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Need help paying for law school? Use our comprehensive list of available law school scholarships to help you find the best scholarships suited for you!
Let’s be frank; law school is expensive. The average amount of all student loan debt after law school graduation is $137,500. With a number that intimidating, you may wonder if law school is worth it.
But don’t give up hope just yet—scholarships can help reduce student loans so you can begin your career with as little debt as possible. You can also look into other financial aid options for law school and discover that some full-ride scholarships are available to you!
Here is a list of general law scholarships open to all eligible law students.
If you are a law student in good academic standing, consider applying for the Answering Legal Law Scholarship. Applicants will complete a 500-1000 word essay. Successful applicants will be awarded $5,000.
Applicants must be enrolled at an accredited law school (or have been accepted to law school as an incoming 1L) and have a minimum 3.5 GPA.
Along with your essay, you must submit your unofficial transcript (or your undergraduate transcript if you are an incoming 1L). Your essay may be written on one of the following prompts:
The Jan Jancin Award recognizes exceptional achievement in intellectual property law studies, commemorating the legacy of Jan Jancin, a distinguished leader who held top positions. Alongside it, the AIPLA Past Presidents Award provides recognition to outstanding IP law students through annual contributions from former AIPLA presidents.
Both awards celebrate diversity-minded law students who demonstrate excellence in intellectual property law through their coursework, leadership, publications, and other contributions to the field.
Eligible students must have contributed to the intellectual property profession in one or more of these ways:
The nomination process requires ABA-accredited law schools that offer at least one IP course to select a single student nominee who will be considered for both awards. Faculty recommendations must highlight the student's achievements using criteria such as exceptional grades in IP courses, outstanding papers, or leadership in student IP organizations.
The Earl Warren Scholarship honors the legacy of Chief Justice Earl Warren, whose leadership on the Supreme Court was instrumental in ending school segregation and transforming America's legal landscape. This prestigious award supports aspiring civil rights and public interest attorneys who demonstrate exceptional commitment to racial justice.
The scholarship targets law students who show outstanding potential for careers in civil rights and public interest law:
The Blanch Law Firm Scholarship is open to all students. Applicants are assigned a topic in criminal justice related to State or Federal legal issues and write an article from an outline provided by the firm. The successful applicant will receive a $5,000 cash award and publication credit.
This scholarship is open to all students; you may submit multiple articles. However, you may not write co-authored articles.
Your article must be a minimum of 2,500 words. Numbers, abbreviations, prepositions, and articles all count as words. Include a footnote with links to all sources you use.
Applications are accepted on a rolling deadline. You must submit your article no more than 14 days after you receive the assignment.
The DDRB Lawyers Legal Scholarship, worth $1,500, is dedicated to helping students attending an accredited law school with their tuition costs.
To be considered, applicants must be admitted or have an acceptance letter from an accredited school. You must also have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5. Pass/fail grades are also accepted, depending on the school.
To apply, you must submit a complete application by the deadline. You must also write a 400-500 word essay on your legal career aspirations. You need to submit your unofficial transcript and resume along with your essay.
The Law Office of George J. Skuros Justice in Family Law Scholarship is worth $1,000 and is awarded to a student who demonstrates a desire to make positive changes in family law and policy.
To be eligible, you must be enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or J.D. program at an American school. You must also be a U.S. citizen, be at least 18 years old, and present a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
The Sugarman Law School Scholarship is available to two accredited U.S. law school students. The successful applicant will each receive $1,250 to help with their tuition.
You must be a current or admitted student at an accredited U.S. law program and be in good academic standing. If you win, you may be required to send in your transcripts for verification.
You must also submit a 350-500 word essay on a lawyer’s duty to bring about change for the individual and the community. Preference may be given to applicants from or attending school in Greater Boston.
The Ottinger Employment Lawyer Scholarship is awarded to a student who is pursuing a law degree. Applicants must write a letter explaining why they are qualified to receive the scholarship. The successful applicant will receive $1,500 to help with tuition expenses.
To be eligible, you need to be enrolled at an accredited law school. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be pursuing a law degree.
Along with your essay, you must submit a copy of your transcript, updated resume, and where you are attending law school. You’ll also need a letter of recommendation from someone who has helped you achieve your law career aspirations.
There are many scholarships specifically available to underserved students. Below is a list of scholarships for women.
The Mike Eidon Law Student Scholarship is available for female law students entering their third year of school who demonstrate commitment to a trial lawyer career. It is valued at $5,000.
