External Scholarships & Awards

These are private scholarships offered by law firms and community organizations. Scholarships are available to incoming and continuing students. Click on the links for more information and to see if you qualify. All scholarships are organized by their deadlines.

On this page:

Resources for additional information:

NAPABA Law Foundation (NLF)

ABA Business Law Section: 2025 Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest

First Place: $1,000 cash                                           

Second and Third Place: potential publication in Business Law Today

Deadline: May 30, 2025

The ABA’s Business Law Section invites law students enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school’s JD Program to submit papers written in 2023-2024 or the current academic year on business law topics for a chance to win $1,000 with publishing opportunities.

More application eligibility and information at https://www.americanbar.org/groups/business_law/about/awards-initiatives/mendes-hershman-student-writing-contest/

The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and ABA Labor and Employment Law section:2025 Annual Law Student Writing Competition

First Place: $3,000                                        Second Place: $1,000                                 Third Place: $500

Submission Deadline: June 15, 2025

This Competition is open to articles written while the author is an active student at an accredited law school in the United States and has not graduated from law school prior to December 1, 2024.  The first-place winning article may be selected for publication in the ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law. The author of the first-place winning article will be a guest at the ABA Annual Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference and honored at the Annual Induction Dinner of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

All pertinent competition information: https://theclel.org/law-student-writing-competition/

2025 Intellectual Property Law Section Diversity Committee - Miriam Maccoby Netter Scholarship

Value: $5,000                                                                                  Deadline: June 30, 2025

The New York Bar Foundation is currently accepting applications for this Scholarship that is open to all first year (1L) students, entering their second year in the Fall; and second year (2L) students, entering their third year in the Fall, enrolled in a New York State law school during 2025-2026 academic year.  The student should have an interest in intellectual property law and must have attained at least 2.5 or equivalent GPA in law school.

More application information at https://www.tnybf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-IP-Section-Mimi-Netter-Scholarship-Application.pdf

2025 DRI Law Student Diversity Scholarship

Scholarship Award: $10,000 (1 available) and $5,000 (2 available) 

Deadline: June 30, 2025

This opportunity is open to full-time law students who are rising 2Ls and 3Ls for the 2025-2026 academic year regardless of race or ethnicity.  It is focused on students who come from backgrounds that would add to the cause of diversity within the Civil Defense Bar.  Along with other application requirements, applicants should submit an essay based on the question “How Employment Laws Have Shaped Diversity Efforts in the Legal Profession.”

More eligibility and application requirements: https://www.dri.org/news/news-detail/2025/04/03/2025-law-student-diversity-scholarship

28TH ANNUAL ENTERTAINMENT LAW INITIATIVE WRITING CONTEST

First Place        : $10,000 Tuition Scholarship and more

Runner-Ups     : $2,500 Tuition Scholarship and more (2 available)

Submission Deadline: October 8, 2025

In partnership with the American Bar Association, the Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Writing Contest awards excellence with scholarship prizes, industry mentors and tickets to exclusive GRAMMY Week events. Applicants would identify, research and propose solutions to pressing legal issues in the music industry. Winning entries will be published in the ABA Entertainment & Sports Lawyer journal, and winners will be recognized at the GRAMMY Week ELI Luncheon attended by industry leaders and legal professionals.

Contest Information and Rules at https://events.recordingacademy.com/eliwc?gz=d832c270d2450e0de91b41a121e8cf98&guest-access-hash=NDU5MTgyMzYzfDgwMDQxNTc4MXwxNzQ2NjQ4MDYyOzQ1NWE2ZmY1OThiYzFlMmRmNGVjZjVkZDZjMzJmZTg4MDAyOGZlZWFhNTRkMDM2ZTdkMWYzZGM4NDUxMGEzMzQ=

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF REAL ESTATE LAWYERS (ACREL):

2025 ACREL Law Student Writing Award

First Place: $2,000 with invitation to attend ACREL Spring Meeting                               

Second Place: $1,000

Submission Deadline: December 31, 2025

This Award is open to law students enrolled in ABA-accredited law schools in the U.S. and its territories and possessions as of December 31, 2025.  Eligible entrants must also be 21 years of age or older, a citizen or legal permanent resident of the country.  Entry papers should address an issue of interest in real property law or related areas that have been published or accepted for publication in a scholarly journal sponsored by an ABA-accredited law school in the U.S. and its territories and possessions within the calendar year 2025.

All pertinent competition eligibility and information

2026 LEWIS M. ROSE SCHOLARSHIP:

One paid Summer Associate position with full-time Associate position offering

Review of Applications: Rolling basis

Kelly Drye & Warren LLP is currently accepting applications for this Scholarship which is open to all outstanding rising second year (2L) law students who are enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school scheduled to graduate in 2027. The Scholarship includes a paid summer associate position in their New York or New Jersey offices following the second year of law school.  The Scholarship recipient also receives a $25,000 award paid in two installments as a signing bonus—one upon completion of the summer program, and the second, upon starting as a full-time Associate at the firm.

More application information at https://www.kelleydrye.com/lewis-m-rose-scholarship