This scholarship was established as a memorial to the late Presiding Justice Hollis G. Best to encourage and support outstanding academic achievement and commitment to service by law students. Candidates must be law students who have successfully completed at least one year of law school. Strong preference will be given to current residents of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare or Tuolumne Counties. Primary considerations are academic achievement and the breadth and depth of the applicant’s extracurricular and community activities. Financial need and demonstrated leadership capabilities are also taken into consideration.

* Deadline: December 31
* Award: $1,000
* Contact:
Justice Hollis G. Best Scholarship Committee
5th District Court of Appeal
2424 Ventura Street
Fresno, CA 93721
* Phone: 559-445-6266

* Download the Instructions, Download application

The Vietnamese American Bar Association of Southern California and the Fourth Annual National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys are pleased to announce that they will award up to three scholarships to deserving law students for the 2009-2010 academic year.
To apply, please submit the following:
A completed application form
A resume
Either one or two letters of recommendation sent directly to the address below or a list of three references
An essay (maximum of 800 words) covering the following topics:
a. Your involvement in any public service or leadership role, within the Vietnamese-American community;
b. What you see as a pressing concern facing the Vietnamese American community, and how you see yourself contributing to or engaging in that issue; or
c. Your experience(s) in overcoming socioeconomic, cultural or other barriers.

All application materials must be received by October 7, 2009
by mail or e-mail to :
VABASC/NCVAA Schoarship 2009
c/o Nhan T. Vu
707 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 3850
Los Angeles, CA 90017
nvu@willenken.com

Visit http://ncvaa.org/scholarship.html for the application and more information.

Banner & Witcoff, Ltd. is pleased to offer the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for law students. This scholarship is part of Banner and Witcoff’s continuing commitment to fostering the development of intellectual property lawyers from diverse backgrounds.
Law students who meet the selection criteria and have entered into a JD program at an ABA-accredited law school in the U.S. are eligible to apply for the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship.
Scholarship recipients will be selected by the Mark T. Banner Scholarship review board based on the following criteria:
Commitment to the pursuit of a career in IP law
Academic merit (undergraduate, graduate and law school)
Written communication skills
Leadership qualities and community involvement
Member of a historically underrepresented group in IP law (including race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability)

Recipients of the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship will receive $5,000 payable for the Fall semester of their second and third year of law school.
Application deadline is October 9, 2009.

Applicants will submit the following documents for consideration:
Completed Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship Application Form
Resume
Academic transcripts (law school, undergraduate/graduate school)
Writing sample of 5-10 pages (a legal writing sample is requested, if available)
Contact information for three references
One page statement describing how diversity has impacted the candidate.

Visit www.bannerwitcoff.com for the application and more information.

The Fresno County Bar Association announces the availability of one $1,000 scholarship award for Spring 2010.
Requirements: The applicant must be a resident of Fresno County who is a law student in good standing of a school of law in California accredited by the State Bar of California; Students in law schools outside Fresno County are eligible so long as their permanent family residence address is in Fresno County, California.

Contact Person: Ms. Bobbie Lee, Executive Director, Fresno County Bar Association, 1221 Van Ness Ave., Suite 300, Fresno, CA 93721-1720
Application must be postmarked by October 15,2009. Visit the Financial Aid Office’s website for the application and more information.

Selection will be made on or about November 28, 2009.

The Fresno County Bar Association Announces the availability of three (3) $2,000 Scholarship awards for Spring 2010.
Applicants must be a resident of Fresno County who is a law student in good standing of a school of law in California accredited by the State Bar of California; Students in law schools outside Fresno County are eligible so long as their permanent family residence address is in Fresno County, California.
Contact: Ms. Bobbie Lee, Executive Director, Fresno County Bar Association, 1221 Van Ness Ave., Suite 300, Fresno, CA 93721-1721
Application deadline is October 15, 2009. Visit Financial Aid’s Scholarships webpage for the application and more information.

The Richard Linn American Inn of Court is proud to offer the Mark T. Banner Scholarship for law students. This scholarship is part of the Richard Linn American Inn of Court’s commitment to fostering the development of intellectual property lawyers of high ethics, civility, and professionalism, and especially those from diverse backgrounds.

