarship (FAAS)
Answering Legal sponsors the Future Attorneys of America Scholarship, which typically invites applicants to submit an essay responding to prompts about the legal system, motivations for pursuing law, or the applicant’s future impact in the legal community. Because eligibility and deadline details can change, applicants should verify the current requirements directly on the sponsor’s scholarship page.
- Qualifications: Applicants typically must be accepted to or enrolled in an accredited law school; other requirements may apply and can vary by year.
- Awards: Typically one award; may vary by year.
- Total Amount: Award amount may vary by year.
AAJ Paul J. Scoptur Trial Advocacy Scholarship
The AAJ National College of Advocacy honors Paul J. Scoptur by offering scholarship support to eligible AAJ members who otherwise could not attend AAJ Education Trial Advocacy Colleges. The scholarship typically helps reduce program costs and may include travel support; specific benefits can change by year, so applicants should confirm current coverage and requirements on AAJ’s page.
- Qualifications: AAJ membership is required; other eligibility requirements may apply.
- Awards: Typically one award; may vary by year.
- Total Amount: Benefit coverage varies by year (and may include program and/or travel support).
ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship (American Bar Association)
The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship, sponsored by the American Bar Association (ABA), aims to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession by providing financial support to incoming law students who demonstrate leadership potential and a commitment to expanding access to legal careers. Applicants should confirm current eligibility requirements and application instructions directly with the sponsor.
- Qualifications: Typically open to incoming first-year law students who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; verify current eligibility on the sponsor’s page.
- Awards: Multiple awards may be available; award amounts vary by year.
- Total Amount: Award amounts vary by year; applicants should confirm current details on the sponsor’s site.
Marin County Bar Association Legal Education Scholarship
The Marin County Bar Association Legal Education Scholarship supports law students with ties to Marin County, California, who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to serving their community. Because eligibility criteria and award details may change, applicants should verify current requirements on the administering organization’s page.
- Qualifications: Typically open to law students enrolled full-time at an accredited law school with specified residency or educational ties to Marin County; verify current details on the scholarship page.
- Awards: One or more awards may be available; award amounts vary by year.
- Total Amount: Award amounts vary by year; applicants should check sponsor information for the current cycle.
Diversity Scholarships for Law Students
The following scholarship programs are specifically for applicants with diverse backgrounds or identities.
ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund
The American Bar Association (ABA) offers the annual Legal Opportunity Scholarship to encourage racially and ethnically diverse students to pursue a legal education and to provide financial assistance during law school.
- Qualifications: Applicants must be entering their first year of law school, be a member of an underrepresented racial and/or ethnic minority group, and have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale).
- Awards: Typically 10–20 awards (varies by year).
- Total Amount: $15,000 over three years in law school.
ArentFox Schiff Diversity Scholarship
ArentFox Schiff offers a Diversity Scholarship as part of its commitment to increasing diversity within the firm and the legal profession.
- Qualifications: Candidates must be in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school in the U.S. and be members of a diverse population historically underrepresented in the legal profession (the firm defines diversity broadly, including factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, disability, first generation, veteran status, socioeconomic status, and other underrepresented categories).
- Awards: Up to five scholarships are awarded each year.
- Total Amount: $25,000, paid in two installments ($12,500 during the student’s second-year summer and $12,500 payable when the student returns to the firm as an associate after graduation).
Zelle Diversity in Law Scholarships
Zelle LLP’s Diversity in Law Scholarship and paid 1L summer clerkship are designed to encourage and assist students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, as well as students with a long-standing commitment to diversity-related issues in the legal profession.
- Qualifications: Applicants must either (1) be a member of a population or group whose background and perspectives are historically underrepresented in the private practice of law, or (2) demonstrate a long-standing commitment to diversity that will be furthered by the award of the scholarship (additional criteria and materials may apply and can vary by year).
- Awards: Typically one award (confirm current cycle details with sponsor).
- Total Amount: Scholarship amount and employment details may vary by year; confirm current terms in the active announcement/application materials.
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Earl Warren Scholarship
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) Earl Warren Scholarship supports law students committed to racial justice and civil rights.
- Qualifications: Applicants must be U.S. citizens who demonstrate dedication to racial justice/civil rights and are entering their first or second year at an ABA-approved law school (confirm current cycle criteria on the application page).
- Awards: Varies by year.
- Total Amount: $15,000 per year for three years (total $45,000), contingent on remaining in good academic standing and continuing to meet scholarship criteria.
The Point Foundation Scholarship
Point Foundation’s Flagship Scholarship supports LGBTQ+ and ally students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or professional degrees at accredited U.S. institutions, along with community and leadership development opportunities.
- Qualifications: LGBTQ+ and ally students pursuing an undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree at an accredited college or university in the United States.
- Awards: Varies.
- Total Amount: Varies by recipient and cycle.
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Scholarships
The NAPABA Law Foundation offers multiple scholarships and fellowships supporting AAPI law students and emerging leaders.
