Outside Scholarships

The following scholarships are administered and awarded by outside organizations or associations. The organizations may change their deadlines and/or requirements; we recommend consulting the respective websites for the most up-to-date information and guidance. Please see our External Resources webpage for additional scholarship-related websites and scholarship search engine resources.

If you receive any outside scholarship(s), you must notify the Chicago Office of Financial Aid, as the scholarship will reduce the amount of loan funding for which you are eligible.

Outside scholarships have been organized into four different categories and may be posted in more than one category:

Diversity Scholarships: Open to diverse or underrepresented students such as students of color, students of a specific nationality, LGBTQ students, and students with disabilities.
General Scholarships: Open to all law students but may have specific writing prompts.
Location Specific Scholarships: Open to students from a particular region or state, or who attend law school in Illinois.
Practice Area Scholarships: Open to law students who demonstrate an interest in a particular practice area, or those who have earned previous degrees in a specific field.

Diversity Scholarships

American Bar Association Legal Opportunity Scholarship | Application forms and guidelines
The fund will award $5,000 of financial assistance annually to each scholarship recipient attending an ABA-accredited law school. Awards will be made to entering first-year students and may be renewable for two additional years, resulting in financial assistance totaling $15,000 during each student’s time in law school.

DuPage Association of Women Lawyers: Judge Helen C. Kinney Scholarship | Application forms and guidelines
The Judge Helen C. Kinney Scholarship is open to all first, second, and third year women law students who have a DuPage County connection and are enrolled in an accredited law school in Illinois.

Islamic Scholarship Fund | Application forms and guidelines
ISF’s mission is to increase American Muslim representation in media, politics and government. Students applying for an ISF scholarship should be interested in joining the aforementioned areas after graduation.

Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund: Law School Scholarship | Application forms and guidelines The MALDEF Law School Scholarship offers financial assistance to qualified individuals in pursuit of higher education. The MALDEF scholarships will be awarded to candidates who have outstanding academic records, including participation and leadership in extracurricular activities.

NAACP | Application forms and guidelines
Each year the NAACP, through generous donations, is able to provide scholarships to outstanding students. It is the duty of their dedicated Scholarship Committee to determine the most outstanding individuals to receive these awards.

National Association Minority & Women Owned Law Firms Joel Stern Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Pipeline Scholarship | Application forms & guidelines
The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) is seeking applicants for our 2022 Joel Stern Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Pipeline Diversity Scholarship. The Joel Stern Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Pipeline Diversity Scholarship seeks to provide financial support to students who contribute to the diversity of the law school student body as they pursue their legal career.

Scholarship Database for Hispanic Students | Application forms and guidelines Please see the bottom of the page linked above; there is a scholarship listing for Hispanic students.

The Diversity Scholarship Foundation | Application forms and guidelines
The Diversity Scholarship Foundation is pleased to offer various scholarships for deserving and diverse students. The foundation supports students seeking a career in the legal profession who have maintained a high GPA and are actively participating or supporting diversity related programs.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans | Application forms and guidelines
Thirty Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans are awarded annually on the basis of a single national competition. Each fellowship supports up to two years of graduate study in any field and in any advanced degree granting program in the United States.

The Point Foundation | Application forms and guidelines
The application process is open to all LGBT students nationwide and a Point Scholarship 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.

[ back to top ]

General Scholarships

Sally & Fitch, LLP Law Scholarship | Application forms and guidelines
Sally & Fitch, LLP is offering two scholarships. A $1,500 scholarship for current law students and a $1,000 scholarship for future law students.

[ back to top ]

Location Specific Scholarships

The Illinois Judges Foundation | Application forms and guidelines

The Illinois Judges Foundation will award the Harold Sullivan Scholarship, a $5,000 award, to one or more students currently attending an Illinois law school. (Incoming 1Ls are not eligible.) The scholarship monies will be paid to the winning students’ law school(s) to cover future tuition and related costs. The deadline is 3 pm CT on June 21, 2021.

[ back to top ]

Practice Area Scholarships

American Association for Justice (AAJ): Trial Advocacy Scholarships | Application forms and guidelines
AAJ has four scholarships available for qualified law students: Richard D. Hailey Scholarship ($5,000), Trial Advocacy Scholarship ($3,000), Leesfield/AAJ Scholarship ($2,500), and Mike Eidson Scholarship ($5,000). The 2021 Scholarship season will begin in February 2021.

American Bar Association John J. Curtin, Jr. Fellowship | Application forms and guidelines
The Curtin Justice Fund Legal Internship Program is managed jointly by the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty and the Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants.

American Society of International Law: Arthur C. Helton Fellowship Program | Application forms and guidelines Established in honor of Arthur C. Helton's remarkable career advocating for refugees and his many contributions to international law, this program will assist students and young lawyers in need of modest sums, up to $1,000, to pursue their first opportunities to engage in human rights work and research. The application for the 2020 class of Helton Fellows has closed; please check the link above for updates surrounding the application process for 2021.

Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law: The Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Intellectual Property Law Scholarships | Application forms and guidelines
Each year, the Foundation awards scholarships for minority scholars and arranges internships and mentorships to assist under-represented minority law school students entering intellectual property law.

Juvenile Justice Law School Scholarship | Application forms and guidelines
Tiftickjian Law Firm, P.C. is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a law student who is interested in pursuing a career in juvenile justice.

Representing Real People Scholarship | Application forms and guidelines Patrick Malone & Associates is offering two scholarships of $5,000 each to law students committed to a career representing individuals serving in legal career paths such as elder law, immigration law, disability rights, and more.

[ back to top ]