You must be an AAJ Law Student member and be enrolled in an ABA-approved law school to be eligible.
You must also complete an application package, including an online form. You must also submit your resume, law student verification form, and a letter detailing your trial lawyer career aspirations.
The Ms. JD Public Interest Scholarship is aimed at women pursuing public-interest careers. Applicants should be entering their second or third year of law school. They should be members of the Ms. JD online community and plan to work 30 hours weekly to complete their summer placement.
The Empowering Women in Law Scholarship is worth $2,000 and is open to young women hoping to attend law school. Contact the Pearce Law Firm for more information on applying.
You must be a high school senior in Pennsylvania seeking to obtain a law degree and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
You must submit two short essays about women's challenges in the legal field and your role models. You also need to submit your official transcripts and your resume. Recommendation letters are accepted but not required.
The LMJ Scholarship is awarded to women in good academic standing who attend an accredited law school. The scholarship grants $10,000.
To apply, you must be an incoming student. You’ll need to provide proof of acceptance into an ABA-approved U.S. law school and be enrolled in a full-time J.D. program. You also need a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 and must submit a FAFSA form.
The Sarita and Claire Wright Lucas Foundation Scholarship, worth $5,000, is available to African-American women who want to become prosecutors.
You must be a U.S. citizen graduating from law school and preparing for the Bar Exam in Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, or Pennsylvania. You must also demonstrate financial need, a record of academic achievement, and a commitment to public service.
To apply, you must submit two recommendation letters: your official transcript, resume, and photograph. You will also need to complete a scholarship essay, an online scholarship application form, a FAFSA form, and a publishing consent form.
Various scholarships are available to groups that have been underrepresented in the academic and professional world of law. Here are some of the scholarships specifically for diverse students.
The Marshall-Motley Scholars Program is a scholarship program that supports African-American students who want to become civil rights lawyers.
As an incoming, full-time student, you must be admitted to an ABA-approved U.S. law school. For more information, contact the school directly.
The LGBTQ+ Public Interest Scholarship Program scholarship is available to LGBTQ+ law students or law students who will work closely with LGBTQ+ groups and individuals. One or more scholarships of $5,000 will be awarded.
You must be either a first-, second-, or third-year law student in good academic standing at an accredited law school, or you may be a recent graduate from a law school studying for the bar exam. You must also have secured a position, either an internship or a job, for the summer and/or fall with an organization that directly impacts LGBTQ+ individuals.
To apply, complete the online form and upload your current resume, law school transcript, and two letters of recommendation. You also must submit a personal statement of 500 words or less.
The Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund aims to support and encourage racial and ethnic minority individuals to attend and complete law school. Over three years, the scholarship awards $15,000 to 20 - 25 incoming law students.
You must be an incoming first-year law student and a member of a racial and/or ethnic minority group. You must also have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and demonstrate admission to and plan to enroll at an accredited law school.
You must submit a personal statement, your transcript, 2-4 recommendation letters, and a signed release form, which can be found in your online application.
Since 2015, the National Native American Bar Association has awarded scholarships to students committed to serving Native American communities. Applicants must fill out the application form to be considered.
Applicants must be Indigenous and an active member of either NNABA, the National Native American Law Students Association, or a regional American Indian Bar Association. You must also be a graduate or a current third-year student at an accredited law school and plan to take the bar exam.
Along with your application, you will need to submit your law school transcript and your current resume. You also need to submit a personal statement of 300 words or less.
The Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program is awarded to graduate students from underserved communities facing financial hardships. The $10,000 award will help students pay for tuition and other expenses. Successful applicants must demonstrate good moral character and strong leadership capabilities.
You must be a U.S. citizen enrolled either full- or part-time at an accredited school. You must also be a diverse candidate, which includes but is not limited to:
To apply, you must submit a video answering the question, “How will you leverage your degree and career to help advance social justice within your community?”
The Disabled Students Scholarship provides $1,000 in financial assistance to students with physical or mental disabilities.
To be considered, applicants must be U.S. citizens and provide proof of their disability. They must also be enrolled in an accredited U.S. school with a minimum high school GPA of 2.8.
To apply, you can write an essay or record a video explaining why you are a good candidate.
Since there are almost 200 accredited law schools in the nation, figuring out which ones have the best financial aid may be difficult. To make this process easier for you, here are 15 excellent law schools with substantial financial aid:
The top law school with the best financial aid is St. John’s University. While this university has high tuition costs, at $67,800 per year for full-time students and $50,850 a year for part-time students, it offers financial aid that can cover a large portion of these costs.