- Qualifications: Eligibility varies by scholarship; for example, the Han C. Choi Scholarship is for 1L or 2L students with academic excellence, leadership, volunteerism/mentorship, and interest in AAPI civic issues, while the SAIL Scholarship is for students who will be 2Ls starting the specified fall term (see sponsor for current cycle requirements).
- Awards: Typically, one award per scholarship (varies by program).
- Total Amount: Han C. Choi Scholarship: $5,000. SAIL Scholarship: $7,500 split over two years (per current cycle details).
George H. Nofer Scholarship for Law and Public Policy
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers the George H. Nofer Scholarship for full-time graduate students attending an accredited law school.
- Qualifications: Eligibility requirements are set by AG Bell and may include specific hearing-related criteria; confirm current requirements on the sponsor’s financial aid page.
- Awards: Up to three awards (varies by year).
- Total Amount: $5,000 each year.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
HSF’s Scholar Program supports students who identify as being of Hispanic heritage and are pursuing undergraduate or graduate education in the U.S.
- Qualifications: Students of Hispanic heritage who plan to enroll full-time in an accredited public or not-for-profit four-year university or graduate school in the U.S.; for college/graduate students, HSF lists a 2.5 minimum GPA (4.0 scale or equivalent), and applicants must meet citizenship/eligibility requirements (e.g., U.S. Citizen, Permanent Legal Resident, or DACA).
- Awards: Varies.
- Total Amount: Award amounts vary by cycle and recipient.
National Native American Bar Association (NNABA) Bar Review Scholarship
The NNABA Foundation offers a Bar Review Scholarship to help eligible Indigenous law students and graduates with bar exam preparation expenses.
- Qualifications: Applicants must be Indigenous (including Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander); be an active member of NNABA, a regional American Indian Bar Association, or the National Native American Law Students Association; be a graduate of or a current third-year law student at an ABA-accredited U.S. law school; and intend to take a state bar examination in the specified cycle listed by NNABA.
- Awards: Varies based on available resources.
- Total Amount: Varies; NNABA notes awards are at least $1,000 (amount and number depend on resources).
Law School Scholarships for Women
The following is a list of law school scholarships available to women applicants.
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Selected Professions Fellowship
AAUW’s Selected Professions Fellowships support women pursuing their first full-time master’s or professional degree in fields where women have historically been underrepresented (AAUW notes a particular emphasis on STEM fields). Award details and eligible fields can vary by cycle, so applicants should review AAUW’s current program requirements before applying.
- Qualifications: Applicants must identify as women and meet AAUW’s current eligibility rules (including full-time study during the fellowship year and any citizenship/residency and degree-history requirements); eligible fields of study (including whether law is included for a given cycle) are determined by AAUW and should be confirmed on the AAUW program page
- Awards: Varies.
- Total Amount: AAUW lists a $20,000 stipend for Selected Professions Fellowships.
Mike Eidson Law Student Scholarship American Association for Justice
The American Association for Justice (AAJ) Women Trial Lawyers Caucus sponsors the Mike Eidson Law Student Scholarship for a female law student who plans to pursue a career in trial law.
- Qualifications: Female law students who are AAJ Law Student members and enrolled in an ABA-accredited law program; applicants are typically rising 3Ls (or rising 4Ls in a night program).
- Awards: Typically one award.
- Total Amount: Traditionally $5,000 (verify current cycle details).
National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) – Selma Moidel Smith Law Student Writing Competition
NAWL sponsors the Selma Moidel Smith Law Student Writing Competition to encourage and recognize original law student writing on issues involving women and the law.
- Qualifications: Law students eligible under NAWL’s current competition rules; topic focuses on women and the law (verify current submission requirements on NAWL’s law student opportunities page).
- Awards: Varies by year.
- Total Amount: Varies by year.
New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA) Scholarship
The New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA) offers scholarships to support law students, with selection criteria that emphasize commitment to NJWLA’s mission and the practice of law, along with an essay component.
- Qualifications: Law students who meet NJWLA’s current eligibility requirements and submit the required application materials (including an essay); selection criteria include commitment and dedication to law school, NJWLA’s mission, and the practice of law (verify current requirements on NJWLA’s application page).
- Awards: Multiple awards may be available (varies by year).
- Total Amount: Varies by year; NJWLA notes scholarship funds may be used for tuition, fees, books, and personal expenses.
WLAM Foundation Scholars (Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Foundation)
The Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Foundation (WLAMF) annually awards scholarships to support women law students in Michigan who demonstrate leadership in advancing the position of women in society, including through service in areas such as social justice, equality, family law, child advocacy, domestic violence, or work on behalf of underserved communities.
- Qualifications: Women law students enrolled full-time or part-time and in good academic standing at one of Michigan’s accredited law schools (University of Michigan, Cooley, Michigan State, Wayne State, or University of Detroit Mercy). Applicants typically must demonstrate leadership and service related to advancing women in society; criteria can vary by specific named scholarship.
- Awards: Multiple scholarships may be available each cycle.
- Total Amount: Award amounts vary by scholarship/cycle.
Scholarships for Paralegal Students
There are several scholarship opportunities available for individuals who aspire to become a paralegal.
