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External Scholarships

Need additional sources of funding available to help finance your legal education? Below is a list of external scholarships offered by nonprofit organizations, foundations, law firms, and networking groups.

 


External Scholarships

Organizations, groups, and nonprofits occasionally contact California Western with information about scholarships their agencies offer. While this is not an exhaustive list, the following are some of the scholarships currently being offered:

AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank

The AccessLex Institute® invites you to utilize their newest tool to find money that’s already available to help pay for law school and lower your student loan burdens. Search over 800 carefully curated and vetted scholarship opportunities and writing competitions, with filters to help you find the ones best suited for you. 

AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank

SDLRLA Bar Stipend Scholarships

San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association (SDLRLA) Scholarship Fund proudly announces its 2024 Bar Stipend Scholarship Program. Bar stipends are awarded to law students in their final year of study to assist with bar-related expenses. In awarding bar stipends, the Fund will consider the applicant’s academic achievement, financial need, community service, leadership, and any hardship experienced in pursuing higher education. Stipends typically range from $500 to $2,000. Applications will be considered timely and reviewed only if submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

SDLRLA Bar Stipends

ABA LGBT Public Interest Scholarship

The ABA LGBT Public Interest Scholarship will provide financial support to a first, second or third year law student, or recent law graduate to enable the student or recent law graduate to work in the LGBTQ+ public interest arena. One or more scholarships of up to $5000 each are awarded annually, subject to the availability of funds and the recommendation of the Commission’s Scholarship Committee. Applications must be submitted by April 19, 2024 (COB).

ABA LGBT Public Interest Scholarship

ODBAR David E. Jones Scholarship

Ogletree Deakins’ ODBAR (Black Attorney Resource Group) is pleased to announce its second annual scholarship. The David E. Jones Scholarship will be awarded to a deserving law student in good academic standing at an institution with a duly registered National Black Law Students  association (NBLSA) chapter or who has an individual NBLSA membership. The winner of the $10,000 scholarship will also receive an invitation to the ODBAR summer event in Philadelphia on July 13, 2024. Applications will be accepted February 7 – March 13.

ODBAR David E. Jones Scholarship

San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Program

The San Diego Foundation 2024-2025 Common Scholarship Application provides students access to more than 100 scholarship opportunities with awards ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,000. Scholarship opportunities available for: commitment to your education; potential for success in college; minimum GPA of 2.0; participation in community service, extracurricular activities and/or work experience; current residence in San Diego County (for at least one year); need of help to pay for school (including middle-income families). Deadline to finish application: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. PST.

San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Program

ACC San Diego Diversity and Financial Need Scholarship 

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) San Diego will select a limited number of recipients (not to exceed three recipients) to receive a financial scholarship to provide financial support for historically marginalized students as defined by the ABA diversity criteria that have demonstrated academic achievement, financial need, and desire to be a part of the San Diego legal community, particularly the in-house counsel community. Deadline for applications is March 15, 2024.

ACC San Diego Diversity and Financial Need Scholarship

PFLAG San Diego County Scholarship Awards

PFLAG San Diego County's mission is to create a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. PFLAG San Diego County and its collaborators are pleased to offer these scholarships; descriptions found in the link below along with the link to apply for scholarships. Minimum scholarship amounts are $2,000, and more than one scholarship may be awarded in a given category. Applicants are encouraged to address the additional award factors considered for these named scholarships when submitting their essays. The application and all of the required documents must be submitted electronically by March 15, 2024.

PFLAG San Diego County Scholarship Awards

First Amendment Scholars - Law Student Essay Competition

Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) First Amendment Scholars - Law Student Essay Competition, generously donated by Diane and Stephen Uhl, asks "If you could create a 28th Amendment what would it be?". FFRF will award cash prizes to the top three essayists ($4,000, $3,000, $2,000) and optional honorable mention(s) ($500), if so deserving. The deadline for entry is March 15, 2024. 

First Amendment Scholars - Law Student Essay Competition

Pullan & Young Supporting Prisoners’ Families Scholarship

The Pullan & Young Supporting Prisoners’ Families Scholarship was established to help students who have loved ones who have been convicted of criminal offenses. They believe that every student should have access to an education, regardless of their circumstances, and their goal is to help make college more accessible and affordable for those affected by incarceration in their family. The deadline for the $1,000 Spring 2024 scholarship is 03/18/2024.

Pullan & Young Supporting Prisoners’ Families Scholarship

Labor and Employment Law Section & the California Lawyers Foundation Scholarships

The Labor and Employment Law Section and the California Lawyers Foundation are committed to fostering the career growth of persons of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented groups who are interested in practicing labor and employment law in areas that support and promote the goal of diversity in the labor and employment law field. Applications are being accepted for two of their scholarships below:

The Labor and Employment Law Section of the California Lawyers Association, and the California Lawyers Foundation will be awarding scholarships to diverse law students for Summer 2024, each in an amount up to $8,000. The purpose of the scholarships is to provide funding to diverse law students to engage in legal endeavors in an employment or labor related field that are non-compensated or undercompensated. Application materials must be submitted by March 31, 2024.

Summer Law Student Scholarship Program

The Labor and Employment Law Section of the California Lawyers Association, and the California Lawyers Foundation are pleased to announce a bar stipend for outstanding law students and graduates enrolled at a California or ABA accredited law school in California with a demonstrated commitment to labor and employment law to prepare for the July 2024 or February 2025 Bar Exam. The bar stipend may be used towards the expenses related to preparation for the California Bar Examination, including but not limited to examination and preparation course fees. Application materials must be submitted by March 31, 2024. 

Summer Bar Studies Scholarship