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Top 19 Law School Scholarships in September 2022
Law school, like many other professional degrees, is known for being extremely expensive, but potentially lucrative. Lawyers are among the highest paid professionals. However, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average law student will graduate with over $140,000 of debt. This is where law school scholarships can come into play and help you pay for your J.D.!
Keep on reading to learn about how you can get scholarships and financial aid to pay for law school!
Jump ahead to…
- Top scholarships for law school students
- Other scholarships for law school students
- How to win law school merit scholarships
- School-specific law scholarships
- Frequently asked questions
- Explore these additional scholarship categories
Top 19 Law School Scholarships in September 2022
The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:
- The scholarship requires a fee to apply
- The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
- The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
- Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
- The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
- The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
- The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
- There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
- The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
- There is no available contact information
If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!
* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system.
** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements.
***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.
Elite Lawyer Scholarship
Offered by Elite Lawyer
Open to college and graduate students who make a difference in their communities.
Casey Family Services Alumni Scholarship
Offered by Foster Care To Success
Open to university-bound youth and adults who were in foster care through Casey Family Services in select states.
Carole Bailey Scholarship
Offered by AccessLex Institute
Open to ABA-accredited law school students who are interested in a public service-oriented legal career.
Cabaniss, Johnston Scholarship
Offered by Alabama Law Foundation
Open to Alabama residents who are academically outstanding second-year law students.
AABA Law Foundation Scholarships
Offered by Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area
Open to all current law students, but preference is given to first and second-year law students at a San Francisco Bay Area school.
Earl Warren Scholarship
Offered by Legal Defense Fund
Open to first- and second-year students attending accredited law schools in the United States and who are committed to racial justice.
When There Are Nine (WTAN) Scholarship
Offered by AccessLex Institute
Open to women who are current or incoming students in an ABA-accredited J.D. program with a graduation date within the next four years.
Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund
Offered by American Bar Association
Open to underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities who are first-year law students.
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to all high school, college, community and graduate students.
Niche $50,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsored
Open to high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.
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Other scholarships for J.D. candidates
The above scholarships are all specific for J.D. candidates, but there are other scholarships that are for graduate students in general. These graduate school scholarships are definitely worth checking out as you search for new scholarship opportunities. You can also check out our general guide to graduate school financial aid options.
How to win law school merit scholarships
As we mentioned, the majority of scholarships for law school students will be awarded by individual law schools. Here are some tips to ensure that you will be in the running for merit scholarship opportunities.
Prep for your LSAT
The LSAT is the entrance exam that law schools use in the United States. In both the law school admissions and scholarship process, the LSAT carries a lot of weight. For context, the top score possible on the LSAT is a 180.
As you are thinking about law school, you will absolutely want to spend time prepping for the LSAT and may even want to take a prep course to ensure that you are ready.
Pick the right law schools
Not all law schools award a large number of scholarships, Therefore, it is important for you to pick the right law schools that award a high percentage of students with aid. These law schools award strong financial aid packages ranging from partial scholarships to full tuition to awards that are above and beyond full tuition.
Our advice is to identify law schools where your LSAT score is about the published 75th percentile at the law school. This will give you a good idea of the schools where you are a strong candidate for merit scholarships.
You should also take a close look at the post-graduate earnings and job placement for alumni of the law school. This will help you assess how this particular JD program might pay off for you. Remember, salaries for lawyers are not alike. The average corporate lawyer is going to be taking home a much bigger paycheck than a public defender. Keep this in mind when assessing data points around starting salaries.
Don’t forget about need-based aid
Merit scholarships are only part of the equation of paying for law school. The other part of the equation is need based financial aid, which includes need based grants and student loans. This is why we recommend that every law school student applies for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.
This will allow you to access federal student loans, which have more favorable terms and repayment options, as well as other types of aid like Pell Grants.
Take advantage of in-state tuition
There are over 80 public law schools that are approved by the American Bar Association, so chances are that one of your state universities has a law school.