Its median grant amount for full-time students is $63,290! In case you’re worried you may not be eligible for this aid, you can rest assured that over 70% of students qualify for at least some financial assistance!
Pennsylvania State is another excellent option for students who want to avoid breaking the bank to attend law school. This school offers almost all of its JD students some form of financial aid, with 99.2% receiving grants.
The average grant amount these students receive is $51,840. Students may receive this amount for the entirety of their JD or for each year, depending on their circumstances and level of need.
Tuition and fees at this school cost $55,344 a year, so these grants can offer considerable assistance to students!
Pennsylvania State’s University Park campus also makes the list of the top law schools with the best need-based financial aid. This school offers an average of $49,896 in grants to its students. While not all students qualify for this particular amount of assistance, 99.7% of all Pennsylvania State students receive financial aid.
Chapman University is located in an ideal location in Orange County and can open up a world of opportunity for students. To prevent your finances from holding you back from accessing these opportunities, Chapman grants financial aid to over 64% of its students.
These students typically receive aid amounting to $45,300, which can make a big dent in their annual tuition costs of $59,000.
Washington University is renowned for its diverse, inclusive, and collegial legal community. Part of ensuring all students feel included in this environment is providing them with equal opportunity.
To do this, Washington University offers substantial needs-based financial assistance to its law students. Almost 95% of their students qualify for aid, and at least half of them receive aid amounting to $42,000. This aid plays a crucial role in making Washington’s tuition of over $59,000 a year more affordable!
Yeshiva University’s tuition costs $67,792 a year, which could deter students from joining this law school.
Fortunately, students won’t have to make the tough decision between joining this law school or drowning in debt post-graduation. About 95% of all Yeshiva students receive financial aid, and the average aid amount this percentage receives is $40,000.
New England Law Boston might be considered a low-ranking law school, but it still makes the list for many pre-law students, especially those with low LSAT scores, as their median accepted score is 154.
Students with low LSAT scores often worry they’ll have a hard time getting into law school, so the added stress of also having a hard time paying for law school can make the start of their legal journey overwhelming.
New England Law aims to eliminate any extra stress by offering its students considerable financial aid. The 87.4% of students that receive financial aid are generally granted around $40,000 to help pay for tuition!
This law school’s annual tuition fees are $54,384.
LA is known as the true land of opportunity and a place people go to reinvent themselves. Loyola Marymount offers students an extensive curriculum with the backdrop of LA and all its wonder as a law, business, and entertainment hub.
But, this opportunity comes with a price tag of around $63,413 a year, which might have made you reconsider an LA reinvention if Loyola didn’t offer its students such great financial aid. Around 68% of students receive some form of financial assistance from Loyola, most commonly amounting to around $40,000!
Another affordable option for students is Case Western Reserve University. While this law school’s annual tuition and fees cost $62,114, over 98% of its students receive aid to cut down on these costs.
The average grant amount given to students is $36,016.
Wake Forest University ranks sixth in the nation for legal writing, and is therefore an excellent option for students interested in research or pursuing appellate law, which heavily involves writing briefs.
To ensure students can achieve their career goals at Wake Forest, this school offers a large majority of its students $36,000 worth of aid.
This grant amount helps ease the financial burden of Wake Forest’s high annual tuition costs of $52,028. Since more than 95% of Wake Forest law students receive financial assistance, it’s very likely you will too!
Stanford is one of the most revered T14 law schools in the nation. Students dream of attending Stanford and reaping all the benefits this prestigious law school offers, such as its high employment rates and premier experiential learning opportunities.
Of course, as such a high-ranking school, its tuition reflects its status. Students can expect to pay $66,924 a year for tuition to attend this law school.
However, despite being such an elite school, Stanford also offers some of the best financial assistance in the country. About 75% of its law students qualify for aid, and the average amount they receive is over $35,000!
Attending the University of Miami Law School costs over $58,000 a year for tuition alone. To decrease the amount of debt students have post graduation, this law school offers various financial aid packages to over 66% of its students.
The average amount of these packages is $35,248, which can make this otherwise unaffordable law school within your budget!
Belmont University has ranked as the top law school with the highest bar passage rate two times in a row now and has an impressive employment rate of 94%. Considering these facts, it’s obvious Belmont offers its students a rigorous curriculum that prepares them well for their legal careers.
