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.
| Title | Type | Amount | # | Application Deadline | Eligibility | Notes |
| $3000 | 1 | 2024-05-01 |
| ABA Forum on Construction Law Writing Competition |
| $1000 | 2024-06-30 |
| $2500 | 2024-11-01 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-05-05 | Undergradute Students |
| $2000 | 2025-08-04 |
|
| Varies | 2 | 2024-12-21 |
|
| Varies | 2 | 2024-02-05 |
|
| $1500 | 2024-02-05 |
|
| $2000 | 2025-09-15 |
|
| $5000 | 2 | 2025-02-14 |
|
| $2500 | 2024-11-01 |
|
| Varies | 2024-10-25 |
|
| $1000 | 2024-11-25 |
| 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 |
| $1000 | 2025-09-22 |
| $1000 | 2025-10-06 | Undergradute Students |
| $5000 | rolling |
|
| Varies | 2025-07-07 | Undergradute Students |
| $1000 | 2025-02-19 |
| Eligibility specifics: students who have a parent who has been the primary caregiver for a loved one or who have served as caregivers themselves |
| See notes. | 2024-03-01 |
|
| $2500 | 2024-02-17 |
|
| $2500 | 2024-02-24 |
|
| $500 | 2025-12-31 |
|
| $500 | 2025-12-31 |
| Undergraduate and Graduate Students |
| $2000 | 2024-07-15 | Undergradute Students |
| Varies | 2025-06-02 |
|
| $2270 | 2024-05-01 |
|
| $1000 | 2 | 2024-07-20 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-06-13 |
|
| $6000 | 2024-02-15 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-05-19 | Undergraduate Student |
| $1000 | 2 | 2025-06-18 |
| Dallas Bar Association Energy Law Section |
| $250 | per semester | Students studying Energy Law; information emailed out from SMU Law |
| $1000 | 2 | 2024-11-01 |
| Dallas Hispanic Bar Association |
| $5000 | spring |
| Awarded to one 1L & one 3L - $5,000 each in Spring semester. Information emailed out from SMU Law. |
| Varies | 2025-02-05 |
| Varies | 2025-01-31 |
|
| $2500 | 2025-03-28 |
| See requirements |
| $1000 | 2025-09-10 |
| Eligibility specifics: single parent who returned to school to pursue a degree |
| $2500 | 2025-10-01 |
| Eligibility specifics: you must be a first-generation college student | See notes. | 2025-07-02 |
| $1500 | 2024-09-13 |
|
| $5000 | 2025-02-28 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-09-03 |
|
| $1000 | 2024-11-18 |
|
| $5000 | To be determined. |
|
| $1000 | 2025-02-10 |
| Undergraduate and Graduate Students | Elite Lawyer Scholarship |
| $1000 | 2025-07-18 |
|
| Varies | multiple | 2025-03-28 |
|
| $1500 | 2024-10-31 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-08-11 |
| Federal Bar Association, S.D. Tex. Chapter and the Blask Foundation’s Scholarship | See notes. | 2024-04-23 |
| See notes. | 2025-05-30 |
|
| Varies | 3 | 2025-02-28 | Freedman Law, LLC, Workplace Rights Scholarship |
| $1000 | 2025-09-08 |
|
| $500 | every 6 months |
|
| $1000 | 2025-03-10 |
|
| $750 | 2024-12-31 |
| Frank and Debbie Branson Trial Scholars |
| $500 | rolling | Awarded to the student with the highest Trial Advocacy Grade |
| Varies | 4 | 2024-02-29 |
| 20000 |
| Varies | 2025-02-28 |
|
| Varies | 2025-03-15 | LL.M/SJD students |
| $1000 | 2024-05-20 |
| $1000 | 2025-06-04 | Undergraduate Student |
| $2500 | 2025-09-17 |
| Eligibility specifics: demonstrated financial need; household income less than $75,000 |
| $1000 | 2025-06-09 |
| Eligibility: your parent has been affected by a work-related injury |
| $1500 | 2024-04-01 |
|
| $5000 | 2025-03-03 |
|
| $5000 | 2 | 2024-05-01 |
