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Scholarship Programs

The Law School awards numerous tuition remission scholarships annually to first-year and continuing students. These scholarships are based on both academic merit and financial need. The Law School scholarship funds are limited and it is possible that the scholarship funds will be exhausted before the class is filled.

Admissions Merit Scholarship

Whittier Law School awards admissions scholarships based on merit. All applicants are given consideration for these scholarships. Awards are based primarily on academic performance at the undergraduate level and the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) score. In addition, consideration will be given to those with extracurricular activities consistent with Whittier Law School’s mission. All first year scholarship funds are applied to the fall and spring academic terms only. The Office of Admissions has a priority deadline of March 15th each year for those applying for the Admissions Merit scholarship.

Dean’s Merit Scholarship

Whittier Law School has a policy of rewarding students who perform at an extraordinary level after their first year of legal study. Thus, the Deans’ Merit scholarship will automatically be awarded after spring grades are finalized and class rankings have been established (typically in June). Mainly, the Deans’ Merit scholarship will be awarded as follows:

  • Those students ranked in the top 5% of their class will receive a full tuition scholarship for the next academic year.
  • Those students ranked in the 6th through 10th percentile of their class will receive a three-quarter tuition scholarship for the next academic year.
  • Those students ranked in the 11th through 15th percentile of their class will receive a one-half tuition scholarship for the next academic year.
  • Those students ranked in the 16th through 20th percentile of their class will receive a one-quarter tuition scholarship for the next academic year.

For purposes of class rankings, full-time students are ranked together with all other students who share the same anticipated graduation date. First-year part-time students are ranked alone at the end of the first year. Thereafter, their class rank is determined based upon the class that shares their date of graduation. Students may check their class ranking information online via their ‘my.whittier.edu’ account.

Scholarship awards are evenly divided in the fall and spring semesters.

1L Achievement Externship Program (AEP)

Three students are selected to receive a scholarship for academic credit (4 units) to work over the summer at a local law firm that is matched with the student’s interests. Students who participate will be getting both academic credit for an externship (students typically pay for externship credits) and extremely valuable work experience. In order to qualify, students must be a 1L in the top 20% of their class, must agree to follow the law school’s externship guidelines, and must agree to remain a student at Whittier for the remainder of their law school education.

Read more information about the AEP program HERE

General and Need-Based Scholarship

A number of scholarships are awarded annually by the Law School to upper-division students based on financial need. To qualify for need-based scholarships, students must (1) file the FAFSA form by the deadline set by the Office of Financial Aid and (2) submit the Law School’s General Scholarship Application by the deadline set by the Office of the Dean of Student Services. Applications will be made available at the Office of Financial Aid May 2, 2013 and are due no later than May 23, 2013. Award amounts, deadlines, and conditions of scholarships are subject to change, but academic performance at the Law School, service to the school, and financial need will all be taken into account.

To what courses do my scholarship awards apply?

Except for “full” scholarships, all scholarships are awarded in a specific dollar amount. The award is generally paid in two equal disbursements in the fall and spring semester of the academic year. No additional scholarship dollars will be given to students who elect to take additional units, whether those units are taken in the fall, spring, or summer terms.

ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund

The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship provides students with financial assistance to attend law school. During his term as ABA President, William G. Paul initiated the scholarship to encourage racially and ethnically diverse students to apply to and attend law school.

To date, the ABA’s Legal Opportunity Scholarships have:

  • Benefited more than 160 scholars
  • Paid up to $15,000 per scholar for the 3 years of law school
  • Supported scholars at more than 50 different law schools

Alumni Association Scholarship

The Alumni Association awards a partial scholarship to one day and one evening upper-division student based on academic achievement, service to the school, and financial need.

The Albert and May Lee Alumni Scholarship – For Summer Abroad Program Only

The Albert and May Lee Alumni Scholarship will be used to assist Whittier Law School students attend the Law School’s Summer Abroad programs. The anticipated amount to be awarded to each chosen recipient is approximately $500.00. Only Whittier Law School students who have completed at least 2 semesters and are in good academic standing at the time of application are eligible to apply.

Jeanne S. Berger Scholarship Fund

Established by Judge Jeanne S. Berger, ’68, an alumna of Whittier Law School, to assist a limited number of female upper-division students with minor children, the scholarship is based on scholastic achievement and financial need.

Beverly Rubens Gordon Scholarship

Established by friends of former Professor Beverly Rubens Gordon, this scholarship is awarded to one or two part-time, upper-division students based on financial need and academic performance.

David Holtz Memorial Scholarship

Named in memory of David Holtz, a Beverly Law School faculty member, the scholarship is awarded to an upper-division student based on academic performance with an emphasis on first-year Contracts grades.

Cindy Raisch Memorial Scholarship

“The late Ms. Raisch was a former Associate Dean and a former legal writing instructor at Whittier Law School. General criteria for this scholarship are academic performance and financial need.”

Eugene S. Mills Scholarship

Named in honor of former Whittier College President Eugene S. Mills, this scholarship is awarded to the editor-in-chief of the Whittier Law Review.

W. Roy Newsom Scholarship

Graduates of Whittier College who will be first-year students at the Law School are eligible for the W. Roy Newsom scholarship. This scholarship award is named in honor of the former Whittier College president. Recipients are rewarded for their undergraduate achievement at Whittier College.

CalBar Diversity Scholarship

The California Bar offers a Diversity Scholarship for entering first year students. Instructions as well as an application are located at http://www.calbarfoundation.org/programs/scholarships/diversity.html The a.pplication deadline is June 15, 2011 and applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on that day. Applications for the diversity scholarship can be sent via email as an attachment, regular mail, hand-delivery, or fax.

Gellhorn-Sargentich Law Student Essay Award Competition

Essay contest on administrative law. $5,000 cash prize and publication in The Administrative & Regulatory Law News or The Administrative Law Review (at the discretion of the editors). For more information http://www.americanbar.org/groups/administrative_law/initiatives_awards/gellhorn_sargentich_law_student_essay_competition.html .

The Public Law Section Student Writing Competition

The Public Law Section is seeking entries for its annual Student Writing Competition. In addition to the $2,000 cash prize, the winning entry will be published in the Public Law Journal. For more information http://www.law.whittier.edu/pdfs/writingComp.pdf .

Foley & Lardner Technology Writing Contest

Technology Law writing competition. First place will receive $5,000.00, second place $1,000.00 and third place $500.00. For more information click here: http://it-lex.org/writing-contest/.

2013 Justice Pauline Davis Hanson Scholarship

The Hanson Scholarship is an annual award to be presented to a current female law student for the following academic year in the amount of $2,000.00. This scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic achievement, school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, financial need, and ties to Fresno and surrounding area (if any).
Financial Aid Letter
Selection Criteria
Application Form

Association Of Environmental Professionals Orange County Chapter 2013 Scholarship Program

Winners will be chosen based on their outstanding contributions to the fields of environmental science, policy, research, design, law, and/or other related disciplines.The application form is available for download in MS Word format at http://www.ocaep.com.

Other Scholarship Sources:

Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship

Banner & Witcoff, Ltd. is pleased to offer the Donald w. Banner Diversity Scholarship for law students. This scholarship is part of Banner & Witcoff’s continuing commitment to fostering the development of intellectual property lawyers from diverse backgrounds.

The Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship is open to all students currently enrolled in an American Bar Association accredited law school and pursuing a career in intellectual property law. The applicant must be a member of a historically under represented group (including race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability) and must have exemplary writing and oral communication skills.
Applications for the 2013 Scholarship are now available for download. Completed applications are due on January 7, 2013.
http://www.bannerwitcoff.com/about/diversity/