Guide to Berkeley Public Interest Law Scholarships
Figuring out how to fund law school can be a challenge, but many programs exist to help you get the money you need to achieve your goals. If you plan on using your law degree to work in public service or work in an area of law that furthers the public interest, many law schools have scholarship programs that offer anything from a small grant or stipend to full tuition. The University of California at Berkeley is one of those schools.
Berkeley Law has a strong public interest law program that offers scholarships for new students and continuing students alike. Below, I offer a broad overview of each public interest scholarship and its eligibility requirements. Then, information on the application process to receive consideration for a Berkeley public interest law scholarship.
Berkeley Public Interest Law Scholarships for New Law Students
Berkeley Law offers two main scholarships for incoming law students interested in public interest law:
Philip S. Ehrlich Public Service Loan
Those who apply for the Philip s. Ehrlich Public Service Loan/Grant must show they are committed to public service law and have a prior community work history. Berkeley Law gives preference to students who have financial need. Additionally, they must have shown the ability to overcome socioeconomic disadvantages to attend law school. Further, recipients typically receive $20,000 per year in the form of a forgivable loan totaling $60,000.
John B. Hall Scholarship
The John B. Hall Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship for outstanding entering law students who have a demonstrated commitment to pursuing a public interest or public service career. Indeed, recipients usually receive $60,000 dispersed as $20,000 each year.
Berkeley Public Interest Law Scholarships for Continuing Law Students
If you are transferring into Berkeley Law for year two, or you did not receive one of the scholarships for entering students, you should apply for Berkeley Law's public interest law scholarships for continuing students. They include:
Henry Falik Public Interest Scholarship
Third-year law students attending Berkeley Law who have demonstrated their commitment to the public interest or public service career are eligible for the Henry Falik Public Interest Scholarship. Recipients receive between $5,000 and $11,000 for the year. Further, applicants must submit a statement highlighting their career goals, why they wish to pursue the work they have chosen, and how this scholarship will help them reach their goals.
Elizabeth & Charles Tigar Public Interest Scholarship
Second and third-year law students at Berkeley are eligible for the Elizabeth & Charles Tigar Public interest scholarship for $2,000. Further, applicants must have a demonstrated interest in public interest law. For the purposes of this scholarship, public interest law refers to legal career paths that focus on:
Promoting human rights
International dispute resolution
Health care law
Women's rights
Workers' rights
Disable rights
Children's rights
Racial and ethnic justice
Lastly, rights of national minorities
Brian Lewinstein Social Justice Scholarship
The Brian Lewinstein Social Justice Scholarship is an annual scholarship for students in year two or three of law school. Berkeley Law awards this scholarship to one student per year. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and be committed to pursuing a career in social justice and public interest.
Applying to Berkeley Law Public Interest Scholarships
The application process for Berkeley Law Public Interest Scholarships differs based on whether you are applying for a scholarship for entering students or one for continuing students.
Continuing Student Scholarship Application
In early summer, Berkeley Law sends out an email to enrolled students, letting them know they can apply for continuing scholarships. You must visit the forms page to complete the online application. YOU MUST WATCH YOUR INBOX CAREFULLY! Indeed, you have an extremely short window to apply for these scholarships. For example, Berkeley Law made the application available on June 16, 2021, and the deadline to complete the application was July 6, 2021.
Entering Student Scholarship Application
Applying for public interest scholarships at Berkley as an entering law student is a little more involved. First, you need to know that grants, scholarships, and fellowships that Berkeley Law students receive come in the form of gift aid. Most come as an offer prior to enrollment, and as discussed above, many are three-year awards.
The school recommends that the best way to receive a competitive funding offer is to submit the strongest application package you can. Your application package will include specific instructions and the required supplemental materials you need for each award. I covered the published information above, but it is subject to change. Once you have access to the application, you might find additional requirements.
After you complete your JD application, you must wait until you are admitted before taking further steps. The school will invite you to submit a supplemental gift aid application (SGA) about a week after admission. The form provides information to the review committee that lets them learn about your financial challenges. Additionally, they also want to screen your legibility for donor-based awards that do not depend on your financial need.
Apply Early
You MUST apply as early as possible to have the best chances of receiving gift aid, especially if you are competing for scholarships that the school awards based on financial need. If you are admitted through Berkeley's Binding Early Decision program, you can submit your SGA in February. If the school provides you with a gift aid offer, you typically have about two weeks to make a decision, and they do not ask for a decision before April 1.
Like every other law school, Berkeley has more qualified students than they admit than the amount of available gift aid. If you do not get an offer by March 30 of the year you plan to attend, you can petition for reconsideration beginning in late March up until May 1.
Learn More About Applying for Berkeley's Public Interest Law Scholarships
If you get accepted to Berkeley, you will find several opportunities to help fund your time there, especially if you are committed to public service. Visit my website and contact me with further questions about Berkeley's public interest scholarships or any other questions related to the application process.