External Scholarships
STATE BAR OF TEXAS
Diversity in the Profession Committee
Bar Exam Prep Scholarship Application 2024-2025
Diversity in the Profession Committee History
The Diversity in the Profession Committee is one of twenty-seven committees of the State Bar of Texas. In 1989, then State Bar President Darrell Jordan of Dallas created the Committee, formerly known as the Opportunities for Minorities in the Profession Committee. Its purpose was to increase diversity in the profession, enhance opportunities for diverse individuals in the profession, and increase involvement by diverse attorneys in the bar. Just one year after its inception, the State Bar institutionalized the Committee as a standing committee, and its members successfully worked with the State Bar Board of Directors to initiate an ethnicity survey of bar membership, create a permanent staff position dedicated exclusively to minority affairs, and approve support for diversity in State Bar grievance committees. The Committee later adopted its current name, the Diversity in the Profession Committee, to reflect the changing demographics of the state of Texas. Not lost, though, was the Committee's continual focus on promoting and pursuing new prospects and opportunities for all diverse attorneys, including women.
Diversity in the Profession Committee Composition
The Diversity in the Profession Committee is composed of twenty-five accomplished attorneys appointed by the President-Elect of the State Bar of Texas. Committee members serve a three-year term on a volunteer basis.
Scholarship Objectives
The Diversity in the Profession Committee aims to strengthen and diversify the pipeline of individuals entering the legal profession and encourage involvement in the State Bar of Texas by familiarizing students with State Bar activities. By helping defray the financial burden of preparing for the Texas Bar Exam, this scholarship facilitates the transition into the legal profession for law students from backgrounds traditionally under-represented in
the profession.
Eligibility and Scholarship Criteria
Third-year law school students, graduates within the past 12 months of an ABA-accredited law school, or those pursuing an LLM, and who are preparing for the 2025 July Texas Bar Exam are eligible for this scholarship. Selection criteria include but are not limited to academic achievement, financial need, involvement in community/extracurricular activities including student organizations and affinity groups, and leadership experience.
Scholarship Information
Historically, the scholarships have been awarded either in the form of cash awards (when available) and/or credit toward bar prep course costs (for BarBri's Guided Pass Course, Themis' Full Bar Review Course, and Kaplan's Bar Review Course). Some of the bar prep company-specific awards under this scholarship are discounts off the full list price of the bar prep courses or monetary credits toward a bar prep course. The Diversity in the Profession Committee is not responsible for determining your arrangement with a bar prep course company nor will it have the flexibility to reallocate awards once they are made. To the extent you have already paid for a bar prep course or have received a discount on a course, the Committee cannot warrant how or whether the company-specific awards will be applied to your account. If a firm or other entity pays for your bar prep costs or a portion of your costs after you’ve applied for this scholarship, please let us know immediately so we can allocate those funds to other applicant(s).
TO APPLY:
Email a complete application packet including all required documents as one PDF file with subject line “Application for Bar Exam Prep Scholarship” to: Download the PDF application
Scholarship Committee, State Bar of Texas Diversity in the Profession
dipscholarship@texasbar.com
APPLICATIONS MUST BE EMAILED NO LATER THAN 11:59 p.m. CST on FEBRUARY 7, 2025.
Incomplete applications and/or applications emailed after the deadline will not be considered.
Submissions not compiled into 1 PDF file are considered incomplete and will not be considered.
Scholarships will be announced to recipients via email in March.
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SARITA AND CLAIRE WRITGHT LUCAS FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM A SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR BALCK WOMEND JD CANDIDATES PURSING PROSECUTORIAL CARREERS AND STUDYINGFOR THE BAR EXAM.
Applications open September 1
Deadline to apply is March 31st annually
Scholarship Program Overview
The SCWLF provides $ 5,000 scholarships to qualified candidates to cover Bar application and preparation fees. Upon completion of one year of employment as a prosecutor, scholarship recipients receive an additional $ 5,000 employment incentive.
REQUIREMENTS
- U.S. Citizen
- Graduating law student preparing to take the Bar Exam
- African - American female
- Demonstrate financial need
- Record of academic achievement
- Demonstrated commitment to public service
- Offer of employment from a District Attorney’s Office (preference given, not required)
HOW TO APPLY
- Complete the application on our website
- https://saritaandclairefoundation.org/
- Submit FASFA
- Complete Essay
- Submit Official Transcripts
- Submit 2 Recommendation Letters
Have any questions?
Reach out to Lainey Roberto:
lainey@saritaandclairefoundation.org
Please follow us on Instagram
@saritaandclairefoundation for updates!
Click here for the flier pdf
Buckfire Law is pleased to announce the 13th annual Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Law School Diversity Scholarship Program.
