Funding the Education of the Next Generation of African American Leaders in Dallas Supporting Pro Bono Legal Service Organizations Working in Our Community
In 1982 the J.L. Turner Legal Association began awarding scholarships annually to minority law students. In 1996, J.L. Turner Legal Association created a separate non-profit foundation, the J.L. Turner Legal Association Foundation ("JLTLAF"), which took over the fundraising and awarding of scholarships. Each year since 1996, JLTLAF has awarded scholarships to minority law students that are from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, or attending law school in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Funds raised from the Annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet are used to fund the scholarships.
There are two distinct types of JLTLAF Minority Law Student Scholarships: those awarded primarily on the basis of merit, and those based primarily on financial need.
I. Merit-Based Minority Scholarships: There are four (4) JLTLAF merit-based Scholarships that may be awarded in a given year. These are primarily academic scholarship awards. The Merit Scholarships are as follows:
The Barbara Jordan Scholarship - awarded to the most outstanding female minority law student.
The Fred Finch Scholarship - awarded to the most outstanding male minority law student.
The Marie Trahan/Susman Godfrey Scholarship - awarded to an outstanding African-American male or female law student that is from (born in or raised in) the state of Texas.
The Phyllis Lister Brown Scholarship - awarded to either a male or female minority law student who has excelled academically.
II. Financial Need Minority Scholarships: Although JLTLAF encourages academic excellence, the need-based scholarships focus on financial need and are not primarily academic scholarships. In selecting financial-need scholarship winners, we will consider an applicant's need, disadvantaged circumstances, community involvement, and other factors, in addition to merely academic standing. The financial-need scholarships for 2023 are as follows:
L.A. Bedford Memorial Scholarship – awarded to a deserving and diverse law student with financial need, displaying leadership qualities in the pursuit of justice for all, exhibiting a commitment to excellence, and engaged in community service.
Karen McCloud Memorial Scholarship – awarded to a deserving and diverse law school student displaying financial need, a commitment to inclusion and excellence within the legal profession, a dedication to service in the community, and a relentless focus on justice for all.
Teegan Hill Memorial Scholarship – awarded to a female minority law student from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, with demonstrated financial need who (1) has a record of community service and/or bar service; (2) has expressed an interest in litigation through participation in moot court or mock trial; and (3) plans to practice law in Dallas/Fort Worth upon graduation from law school.
Capt. Richard Stewart, JAG Corp. U.S. Navy (Ret.) Legal Education Scholarship– awarded to a minority law student with demonstrated financial need who: (1) currently serves or was honorably discharged from a branch of the U.S. military, as evidenced by a valid DD214; (2) is a child of a U.S. military veteran, as evidenced by a valid DD214; or (3) is a current member of, or has been accepted and plans to enter, the U.S. JAG Corp.
Chief Justice Carolyn Wright Scholarship – awarded to an African-American female law student displaying financial need, and a record of community service.
General Financial Need Awards – awarded to minority law students with demonstrated financial need and connection to the DFW metroplex.
Eligibility: To be eligible for JLTLAF Minority Law Student Scholarships, you must: A) be a United States Citizen or Permanent Legal Resident; B) be currently enrolled in an ABA accredited law school in the United States; C) be in good academic standing at the law school (proof of academic standing is required); and D) be either: 1) a second or third year minority law student that is from the DFW Metroplex; OR 2) a second or third year minority law student that attends law school in the DFW Metroplex.
Current Application Only: Only the 2023 scholarship application may be used to apply for scholarships in 2023; previous versions of the application will not be considered. If you are eligible, and are interested in applying for a merit-based scholarship, a need-based scholarship or both, download the scholarship application that is posted above.
Deadline: Completed scholarship applications must be received by JLTLAF on or before the Deadline of 5:00pm Central Standard Time on September 15, 2023. Incomplete applications and applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Please note that only one scholarship will be awarded per applicant.
Scholarship Presentation: The 2023 scholarships will be presented at the J.L. Turner Legal Association Foundation's 71st Anniversary Scholarship and Awards Gala that will be held on October 21, 2023, in Dallas, Texas.