One of the great things about public universities is that they offer discounted tuition for residents of their state! Take a look at some of these examples to see how residents save money:
| Law School | In-state Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition |
| U of Alabama | $23,610 | $43,060 |
| U of Connecticut | $30,354 | $61,396 |
| Indiana U | $36,750 | $57,000 |
| U of Kansas | $22,769 | $28,804 |
| U of North Carolina | $24,480 | $41,626 |
| U of Texas | $36,429 | $54,096 |
Tuition rates are for the 2020-2021 academic year
In-state tuition for residents represents a large tuition discount at many colleges and universities, so this is something that you should absolutely consider.
Some states will also have tuition reciprocity agreements, so you may be able to qualify for in-state tuition as an out-of-state student.
School-specific law scholarships
- Santa Clara Law School Dean’s Fellow Scholarship – Provides up to full tuition for a student. Automatically considered upon submission of application
- University of Minnesota Law Scholarships – Awards up to full tuition for incoming students
- University of Chicago David M. Rubenstein Scholarship – Provides up to 60 full-tuition scholarships at U Chicago per year
- University of Virginia Karsh-Dillard Scholarship – Awards up to full tuition for University of Virginia law students
- Boston University School of Law Dean’s Scholarship – Awards full tuition scholarships for a select number of students
- Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz Merit Scholarship – Full tuition plus $2,500 annual stipend for select law students
- Scalia Law Scholars Early Decision Program – Students who commit to George Mason’s Scalia School of Law with Early Decision may be eligible for a full-tuition scholarship
- University of Arizona Techlaw Fellowship – Law students with a STEM background can receive full tuition plus a stipend at University of Arizona
- University of Colorado Boulder Law Scholarships – University of Colorado Boulder offers many scholarships for incoming students, and full-ride scholarships for continuing students who show promise
Frequently asked questions about law school scholarships
How hard is it to get a law school scholarship?
It is not uncommon for law schools to offer scholarships; as of 2019, 73.3% of law students were receiving some form of financial aid. However, this doesn’t mean it’s easy to earn financial aid for law school. You’ll have to seek out opportunities and apply for them.
Oftentimes, law schools offer scholarships in the form of fellowships. Many law students work for a law firm, NGO, or land a graduate assistantship during their education. This makes law school more affordable while providing students with valuable work experience.
You can also apply for private scholarships such as the ones on this list. Another great resource is our scholarship search tool. You can use this tool to receive custom-matched scholarship opportunities that automatically update as deadlines pass and open. This way, you’ll never miss out on a potential scholarship!
When should you apply for law school scholarships?
It’s never too early or too late to apply for law school scholarships! If you are considering going straight into law school from undergrad, you can start looking at opportunities during summer before your senior year. This way, you can scope out opportunities to apply to throughout the year and start working on your essays.
But once the year starts, don’t stop applying! New opportunities open all the time, so to maximize your scholarship funds, you should check back periodically for new ones.
Does FAFSA pay for law school?
If you are applying for financial aid in law school, you will have to fill out the FAFSA. Law school students are eligible through federal student loans through the FAFSA. However, they are not eligible for Pell Grants. So, while the FAFSA is useful for applying for law school, it will not earn you direct federal funds. Your FAFSA will qualify you for institutional aid and for student loans.
How common is it to get a full ride for law school?
In general, full rides are highly uncommon in education. However, there are a few ways that students can get a full ride law school scholarship if they play their cards right. One of the best ways is to get an employer to pay for you. You can look into tuition reimbursement as an option, for example. Other law schools offer students many opportunities to earn money, whether it is through graduate assistantships or other paid opportunities.
Some law firms also partner with universities to pay for students’ education. For example, at Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law, two law firms offer diversity fellowships.
Can you get a Pell Grant to pay for law school?
You cannot use a Pell Grant to pay for law school. Only undergraduate students are eligible for Pell Grants. However, many institutions offer grants for potential students. You should reach out to any law school you are interested in to see whether they offer specific grants.
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