This scholarship was established as part of our law firm’s commitment to helping law students who require financial assistance to achieve their academic goals and professional dreams.
Our committee will be selecting one winner to be awarded $2,000.
If you have not yet publicized this scholarship to your students, please use the following information to share with your students, share the following link or post to your website:
To apply for the scholarship, and for more information, please visit https://buckfirelaw.com/scholarships/law/.
The Buckfire Law Scholarship Committee is currently accepting applications for the 2025 Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Law School Diversity Scholarship.
The scholarship was created in 2013 as part of the law firm’s commitment to helping law students who require financial assistance achieve their academic and professional dreams.
To be considered for the scholarship, the student must be a member of an ethnic, racial, or other minority, or demonstrate a commitment to issues of diversity within their community.
The scholarship will award $2,000 to one student selected by our scholarship selection committee.
LAW SCHOOL DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Applicant is a member of an ethnic or racial minority or any individual who demonstrates a defined commitment to issues of diversity within their academic career.
- Applicant is a U.S. citizen currently attending an accredited law school within the United States.
- Academic achievement as reflected by a minimum 3.0 GPA and have completed at least one semester of classes at an accredited law school.
LAW SCHOOL DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
To apply for the Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. 2025 Law School Diversity Scholarship Program an applicant must submit the following items on or before October 1, 2025:
- A completed scholarship application form. (Located on our website)
- A one-page typed essay describing how you have utilized your time promoting ethnic diversity within your community. Alternatively, you may write about how you will use your law degree to promote ethnic diversity in the future.
- An official or unofficial transcript from an accredited college or university that includes your most recent semester
The deadline to apply for the scholarship is October 1, 2025. If you have any questions, please e-mail me at susan@buckfirelaw.com.
THE ELOISE BAILEY CLARKE BAR SCHOLARSHIP 2024-2025
TMSL alums Judge Vonda Bailey and Attorney Peter J. Clarke have awarded scholarships to TMSL students since the Class of 2017. To date, 22 TMSL students have been awarded full or partial scholarships, and they have an impressive 80% first time passage rate on the Texas Bar Exam, with an overall 77% first time passage rate on all Bar exams taken.
The scholarship was renamed the Eloise Bailey Clarke Bar Scholarship in 2022. Eloise S. Bailey Clarke is Attorney Peter J. Clarke’s mother who passed away at the age of eighty-eight on August 24, 2022. Eloise was born in Havana, Cuba and immigrated to the United States on January 11, 1954, at the age of twenty. Eloise settled in Manhattan, New York, with her mother, who had immigrated to the United States several years earlier. In April 1963, Eloise married Peter J. Clarke, Sr., and they settled in Brooklyn, New York. Eloise had five children and raised them to believe in the value of an education, as evident by the nine degrees they hold, including an M.B.A. and two Juris Doctorates (one judge). Eloise touched the lives of all who met her and left a legacy that this scholarship seeks to uphold.
The ability to critically read and spot issues are skills necessary to all attorneys. As such, this scholarship provides an opportunity for students to sharpen these skills by reading a fact pattern and writing a memo analyzing possible claims and/or defenses applicable to a prospective client. The Eloise Bailey Clarke Bar Scholarship awards up to four scholarships, two full for $3000 each and two partial for $2000 each. In addition, each recipient also receives a $250 gift card to purchase meals or groceries to eat during Bar study time. Winners are typically announced early in the spring semester.
Scholarship Fact Pattern:
Our client, T.M. Dévil, is a prominent rapper from Trenchtown, JA but, was raised in New York, where "Drill Music" is the popular sound. Drill music is a bold sound that contains the sounds of various guns as a part of its musical composition and contains provocative lyrics. Before becoming a rapper, T.M. Dévil dealt street-level drugs and was a known affiliate of several local gangs. T.M. Dévil released his first single titled "Shoot em' up" which thrust him into the limelight and began his record label "Bullet Inc.". Over the years as his label grew, T.M. Dévil signed multiple people from his neighborhood that once sold drugs for him. He often wrote songs describing the experiences of people who grew up in poor inner-city projects, detailing stories of drug use, violence, sex, being poor, and being raised by a single mother. On occasion, the lyrics were very descriptive and seemed personal. Specifically, there have been some of the following lyrics:
"I ain't no killer but don't push me"
"It's hard to yell when the barrel is in your mouth"
"armed and dangerous ain't too many can bang with us"
"I shot ya"
On May 2, 2023, a long-time rival of T.M. Dévil was found murdered. Months prior to the death, T.M. referenced wanting to kill his rivals and weeks following the death, T.M. released a song making fun of the victim's death. T.M. Dévil and a number of his affiliates were arrested and charged with RICO stemming from the murder as well as several other murders, robberies, and drug deals over the years that the government believes were all committed through Bullet Inc. There is no direct evidence linking our client to any of the charges and most of the evidence gathered is circumstantial. However, the government wants to introduce the use of T.M. Dévil's lyrics which they believe describe murders or plots for murders that may have taken place, and proof that he took part in ordering the death of his rival.