Accordingly, it comes as no surprise that Belmont is expensive to attend, with tuition costs of $52,440 a year. While these costs may not be a surprise, they can still be discouraging!
Luckily, however, Belmont offers its students significant financial assistance to encourage them to attend their law school. The average grant amount given to students is $35,160, and around 55% of students qualify for aid.
The University of Minnesota is just shy of ranking amongst the top 20 law schools in the nation. Reflecting this ranking, this law school offers a vibrant city full of legal opportunity, a supportive community of accomplished faculty, and one of the nation’s largest clinical education programs.
Bearing in mind all of these resources, the cost to attend this law school is $47,754 a year for residents and $56,946 a year for non-residents. Over 87% of students receive financial grants to reduce these costs, and the average grant amount they’re given is $35,000.
The last law school with the best financial aid is the University of Illinois. Saving the best for last, this law school offers 100% of its students financial assistance! The average amount of aid Illinois provides its students is $35,000.
Adding onto this aid, Illinois also promises its students a tuition freeze. Tuition rates typically increase each year because of inflation, rising costs of living, and other factors.
Regardless of these typical fluctuations, residents can expect to pay $41,657 each year of their JD, and non-residents can expect to pay $51,657.
Scholarships can be challenging to find, and it can be tough to figure out where to begin. The best way to find financial aid and scholarships for law school is to do a thorough search on Google.
There are various types of scholarships, including awards based on:
Starting with umbrella labels for scholarships can be an effective way to find scholarships for which you would be a great candidate. When you begin your search, think of sports involvement, community service, and/or academic excellence.
Consider applying for relevant work experience in law schools to increase your opportunities and strengthen scholarship applications.
When searching, try to start as specific as you can. If you identify as a member of an underserved group, you can start there. For example, “legal scholarships for women in the United States” will narrow the search results and make surveying potential scholarship options less overwhelming.
Once you have a good handle on the awards available for your specific demographic, you can do a broader search and apply to general scholarships open to all students.
Remember that local and regional law firms may also offer student scholarships. It’s not a bad idea to contact law firms in your area to inquire about their opportunities for financial aid.
Don’t also shy away from broadening your search to outside your area! Many law firms nationwide will offer scholarships to law students at any accredited law school, even if you live outside of the State.
Here are some tips to make the scholarship application process more manageable:
Applying as early as possible will give you a higher chance of receiving a scholarship. This is especially true of scholarships with rolling deadlines. Schools only have a certain amount of money to grant students, so if you want to be sure your chances are as high as possible, apply immediately.
Your scholarship applications need to be professional and error-free. Even if your essay is meaningful and poignant, you might miss out on a scholarship because of grammar or spelling mistakes. Having someone look your essay over to catch any errors you may have missed is a good idea.
Law school is challenging, and the last thing you want is to lose your scholarship because your grades have dropped. You’ll need to ensure you’re prepared for the demands of law school, which means creating good study habits early in your academic career.
Another easy way to dismiss your application is if you submit the wrong materials. It shows a lack of care and attention to detail.
Be sure to read the requirements thoroughly before you submit. Check, double-check, and triple-check that you’ve got everything right.
Now, you shouldn’t do this for every application. But it's okay to reuse parts of your essay if you’re applying to several scholarships with similar requirements and prompts. This will save you time and energy and allow you to use as many scholarships as possible.
But make sure you still tailor your essays to the specific requirements for each scholarship. Remember to proofread and catch any details that seem out of place for your reader!
Keep reading to get some of your questions about scholarships for law school answered.
You should aim for an LSAT score of 167 to be a strong scholarship applicant. Around 90% of students with LSAT scores higher than 166 receive merit scholarships, while only 16% of students with scores below 140 do.
The following law schools have the highest percentage of full-time grant recipients who received scholarships covering at least half of tuition:
When considering both the percentage of students receiving aid and the amount awarded, Baylor University, the University of Arizona, and the University of Chicago are among the most generous law schools for scholarships.
Yes, you can negotiate scholarships for law schools. This practice is common and expected in the law school admissions process, unlike undergraduate admissions, where negotiation is less common.
Yes, you can get a law school scholarship with a 3.5 GPA. Some scholarships even have a lower minimum GPA, although you should always strive to put your best foot forward academically.
You should start applying for scholarships six to eight months before the deadline. It’s a good idea to apply as early as possible and give yourself lots of time to complete the application.
Former Head of Northeastern University's Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University
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