Ehline Law Firm Paralegal Student Scholarship
Ehline Law Firm offers a Paralegal Students Scholarship for individuals attending an accredited (or state-recognized) paralegal program or working in a law office. Applicants submit an essay (400–700 words) focused on how they hope to positively influence the public’s perception of legal professionals.
- Qualifications: Applicants must be working in a law office or currently registered in an accredited/state-recognized paralegal program; students are expected to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA (or, if not in a traditional school, provide a letter from an instructor verifying exemplary standing).
- Awards: One.
- Total Amount: $750.
Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Paralegal Scholarship Program
Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. offers an annual Paralegal Scholarship to support aspiring paralegals who need financial assistance. Applicants submit a 500–750 word essay describing their educational and career goals, along with required documentation.
- Qualifications: U.S. citizens enrolled in a paralegal education program in the United States who have completed at least one semester of coursework (additional requirements and documents apply).
- Awards: One.
- Total Amount: $1,000.
Education Accessibility Scholarship
Connecticut Trial Firm, LLC offers the Education Accessibility Scholarship to a first-generation college student who shares ideas on improving access to higher education. Applicants typically submit a 750-word essay on the prompt provided by the sponsor.
- Qualifications: Students who are currently enrolled (or enrolled prior to the scholarship deadline) at an accredited U.S. institution, plan to complete a 2-year or 4-year program (including paralegal programs), are the first in their family to attend a four-year college, and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Awards: One.
- Total Amount: $1,000.
National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) Student Scholarships
The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) offers scholarships and awards that recognize excellence in the paralegal profession, including student scholarship opportunities. Applicants should review the current year’s awards and scholarship materials for eligibility requirements, required documentation, and submission instructions.
- Qualifications: Eligibility varies by scholarship; NFPA’s awards and scholarships program includes student scholarship opportunities and may require an application and supporting documentation as outlined in the current guidelines.
- Awards: Varies by year and scholarship.
- Total Amount: Varies by year and scholarship.
San Diego Paralegal Association (SDPA) Student Scholarship
The San Diego Paralegal Association (SDPA) offers a Student Scholarship to support students pursuing paralegal education in San Diego County. SDPA posts current eligibility requirements and application instructions on its scholarships page and application forms.
- Qualifications: Current San Diego County students enrolled in a paralegal program (or enrolled for an upcoming academic term) who meet SDPA’s current eligibility requirements; SDPA membership is not required but may be encouraged (verify the current application form for the most up-to-date requirements).
- Awards: Varies by year.
- Total Amount: Varies by year.
FAQ on Law School Scholarships
There are many types of scholarships for law students. These scholarships are often funded and awarded by law associations, legal education foundations and law schools themselves. Other sources include law firms (sometimes in honor of a former member of that firm), alumni groups, diversity organizations or companies, disability support organizations, states, legal defense funds, private companies and nonprofit organizations.
While any student can apply for nearly any scholarship, there are many scholarships specifically for women. Those listed above include the American Association of University Women fellowship and the American Association for Justice’s Mike Eidson Law Student Scholarship.
Yes. There are fewer than those for JD students, but students in online LLM programs can indeed find scholarships. In addition to checking with your school, you can search by specialization, residence, school location and gender eligibility for scholarships in the United States and globally.
While fewer scholarships are available for part-time law students, they do exist. Many are awarded by law schools themselves. Some are geared toward women or BIPOC students, who often are balancing work and/or family while pursuing a law degree. Some scholarships specify that the student can be enrolled in a three-year day program or a four-year night program, for instance.
It depends on the school and the scholarship, but, in general, students in online programs can be eligible. It depends on the scholarship. Some scholarships require enrollment in an ABA-approved law school, while others are open to students in a wider range of accredited programs, so always confirm eligibility requirements on the sponsor’s website.
Yes. In fact, some law schools—in addition to offering scholarships themselves—have portals on their websites where outside scholarships can be listed for students to browse and apply to. A limiting factor might be how many scholarship applications, copies of your transcripts and personal essays you can keep up with.
In general, applicants should start the scholarship process as early as possible. Law school scholarships are generally offered annually, though some are awarded in spring and fall, and application deadlines vary throughout the year. Because applications require you to fill out forms, order transcripts and write personal essays, it’s not out of the question to begin planning a year in advance.
The feedback process for scholarship programs will vary. Some scholarship websites give you a general idea of when the announcement will be made, while others don’t. It depends on the awarding organization, the number of applicants and the judging process. Some schools suggest waiting until a couple of weeks after the entry deadline closes, then emailing or calling the scholarship administrator.
Law degrees can be expensive, and many students may need a combination of grants, loans and scholarships to afford their education. Scholarships help ease that financial burden and may enable students to pursue a law degree despite economic limitations.
Check out our list of JD degree programs to learn more and find the right program for you. If you love the law but don’t want to be a lawyer, read more about what you can do with a law degree. Additionally, many online Master of Legal Studies programs are available for prospective students who want to expand their legal knowledge without practicing law.
Information on this page was last retrieved and updated in March 2026.