Scholarship recipients will be selected by the Mark T. Banner Scholarship review board based on the following criteria:
Commitment to the pursuit of a career in IP law
Commitment, qualities and actions toward ethics, civility and professionalism
Academic merit (undergraduate, graduate and law school)
Written and oral communication skills determined in part through a telephone interview
Leadership qualities and community involvement
Member of a historically underrepresented group in IP law (including race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability)

The recipient of the Mark T. Banner Scholarship will receive $5,000 payable for the Fall semester of their second or third year of law school.

Application deadline is October 10, 2009.

Applicants will submit the following documents for consideration:
Completed Mark T. Banner Scholarship Application Form
Resume
Academic transcripts (law school, undergraduate/graduate school)
Writing sample of 5-10 pages (a legal writing sample is requested, if available)
Contact information for three references
One page statement describing how (a) ethics, civility and professionalism have been a focus of the candidate, and (b) how diversity has impacted the candidate.

Visit http://www.linninn.org/marktbanner.htm for more information.

Established in 2004, the Womble Carlyle Scholars Program awards scholarships to diverse rising second year law students who present solid academic credentials, personal achievement outside the school environment, and significant participation in community service. This program is designed to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the bar. The scholarship is awarded to diverse law students at schools in most of the states in which the firm has offices.
In addition to the $4,000 scholarship, an offer of summer employment as a Summer Associate in one of the firm’s eleven offices is extended to the Scholar after his/her second year of law school. The Scholar may choose to work at the firm all, half (at least six weeks), or none of the summer. The firm will determine in which office the Scholar works, but every effort will be made to satisfy the Scholar’s office preference. Scholar salaries during the summer will be the same as the firm’s other Summer Associates in each office.
The scholarship application consists of two parts and may be submitted separately. A complete application, cover letter and resume are to be submitted by May 15,2009. The final portion of the scholarship application is due by Tuesday, July 7, 2009

For more information, visit the Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice website at http://www.wcsr.com/default9421.html?id=79 or the Berkeley Law Financial Aid Office’s scholarships page

The Bar Association of San Francisco is pleased to announce that the application for their Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship Program is available and the deadline for the completed applications is May 15, 2009, by 4:00 p.m.
This program was established to help increase diversity in the legal profession in a concrete way, and alleviate at least one of the many barriers minority students may face when considering law school. In the past 11 years, they have awarded over 50 scholarships to deserving law students in the Bay Area. Awards are given based on financial need, commitment to and involvement in public service, barriers faced in life, and scholastics.

Student recipients receive a $10,000 scholarship towards their first year of law school. Thereafter, the scholarship may be renewed for an additional two years.

For Fall 2009, minority students admitted into and entering an ABA-accredited law school in the Bay Area AND current law students may apply.

For more information please see the SF Bar Association’s website http://www.sfbar.org/diversity/scholarships.aspx or the Berkeley Law Financial Aid Office’s Scholarship Page

The Asian Pacific Bar Association of Silicon Valley (APBASV) is pleased to announce that it is offering up to four Achievement Scholarships this year of $3,000.00 each.
The purpose of the scholarship is to recognize law students in the Bay Area who have overcome personal hardships or challenges; shown excellence and achievement in law school; or demonstrated leadership and service to the Asian Pacific American community.Although not required, preference will be given to law students who will be interning this summer at a non-profit organization that serves the Asian Pacific American community.

Application requirements:
Resumé. Please include grade point average. The applicants grade point average and current enrollment as a law student are subject to verification.
Essay. (2 page maximum, double spaced). The Essay should address how the applicant satisfies the above-mentioned purpose of the scholarship. If interning at a non-profit organization that serves the Asian Pacific American community, please also include address your goals for the internship.
Interview. Finalists will be interviewed in Early April, 2009

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2009.
For more information and to download the application, please visit http://www.apbasv.org/lawstudents/index_scholars.htm. Please submit your application to apbasv@gmail.com. Please also contact them at that address if you have any questions.

The firm provides Diversity Scholarships to support outstanding Bay Area diverse law students attending Bay Area law schools. Applicants must be current first-year law students who are students of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, disabled, or whose background or experience would otherwise contribute to the diversity of the legal profession.
Deadline: March 13, 2009
Awards: $25,000 to be divided between three to five scholarship recipients
Contact: Jennifer Peneyra, Recruiting & Diversity Manager

Farella Braun + Martel LLP
Russ Building/ 235 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104

Phone: 415 954-4400
Fax: 415 954-4480
For more information and to download the application, please visit http://www.fbm.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/about.diversity_scholarship/scholarship.cfm.