We need you to write a memo detailing any possible arguments to go against the use of rap lyrics in a trial and any arguments that may support their use. Be sure to address any other issue you believe may support or hurt us at trial. The memo should be addressed to Managing partners, Vonda Bailey and Peter J. Clarke and should be no longer than three pages, 1.5 to double spaced (NO single space) using 12pt Times Roman Font. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m., Friday, November 22, 2024. Late submissions will not be considered, nor will any submission that does not follow the page, space, or font requirements. Email all submissions to: syvondiabailey@gmail.com and pclarke@clarkepllc.com.
Gerald Miller Criminal Defense Lawyer Scholarship:
PAVING THE WAY FOR ASPIRING CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS
Gerald Miller PA. Is again thrilled to offer a $2500 scholarship to support law students who aspire to become criminal defense Lawyers. The purpose of The Aspiring Criminal Defense Lawyer Law Student Scholarship Is twofold. First to provide financial assistance to alleviate some of cost in attending law school and second to validate the law school students goals and aspirations of becoming a Criminal Defense lawyer.
ELGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for the Gerald Miller PA Aspiring Criminal Defense Lawyer Law Student Scholarship, applicants must meet the following requirements.
- Must be a U.S Citizen.
- Must be enrolled and in good standing, or enrolling in 2025, as a full-time student in a Law school located in the U.S and accredited by The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.
- Must have a minimum overall law school 3.0 GPA or if enrolling in law school must have a minimum undergraduate overall 3.0 GPA.
- Must comply with IRS rules to qualify for the TAX-FREE benefits of the Scholarship.
- Employees and affiliates of Gerald Miller PA are not eligible.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
To apply for this scholarship, applicants must provide the following:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Mailing address
If not already enrolled in law school and are enrolling, must provide:
- A current undergraduate college or graduate school transcript and
- A letter of acceptance from the law school you are enrolling in.
If you are presently enrolled and attending law school, must provide:
- Your current law school transcript.
- An 800+ word essay explaining
- Your passion for becoming a criminal defense lawyer
- Your expectations regarding challenges you might face when you become a lawyer
- How this scholarship will help you to achieve your goals
KEY DATES
All applications must be submitted by August 31st, 2025. Late applications will not be considered. The scholarship Winner will be announced by September 30th, 2025.
We extend our best wishes to all applicants and eagerly anticipate supporting the next generation of criminal defense lawyers.
Click here for application: Law Student Scholarship - Gerald Miller P.A (geraldmillerlawyer.com)
The Bankruptcy Law Section for the State Bar of Texas is offering a cash scholarship and admission to
the Annual Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference to law students pursuing careers in the
bankruptcy/insolvency field who are (a) from underrepresented groups and/or (b) committed to
promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
Criteria for eligibility:
The scholarship program is open to 2L and 3L law students from underrepresented groups, including diverse, marginalized, or underserved populations or geographic regions, or 2L and 3L law students who are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. While financial need is not required, it may be considered.
The candidate must demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a career as a bankruptcy attorney in the
State of Texas.
Application requirements:
The Bankruptcy Law Section welcomes all students who meet the above criteria to apply. Applicants will
be assessed based on the following criteria:
A completed application.
A personal statement discussing (a)(i) the hurdles that the applicant has faced coming from an
underrepresented group and/or (ii) the applicant’s commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion
in the legal profession, and (b) the applicant’s interest in bankruptcy law.
Application deadline and instructions:
To be considered eligible, interested applicants must submit a completed application, along with
personal statement, via mail or email by November 1, 2024. The scholarship winner and other applicants
will be notified of the results in early November. Address submissions to:
BLS Scholarship Committee
Attn: Amber M. Carson
Gray Reed
1601 Elm Street, Suite 4600
Dallas, Texas 75201
acarson@grayreed.com
Fastweb
Find Scholarships for College for FREE | Fastweb
AccessLex law School Scholarship Databank
Scholarship Databank | AccessLex
American Bar Association Legal Opportunity Scholarship
Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund (americanbar.org)
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
HSF: Scholarship
The National Data Base of Scholarships
Scholarships.Free Scholarships, Grants for College, Fellowships for College (free-4u.com)
College Board
College Scholarship Search | Find scholarships for students from over 2,200 programs (collegeboard.org)
Law School Scholarship Guide Resource
https://onlinemasteroflegalstudies.com/resources/law-school-scholarships/
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