Scholarships, Writing Competitions, and Awards

There are a number of private law scholarships, writing competitions, and awards for which law students may apply.  Private scholarships can be an excellent way to help pay for your legal education.  Take the time to carefully review scholarship and writing opportunities and APPLY for ones for which you are eligible or match your specific practice area or career interests.  The odds are in your favor! 

Below is a list of scholarships administered and awarded by outside organizations.  In addition to our list, AccessLex, a non-profit dedicated to increasing access to legal education, has launched their  to help law students find the right scholarship for them. This interactive page allows you to filter through nearly 800 incoming and returning student scholarships and writing competitions totaling almost $300 million in aid.

Please note that deadlines and/or requirements may change, so you should consult the organization's website for the most up-to-date information.  These resources represent just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to scholarship and writing opportunities for law students, so be sure to conduct your own searches based on your specific interests and background. 

 

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Title Type Amount # Application Deadline Eligibility Notes
  • Practice Area
$300012024-05-01
  • 2L
  • 3L
ABA Forum on Construction Law Writing Competition
  • Writing
  • Practice Area
$10002024-06-30
  • 1L
  • 2L
  • 3L
    $25002024-11-01
    • 1L
    • 2L
    • 3L
    • Firms
    $20002024-12-04
    • 1L
    • 2L
    • 3L
    • Writing
    Varies22024-12-21
    • 1L
    • 2L
    • 3L
    • Writing
    • Practice Area
    Varies22024-02-05
    • 1L
    • 2L
    • 3L
    • Writing
    • Practice Area
    $15002024-02-05
    • 1L
    • 2L
    • 3L
    • General
    • Firms
    $20002025-03-17
    • 1L
    • 2L
    • 3L
    • Practice Area
    $25002024-11-01
    • 2L
    • 3L
    • Writing
    Varies2024-10-25
    • 1L
    • 2L
    • 3L
    • Firms
    $10002024-11-25
    • 1L
    • 2L
    • 3L
    Eligibility: You are a U.S. military Veteran, a current service member in the U.S. military, or the child of a Veteran or current service member
    • Firms
    $10002025-03-26
      • Firms
      $10002024-10-07
        Undergradute Students
        • Writing
        • Firms
        $5000rolling
        • 1L
        • 2L
        • 3L
        The Bihm Firm, LLC Conflict Conqueror Scholarship
        • Firms
        Varies2025-01-08
          Undergradute Students
          • Firms
          $10002025-02-19
          • 1L
          • 2L
          • 3L
          Eligibility specifics: students who have a parent who has been the primary caregiver for a loved one or who have served as caregivers themselves
          • Diversity
          See notes.2024-03-01
          • 1L
          • 2L
          • 3L
          • Writing
          • Firms
          $25002024-02-17
          • 1L
          • 2L
          • 3L
          • Writing
          • Firms
          $25002024-02-24
          • 1L
          • 2L
          • 3L
          • Writing
          • Firms
          $5002024-12-31
          • 1L
          • 2L
          • 3L
          • Writing
          • Firms
          $5002024-12-31
          • 1L
          • 2L
          • 3L
          Undergraduate and Graduate Students
          • Firms
          $20002024-07-15
            Undergradute Students
            • Firms
            Varies2024-12-02
            • 1L
            • 2L
            • 3L
            • General
            $22702024-05-01
            • 1L
            • 2L
            • 3L
            • General
            • Diversity
            $100022024-07-20
            • 1L
            • 2L
            • 3L
            • General
            $60002024-02-15
            • 1L
            • 2L
            • 3L
            • Firms
            • Practice Area
            $100022024-12-18
            • 1L
            • 2L
            • 3L
            Dallas Bar Association Energy Law Section
            • Practice Area
            $250per semester
              Students studying Energy Law; information emailed out from SMU Law
              • Practice Area
              $100022024-11-01
              • 3L
              Dallas Hispanic Bar Association
              • Diversity
              $5000spring
              • 1L
              • 3L
              Awarded to one 1L & one 3L - $5,000 each in Spring semester. Information emailed out from SMU Law.
              • General
              Varies2025-01-31
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              • Regional
              $25002024-03-29
              • 3L
              Eligibility specifics: taking the Texas bar or UBE in summer 2024; demonstrated efforts in line with mission of DWLA
              • Firms
              $10002025-03-12
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              Eligibility specifics: single parent who returned to school to pursue a degree
              • Firms
              • Diversity
              $25002025-04-02
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              Eligibility specifics: you must be a first-generation college student
              • Firms
              $15002024-09-13
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              • Firms
              • Practice Area
              $10002025-03-03
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              • Firms
              • Practice Area
              $10002024-11-18
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              • Firms
              • Practice Area
              $5000To be determined.
              • 1L
              • Firms
              • Diversity
              $10002025-02-10
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              Undergraduate and Graduate Students
              • Firms
              $10002024-07-10
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              • Firms
              $15002024-10-31
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              • Firms
              $10002025-02-19
              • 1L
              • 2L
              • 3L
              Federal Bar Association, S.D. Tex. Chapter and the Blask Foundation’s Scholarship
                See notes.2024-04-23
                • 1L
                • 2L
                • 3L
                • General
                $500every 6 months
                • 1L
                • 2L
                • 3L
                • Firms
                • Practice Area
                $10002025-03-10
                • 1L
                • 2L
                • 3L
                • General
                • Firms
                $7502024-12-31
                • 1L
                • 2L
                • 3L
                Frank and Debbie Branson Trial Scholars
                • General
                $500rolling
                  Awarded to the student with the highest Trial Advocacy Grade
                  • Regional
                  Varies42024-02-29
                  • 2L
                  20000
                  • General
                  • Practice Area
                  VariesTo be determined.
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Writing
                  • Firms
                  $10002024-05-20
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • General
                  • Firms
                  $25002025-03-19
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  Eligibility specifics: demonstrated financial need; household income less than $75,000
                  • Firms
                  $10002024-12-09
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  Eligibility: your parent has been affected by a work-related injury
                  • General
                  • Writing
                  • Regional
                  • Practice Area
                  $15002024-04-01
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Regional
                  • Practice Area
                  $500022024-05-01
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  email application to juanita.deloach@btlaw.com and Marylauren Ilagan at marylauren.ilagan@olaplex.com (entire applications only, i.e., applications including the recommendations, essays, and transcripts).
                  • Writing
                  $25002024-03-01
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Practice Area
                  $400042024-10-31
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  $10002024-12-11
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  $100022025-08-13
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  Undergraduate student too.
