Category: Financial Aid and Scholarships

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) Advancement of Animal Law Scholarships are available to law student members of our Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) chapters and are awarded based upon demonstrated commitment to ALDF’s mission, “to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system.” Applicants should be committed to the advancement of animal law through active involvement with their SALDF chapter while in law school and anticipated participation in the field after graduation.

A secondary goal of the scholarship is to ensure the recipient’s chapter will remain active and maintain engaged leadership. Therefore, scholarship recipients are encouraged to act as a SALDF advisor to their chapter for up to two years after graduation; this mentorship will help ensure continuity of the chapter and contribute to its ongoing vitality.

Scholarships are for one year only. However, students are eligible to apply for continued funding. Scholarships are not available to students graduating this semester, but 3Ls in a 4-year program are welcome to apply. Scholarship amounts are: $5,000 each for three first place recipients, and $1,000 each to the second place recipients. (Note: the number of second place recipients is indeterminate and may vary from year to year.)

How to Apply:

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Applicant must be a member of an active SALDF chapter.
• Applicant must demonstrate outstanding commitment to animal law.
• Applicant should be interested in serving as an SALDF advisor for up to two years after graduation.
• Only current 1Ls and 2Ls are eligible to apply (or 3Ls in a four-year program), with the scholarship to be applied during the next academic year.
• Applications must be emailed to npallotta@aldf.org by April 3, 2017.

Applicants must submit: 

• Two letters of recommendation, at least one from a law school professor (letters of recommendation from ALDF staff are not permitted).
• Current academic transcript (unofficial is okay).
• A copy of your most recent resume.
• Provide complete answers to the following questions in a maximum of 6 pages. Answers must be typed and double spaced. Include your name, SALDF chapter, year in school, address, phone number, and email address.
  1. Describe your interest in animal issues and tell us how your law school education will help you to be a better advocate for animals.
  2. Describe your role within your SALDF chapter.
  3. Describe any other animal law (or animal protection) activities and experience (academic, volunteer, activism, employment, etc.) to date.
  4. ALDF’s mission is to advance the lives and protect the interest of animals through the legal system. Describe how you see yourself contributing to this mission, and tell us how you will support the field of animal law after graduation.
  5. How will receiving this scholarship help you to achieve your goals?
  6. Recipients of the ALDF Advancement of Animal Law Scholarship are encouraged to serve as a SALDF advisor for two years after graduation. How do you envision yourself in this role and how would you contribute to your chapter’s ongoing vitality once you graduate?

2017 Wilentz Family Law Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Eligibility: undergraduate accepted or enrolled in a law degree program

Minimum GPA: 3.0

Requirement: essay, unofficial transcript, application submission

Essay:  Maximum 600 word essay on the topic of “Domestic Abuse Awareness”

Deadline: July 15, 2017

 

Scholarship details may be found here.

Purpose

At the Legal Aid Society we believe excellence and diversity go hand in hand. Diversity produces different perspectives, richer thinking, creative solutions, and a collegial culture of mutual respect.  In sum, it enhances our ability to represent clients whose basic human needs are threatened.

Through the Carl Wedekind Diversity Scholars Program at the Legal Aid Society, we demonstrate our commitment to increase the number of attorneys who are historically underrepresented and who wish to pursue a career in public interest law. The Carl Wedekind Diversity Scholars Program affords the opportunity for a law student to spend a summer with us assisting our attorney staff with legal problems faced by low-income families.

Eligibility

To be selected as a Carl Wedekind Diversity Scholar at the Legal Aid Society, students must be enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school and intend to practice in the Louisville-area upon graduation.  Students must have successfully completed the first year of a full-time J.D. program by May 2017, and must be able to spend 12 weeks during the summer to work fulltime at the Legal Aid Society.

Award

The Carl Wedekind Diversity Scholars Program awards a financial stipend of $3,500 to the Diversity Scholar.

Application

To be considered for the Carl Wedekind Diversity Scholars Program, please contact lawcareerplanning@uakron.edu for an application.  Completed applications forms should be submitted with resume, unofficial or official law school transcript, and a personal statement to Legal Aid Society by MARCH 11, 2017  and sent to Melissa Foster, Executive Assistant, at mfoster@laslou.org.

 

The School of Law is accepting applications for the David D. Dowd Sr. Memorial Award. Named in tribute to a distinguished attorney dedicated to public service and created by Judge David D. Dowd, Jr. upon the 25^th anniversary of his service in the federal judiciary, the purpose of the Dowd Award is to promote a commitment to public service for all lawyers.  Dowd Awards are directed to Akron Law students interested in seeking professional careers in public service following graduation.

To be eligible, you must:

First priority is given to those who have completed their second year or students who have completed their third year (part-time) by Spring of 2017. Students completing first year (full-time) or second year (part-time) will also be considered.

Show a commitment to public service; Be capable of working 20 hours per week during the summer of 2017 for minimum  of ten weeks in a public service position; Be committed to working in a public setting upon graduation.

Placements this summer – in order of preference: 

1^st Preference        Office of the County Prosecuting Attorney in Stark, Summit, and Wayne Counties; the law departments in the cities of Akron, Canton, Massillon and the public defenders offices in Summit and Stark Counties .

2^nd Preference:     The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio and the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Ohio.

3^rd Preference:      Other prosecuting attorney offices in Ohio and other municipal law department offices in the state of Ohio.

4^th Preference:      Other not already listed public service agencies

The student will be expected to work 20 hours per week for not less than 10 weeks.

If you are interested in being considered for this award, you shall write a letter of purpose to apply for the award, addressing the topic of public service in the context of his or her goals in the legal profession, both short and long term. The letter should also specify the legal setting in which the student proposes to serve from among those cited above. Please submit the cover letter and resume to the Career Planning Office at lawcareerplanning@uakron.edu or by hard copy by April 1, 2017. A committee will review applications and a student will be selected before the spring term is over.