| 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). |
| $5000 | 3 | 2024-12-31 |
| Eligibility specifics: demonstrated interest in local government law |
| $2500 | 2024-03-01 |
|
| $4000 | 4 | 2024-10-31 |
|
| $1000 | 2024-12-11 |
|
| $1000 | 2 | 2025-08-13 |
| Undergraduate student too. |
| $1000 | 2025-06-11 |
| $1000 | 2024-04-02 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-09-10 |
|
| Varies | 2024-09-20 |
|
| $2000 | 2025-10-08 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-02-12 |
| See notes. | 2025-08-18 |
| $2500 | 2 | 2025-02-12 |
|
| $2000 | 2 | To be determined. |
|
| $1000 | 5 | 2025-05-12 |
|
| $1000 | 2024-12-31 |
| Undergraduate student too. |
| $10000 | 2024-04-14 |
| Undergraduate |
| $1000 | 3 | 2024-08-20 |
| Eligibility specifics: demonstrated commitment to serving the LatinX community, shown through academic, extracurricular, or professional record of service |
| $10000 | 2024-03-01 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-09-03 |
|
| Varies | 2025-02-04 |
|
| $10000 | 2024-04-14 | 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. |
| $1000 | 2025-06-04 |
|
| Varies | 2024-03-01 |
| Eligibility specifics: Demonstrated prior commitment to workers’ rights as shown by employment, volunteer work, or other relevant experience |
| $2000 | 2024-05-02 |
|
| $1500 | 2025-05-12 |
|
| See notes. | 2024-03-01 |
|
| See notes. | 2024-03-01 |
|
| $1000 | 2024-06-15 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-06-16 |
| Eligbility specifics: applicant must be a single parent or a child of a single parent |
| $500 | 2025-12-31 |
| Undergraduate Students |
| $2500 | 2025-04-15 |
|
| $500 | 2025-12-31 |
|
| Varies | rolling |
| Awarded to two highest grades in Oil and Gas per semester |
| $1000 | 2025-04-23 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-05-07 |
| $1000 | 2024-11-11 |
|
| $500 | 2025-12-31 |
| Undergraduate Students |
| $7500 | rolling |
|
| $500 | 2025-07-31 |
| Undergraduate Students |
| $1000 | 2024-07-10 | Undergraduate Students | Phillip Robinson Memorial Scholarship |
| $4235 | 2024-04-02 |
|
| $500 | 2025-07-31 |
| Undergraduate Students |
| $1000 | 2025-09-15 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-07-11 |
|
| $1000 | 2024-09-09 |
| College or University |
| $2000 | 2025-07-07 |
|
| $2500 | 2024-12-01 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-07-09 | Undergraduate Students |
| $1000 | 2024-09-09 |
|
| $500 | 2024-08-15 |
|
| $1000 | 2025-08-04 |
|
| Varies | 2025-02-07 |
| " | Tannenwald Writing Competition Sponsored By The Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship & The American College of Tax Counsel |
| Varies | 2024-07-10 |
| Undergradute too | "
| $2000 | 3 | 2024-04-30 |
|
| Varies | 2024-02-28 |
|
| $2500 | rolling | Eligibility specifics: interest in civil trial advocacy and a career as a civil trial lawyer | $5000 | 2024-12-20 |
|
| Varies | 2024-10-11 |
| 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). |
| Varies | 2025-03-01 |
| Varies | 2024-11-29 |
| Varies | rolling |
| $1000 | 2024-03-21 |
|
| $5000 | 2025-07-01 |
|
| Varies | 2025-05-31 |
| Wilson W. Herndon Memorial Fund - Antitrust |
| $500 | rolling |
| Awarded to Law student that ranks highest in Antitrust Law |
| $1500 | 2025-05-05 |
| undergraduate and graduate students |
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