Last Updated on August 31, 2023 by Lori Pace
The average law school tuition in the US ranges between $15 000 and $45 000 a year, depending on which law school you attend. Most law students make over $200 000 in student loans to graduate law school. That’s why getting law school scholarships is great, especially for women.
A few great ways to relieve this amount of financial stress or not have it are scholarships or grants. Grants are generally awarded based on financial need, whereas scholarships are awarded based on merit. Knowing this, you can decide which will suit your situation best and apply.
Law School Scholarships For Women
To qualify for most scholarships and grants, you have to be in a law school. To increase your chances, you must also have proven participation in pro-bono cases or volunteer work.
The American Bar Association
The American Bar Association is the largest independent association of lawyers globally and awards an annual Legal Opportunity Scholarship to first-year law students. These scholarships inspire racial and ethnic minority students to apply to law school and provide financial assistance while these scholars earn their Juris Doctor.
Scholarships approved by the American Bar Association:
ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund accommodates up to 20 incoming diverse students and provides up to $15 000 over 3 years. The Sidney B. Williams Jr. Scholarship Program accommodates students interested in patent law and provides up to $10 000 each year for up to 3 years. Lloyd M. Johnson Jr Scholarship Program accommodates first-year students and provides up to $10 000/year.
The ABA also supports law students who take on internships at law firms or international organizations. You can be awarded up to $4000 for working as an intern. Another benefit to this is it gives you practical experience, making it easier to find a stable position once you have completed your studies.
Law Review Contests
Law review writing competitions are the source of legal research and get their editing done by law students and faculty members.
Legal writing competitions are also a great way to gain plausibility in the industry and make reasonable amounts of cash to help pay your tuition. A published legal review article can boost your chances of gaining employment after graduating. There are academic publications that only publish written work done by undergrad students, such as UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program) and ResearchGate.
The National Law Review (www.natlawreview.com) provides a law student writing contest with cash prizes. You can also find a list of writing contests on www.abaforlawstudents.com.
Law School Alumni Scholarships For Women
Most law schools offer scholarships of their own. The best way to attain information about scholarships and grants provided by the institution you are in is consulting with the financial aid faculty. You have better chances of obtaining a scholarship or funding through a law school.
Make sure to explicitly explain to the financial aid faculty why you require financial assistance. Helping them understand your need is vital in obtaining the scholarship or grant.
Free Application For Federal Student Aid
Otherwise known as FAFSA, it offers various grants to students attending four-year colleges or universities, community colleges, and career schools.
Grants that generally carry no obligation for repayment are usually not given to law students and other graduate students, but they offer work-study grants, loans, and merit-based scholarships.
Work-study grants provides up to $3 000 per year. Law schools offer positions nominated as ‘work-study,’ and these positions do not require a lot of work. These positions help you develop writing, research, and analytical experience.
Generally, students try to take out as few loans as possible because repaying them with their high-interest rates can be a burden. You can take out loans of up $12 000 for the year. Ensure that you file your FAFSA application on time each year.
Individual Scholarships For Law School For Women
Individual scholarships are not as easy to obtain as the others, although more and more scholarships go to those in the minority and women. The best way to find a scholarship such as this is to speak to your law school’s librarian, the financial aid faculty, and you can also search the school’s website for any competitions for scholarships.
The AAUW’s Selected Professions for Fellowships for African-American Women
The AAUW awards a scholarship of up to $12000 for women completing graduate degrees in fields where they have historically been depreciated. You can find all the information you need at www.aauw.org.
Women’s Research and Education Institute Congressional Fellowship on Women and Public Policy
This organization offers a monthly allowance of $1 450 to help relieve financial stress. They aim to place over 300 students within political offices in Washington D.C. All the information about this organization is at www.wrei.org.
Fulbright Grants
This organization offers financial support to do research and teach abroad. These grans can be very much worthwhile as they increase opportunities in business, public interest law, and private practice for women. You will receive a monthly salary of $2 000 for researching your topics abroad. It would help if you convinced the organization that your topics are worth their time and money. Find a list of available grants at www.catalog.cies.org.
International Scholarships For Law School For Women
International scholarships go to students from all around the world. For a law student studying abroad, these grants and scholarships can offer tremendous financial relief.
International Federation of University Women
Women all over the world can be awarded this grant. To qualify for the grant, you must be from South Africa, Norway, Japan, Israel, India, Great Britain, France, Australia, the United States, or Switzerland. You can apply for this grant at the start of your second year at law school. You can find more information at www.ifuw.org.
Canadian Federation of University Women
The CFUW offers grants that vary between $2 000 and $12 000.
You can find a list of available grants at www.cfuw.org.
Australian Law Federation Of Women Scholarships & Fellowships
Several one-year grants are available from this organization. However, they have a three-year fellowship program called the Freda Bage Fellowship. To qualify for these grants, you do not have to have Australian citizenship, but you must have graduated from a college in Australia.
Tips For Law School Scholarships Applications For Women
Stay organized
Ensure you have a filing system where you keep all your scholarship or grant applications that are easy to understand and accessible.
Be aware of deadlines.
Ensure you know when your application and all other documents need to be sent in.
Recommendations
Make a list of all the scholarships and grants that you intend to apply to, and ask your professor way in advance to write a recommendation letter for you.
Confirm
It is best to make sure your application has been received as soon as possible after sending it in.
You are in a position that may lead you to finish law school debt-free. With the tips and information provided, you can consider your finances and choose which scholarship or grant is suitable for you.