The Foundation of the State Bar of California Law School Scholarships are awarded to California law students with financial need who have demonstrated a commitment to public/community service. The application must be submitted to Berkeley Law’s Financial Aid Office. The Assistant Dean for Financial Aid will nominate up to five students and will provide the Certification of Ethical Standing, Statement of Nomination, and Certification of Financial Need for each nominee to the Foundation for final selection.

The Foundation bases its decisions on the following criteria:

1) candidates must be enrolled in a California law school for at least one year and be nominated by their law school;
2) candidates must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA;
3) candidates must be certified by their school as maintaining a good ethical standing and likely to pass the moral character review for admission to the state bar;
4) candidates must be certified by their school as being in financial need; and
5) candidates must be able to demonstrate and document an orientation toward public service- a minimum of 3 current references supporting his/her past experience in public service work.

The application must be received Berkeley Law’s Financial Aid office by March 4, 2009.
The awards range from $2,500 to $7,500. For questions about the scholarship, contact Joilene Grove at jgrove@calbarfoundation.org or 415-856-0780 x 302.

For more information or to download the application, go to http://www.calbarfoundation.org/programs/scholarships/lawschool.html.

The Kern County Women Lawyers Association of Bakersfield, California is an organization that supports and promotes women in the profession as well as issues of gender, diversity and equality. The KCWLA awards scholarships to both female and male law school students. In order to receive a scholarship, the applicant law students must have ties to Kern County, California, have financial need and/or hardship and have good academic standing and scholarship. The Foundation is very interested in candidates who have interests and experiences concerning issues facing the profession and, in particular, those issues important to women. Each year their organization awards at least one scholarship for second, third or fourth year law students. The scholarship award may be anywhere from $250 to $3,000.

The dealine for submission is May 4, 2009. Applications should be submitted to the following address:

Cynthia C. Norris, Secretary, Kern County Women Lawyers Foundation, 1227 L Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301

Visit Berkeley Law’s Scholarship page for more information and to download the application.

This scholarship is a one-year, non-renewable award for full-time students who are Rhode Island residents who will be entering their first year of law school in September, 2009.The objective of the Bar Foundation’s Scholarship Program is to support high legal practice standards by providing financial assistance to Rhode Island residents who show promise that they will become outstanding lawyers who will adhere to such standards and who will need such assistance in order to study law at quality law schools.
The awards shall be exclusively for tuition and related expenses for persons who enroll as full-time students in programs leading to the award of the L.L.B. or J.D. degree offered by law schools located in one of the United States of District of Columbia and accredited by the American Bar Association. Each scholarship will be made on the basis of demonstrated financial need, superior academic performance, community and public service, and demonstrated contacts with and commitment to the State of Rhode Island. The Scholarship Committee seeks applications from candidates without regard to race, color, religion, country of ancestral origin, handicap, age, sex, or sexual orientation.

For the academic year 2009-2010, two scholarships in the amount of $15,000 each will be awarded.

Please complete the application form and return it with a personal statement with all required information to the Rhode Island Bar Foundation by March 20, 2009.
For more info, see Berkeley Law’s Scholarship page or RI Bar’s website.

The Markowski-Leach Scholarship Fund was established under the terms of a bequest from the estate of Mr. James Leach in memory of Mr. Leach and Mr. Thomas Markowski. The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarship awards to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons attending San Francisco State University, Stanford University or University of California, Berkeley as undergraduate or graduate students.
The award for the 2008-09 school year will be $1,250. This amount will be divided by the number of terms in the recipients school year.
The on line application can be accessed at http://www.mlscholarships.org/mlsinfoapp0809.pdf
Applications must be received no later than Wednesday, April 16, 2008.

This scholarship is open to entering first year students and may be renewable for two additional years and is intended to encourage racial and ethnic minority students to apply to law school.
This scholarship fund will award $5000 of financial assistance annually to each scholarship recipient attending an ABA-accredited law school and may be renewable for two additional years, resulting in financial assistance totaling $15,000 during each student’s time in law school.
Recipients will be selected based on their qualifications for the scholarship an not on the law school they plan to attend.
Download the application at http://www.abanet.org/fje.

Completed scholarship applications must be received no later than March 2, 2009.

Deadline; March 2, 2009
Award: $5,000
Please submit application materials to:
ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund-Application
Diversity Center
American Bar Association
321 North Clark Street
Chicago, Il 60610-4714
Questions? Contact: dfranklin3@staff.abanet.org
312-988-5415