What Is the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship?
Launched in June of 2000 by the American Bar Association, the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship program is designed to encourage diversity in the legal profession by providing financial assistance to underrepresented first year students at ABA-approved law schools. The Initiative seeks to increase minority hiring in the legal profession by encouraging students from underrepresented groups to attend law school with the hopes of ultimately entering the hiring pool. As a result, it offers very distinctive programs, some of which include scholarships, information on summer clerkship opportunities, and mentoring . The scholarships are awarded for enrollment in the upcoming academic year.
The goal of the program is to remedy the ill effects of the declining number of minority lawyers. Since the creation of the Initiative, it has provided funding for first-year law students who "demonstrate a capacity to use [their] education and training to make a positive difference in the community by improving the administration of justice and using the law to protect the rights of individuals."
Eligibility Requirements
The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship is not intended for everyone. Publius concludes his article with an analysis of the strict eligibility requirements of the scholarship.
Only first year students who are members of a minority group underrepresented in the legal profession or who meet the ABA standard for "disadvantaged background" are eligible to apply for this scholarship, provided that they are admitted to one of the law schools accepting the scholarship money (19 law schools in 2002-03 and 20 law schools for 2003-04), which includes some of the nation’s most prestigious. Funding for the scholarships comes from law firms and corporations — including A.B. Boehm, and the Arizona, California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Texas, and West Virginia State Bar Foundations — through donations to the Special Committee on Bias and Diversity in the Profession and the Council of the American Bar Association ("Special Committee"). Applicants must submit their LSAT scores in order to be considered for the scholarships. The committee considers financial need as well. The first year for which the program extends, 2002-2003, saw 34 applicants, of which 23 applicants were minority students. In general, those most likely to succeed in the program are minority students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In terms of family wealth, the income and asset guidelines are difficult at best to meet, considering that many minority families have fewer resources than non-minorities.
Application Process
The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund application process is simple, yet competitive. Below is the step-by-step process to apply, including what documents you will need to submit and your timeline for completing the application.
February 1: Applications for scholarships are made available via the Scholastica online application system for the U.S. News Law School Transparency (LST) list of ABA accredited law schools.
March 15: Deadline for all applications to be submitted to each participating law school. The law schools have the discretion to set a different date as long as it is at least 30 days from February 1.
March 30: Deadline for law schools to certify the names of applicants for the scholarship. Law schools notify the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund of the students nominated by the school to receive a scholarship.
May 1: Deadline for law schools to confirm that the applicants have accepted their offer of admission by May 1, 2019, and for the law school to provide transcript and LSAT data.
August 1: Deadline for law schools to confirm that the applicants have submitted their enrollment deposit to the law school by August 1, 2019.
October 1: Deadline for law school to confirm that the law students were enrolled in classes starting by October 1, 2019.
Necessary documents include an official transcript from the accredited institution that granted the applicant his or her bachelor degree, the law school that accepted the student’s application, and other related transcripts if necessary. In addition, full disclosure of any felony convictions will be required.
Benefits of the Scholarship
For those selected as recipients, the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship provides much-needed support that common obstacles of law school attendance make necessary. These obstacles include an inability to forego work for three years or more of study and the knowledge that, by attending law school, future employment paid at a lawyer’s rate will be foregone. In addition to the immediate financial benefit, which is larger than the benefits provided by most lenders , the opportunity to join a network of other recipients is a benefit in itself. From mentoring opportunities to support communities with which to discuss all manner of law school and post-law school issues, past and current recipients are well-served.
Recipients have repeatedly shared that, while the money was important, the other perks of being a recipient were just as valuable. Access to legal career and diversity conferences, other networking opportunities, great involvement with and association with the American Bar Association, and other opportunities that no doubt are in the making.
Past Winners
Over the past 18 years, more than 300 scholars have been awarded the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship and supported on their journey toward law school, and many have gone on to have impressive legal careers. In 2009, Emma Bell began attending Georgetown University Law Center, where she was appointed editor of the edition of the Journal of Law & Modern American Society that published her Note, "Don’t Harsh My Mellow: Addressing Electronic Cannabis Communications through Rule 1.2 in the United States and the European Union." After graduating in 2012, she became an associate at the D.C. office of a prominent international law firm. "The scholarship played a significant role in my decision to attend law school," she recalled. "I was honored to receive the scholarship and grateful that someone, even from afar, believed in me. As a first generation student it was an amazing feeling to know that I was part of a program that supported diversity in the legal profession." Another 2009 recipient, Jordan J. Thomas, attended Wayne State University Law School after being awarded the scholarship. After graduating, he worked as a trial attorney for the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and members of his class graduated with honors and secured a prestigious one-year judicial clerkship. Today, he is a partner at an international law firm in Washington, D.C. In 2012, Thuy Thi Tran, a first generation college student, received a scholarship and attended the USC Gould School of Law. Three years later, she received the ABA Patrick E. Higginbotham Diversity and Inclusion Award and is now an associate at a national law firm in Dallas. A third recipient, Daniel Aydin, graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School and also earned the ABA Patrick E. Higginbotham Diversity and Inclusion Award, as well as the Vanderbilt Alumni Association Distinguished Young Alumni Award. Now a litigation associate at a Chicago law firm, he has written articles on the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund for the Chicago Bar Association Record and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
Application Tips
Completing the application process for the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund can be an intimidating task, especially as it is usually done at the same time as applying to law schools (as if that wasn’t a nerve-wracking experience in its own right). To help ease your mind, I have compiled a list of tips and tricks that I have picked up over the years that have helped me successfully apply for various scholarships. These tips helped with getting the ABA scholarship (obviously) as well as other scholarships that I have received throughout my career.
- Start early. The application deadline can sneak up on you very quickly. It is important that you start the process early so that you’re not scrambling to get everything done . Lawyers in practice have close deadlines all the time, so learning to manage tight application deadlines will help get you ready for practice.
- Write about what you know. There’s an old adage that says to "write what you know." This applies to the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Application. You don’t need to have an extensive background or history to apply, you just need to write (what I’m sure will) be a great personal statement.
- Don’t forget to proofread. Find a trusted friend or colleague to look over your application. They might discover typos you missed as well as hold you accountable for being on time.
- Have fun with it. I know the application process can be stressful, but consider this an opportunity for growth in your legal career. Also consider how fortunate you are to even be able to apply.