                  • General
                  $10002024-04-02
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  $10002025-03-12
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Diversity
                  Varies2024-09-20
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  $20002024-10-14
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  $10002025-02-12
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  $250022025-02-12
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  • Practice Area
                  $20002To be determined.
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  $100052025-05-12
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  $10002024-12-31
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  Undergraduate student too.
                  • Diversity
                  $100002024-04-14
                  • 1L
                  Undergraduate
                  • Diversity
                  $100032024-08-20
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  Eligibility specifics: demonstrated commitment to serving the LatinX community, shown through academic, extracurricular, or professional record of service
                  • General
                  • Practice Area
                  $100002024-03-01
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Firms
                  $10002025-02-26
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Diversity
                  Varies2025-02-04
                  • 1L
                  • 2L
                  • 3L
                  • Diversity
                  $100002024-04-14
                    Eligibility specifics: open to women and diverse students who have: been accepted to an ABA-accredited law school on a full-time basis; an outstanding or promising academic record; an interest in corporate law; demonstrated community service and leadership qualities; a financial need; and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. The LMJ Scholarship grants scholarships of $10,000 to students for their first year of law school.
                    • General
                    • Firms
                    $10002024-06-19
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • Practice Area
                    Varies2024-03-01
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    Eligibility specifics: Demonstrated prior commitment to workers’ rights as shown by employment, volunteer work, or other relevant experience
                    • Diversity
                    $20002024-05-02
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    • Firms
                    $15002025-05-12
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    • Diversity
                    See notes.2024-03-01
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    • Diversity
                    $10002024-06-15
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    • Writing
                    • Firms
                    $5002024-12-31
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    Undergraduate Students
                    • Writing
                    • Practice Area
                    $25002024-04-15
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    • Writing
                    • Firms
                    $5002024-12-31
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    • Practice Area
                    Variesrolling
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    Awarded to two highest grades in Oil and Gas per semester
                    • General
                    • Firms
                    $10002024-11-11
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    • Writing
                    • Firms
                    $5002024-12-31
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    Undergraduate Students
                    • Firms
                    • Diversity
                    $7500rolling
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • Writing
                    • Firms
                    $5002025-07-31
                    • 1L
                    • 2L
                    • 3L
                    Undergraduate Students
                    • Firms
                    $10002024-07-10
                      Undergraduate Students
                      Phillip Robinson Memorial Scholarship
                      • General
                      • Diversity
                      $42352024-04-02
                      • 1L
                      • 2L
                      • 3L
                      • Firms
                      • Practice Area
                      $5002025-07-31
                      • 1L
                      • 2L
                      • 3L
                      Undergraduate Students
                      • Firms
                      $10002025-03-17
                      • 1L
                      • 2L
                      • 3L
                      • Writing
                      • Firms
                      $10002024-09-09
                      • 1L
                      • 2L
                      • 3L
                      College or University
                        $20002024-07-15
                          • Firms
                          • Practice Area
                          $25002024-12-01
                          • 1L
                          • 2L
                          • 3L
                          • Firms
                          $10002025-01-13
                            Undergraduate Students
                            • Firms
                            $10002024-09-09
                            • 1L
                            • 2L
                            • 3L
                            • General
                            $5002024-08-15
                            • 1L
                            • 2L
                            • 3L
                            The Spencer & Associates Community Leaders Scholarship
                            • Firms
                            $10002024-08-07
                            • 1L
                            • 2L
                            • 3L
                            • Diversity
                            Varies2024-02-09
                            • 3L
                            Tannenwald Writing Competition Sponsored By The Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship & The American College of Tax Counsel
                            • Writing
                            • Practice Area
                            Varies2024-07-10
                            • 1L
                            • 2L
                            • 3L
                            Undergradute too
                            • Practice Area
                            $200032024-04-30
                            • 1L
                            • 2L
                            • 3L
                            • Diversity
                            Varies2024-02-28
                            • 1L
                            • 2L
                            • 3L
                            • Practice Area
                            $2500rolling
                              Eligibility specifics: interest in civil trial advocacy and a career as a civil trial lawyer
                              • Diversity
                              Varies2024-10-11
                              • 1L
                              • 2L
                              • 3L
                              TYLA intends to award three scholarships to qualified applicants in the amounts of: $5,000 (first place), $3,000 (second place), and $1,500 (third place).
                              • Diversity
                              $50002024-03-01
                                • Writing
                                Varies2024-11-29
                                  • Firms
                                  • Diversity
                                  Variesrolling
                                  • 1L
                                    $10002024-03-21
                                    • 1L
                                    • 2L
                                    • 3L
                                    • Writing
                                    $50002024-07-01
                                    • 1L
                                    • 2L
                                    • 3L
                                    Wilson W. Herndon Memorial Fund - Antitrust
                                    • Practice Area
                                    $500rolling
                                    • 2L
                                    • 3L
                                    Awarded to Law student that ranks highest in Antitrust Law