ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by American Bar Association
Introduction
The American Bar Association (ABA) offers the annual Legal Opportunity Scholarship for students beginning their first year of law school. The program’s purpose is to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal profession. Each year the ABA awards $15,000 in scholarship support to 20–25 incoming law students, distributed across their three years of study. Since the scholarship was established, it has supported more than 400 students nationwide.
How to apply
The application window for the 2026 ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship — for students beginning law school in Fall 2026 — opens on February 1, 2026.
Eligibility requirements
Applicants must satisfy all of the following to be considered:
1. Be an entering first-year law student for the 2026 academic year (beginning Fall 2026).
2. Demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
3. Be a first-year student who is starting law school in the 2026 academic year; students who have already completed one or more semesters or years of law school are not eligible.
4. Part-time students are eligible only if they are beginning law school in the 2026 academic year.
5. Have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application. If the undergraduate degree is not yet completed when applying, the applicant must have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA as of the most recent completed semester.
6. Before scholarship funds are disbursed, selected recipients must provide proof of admission to and intent to enroll at an ABA-accredited law school. Because applications are submitted before final admissions decisions are generally available, awardees will be required to confirm admission and enrollment plans prior to receiving funds. Recipients who do not enroll, or who withdraw from law school after enrollment, will be required to return all or a proportional portion of the scholarship money.
“I spent years searching my neighborhood for someone to look up to, but eventually I stopped looking for that person and decided to become that person.”