We list 4 verified law scholarships for Black students. Awards range from $1,000 to $45,000, and the largest is the Earl Warren Scholarship from NAACP Legal Defense Fund at $45,000 total ($15,000 per year for three years). The next deadline is October 15, 2026 for the 2026 D.C. Future Legal Leaders Scholarship.
None of these imposes a formal race requirement, though 3 are run by organisations whose stated mission is serving Black students. The lowest GPA requirement in this group is 3.0, and 3 listings publish no GPA minimum at all. 2 are renewable for more than one year.
Every listing below links to the sponsor's official page and shows the date we last checked it. We do not take a cut of any award and we never charge students.
Compare these scholarships
| Scholarship | Sponsor | Award | Deadline | Min GPA | Who can apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 D.C. Future Legal Leaders Scholarship | HKM Employment Attorneys LLP | $1,000 | October 15, 2026 | 3.0 | Open to all · Campus within 60 miles of Washington, D.C. |
| Earl Warren Scholarship | NAACP Legal Defense Fund | $45,000 total ($15,000 per year for three years) | Annually, May 1 | None stated | Minority-focused · National |
| Herbert Lehman Education Fund Scholarship | NAACP Legal Defense Fund | Varies (renewable for up to four years for undergraduates, three for law students) | Annually, April 1 for undergraduates and May 1 for law students | None stated | Minority-focused · National |
| The Ally Financial Law Scholars | Congressional Black Caucus Foundation | Varies (amount not published by the sponsor) | Annually, late March (applications open early January) | None stated | Minority-focused · National |
All 4 listings
2026 D.C. Future Legal Leaders Scholarship
HKM Employment Attorneys LLP
HKM Employment Attorneys offers a $1,000 scholarship for students in a pre-law, paralegal, or J.D. program at a campus within 60 miles of Washington, D.C. Applicants need a 3.0 GPA or higher, must be at least 18 at the time of submission, and submit a 250-word essay on the prompt "How I will use my legal education to serve my community," along with an unofficial transcript and a one-page resume. The deadline is October 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. local time.
Earl Warren Scholarship
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
The Earl Warren Scholarship is awarded annually by the Legal Defense Fund to rising law students whose commitment to racial justice shows outstanding potential for careers as civil rights and public interest attorneys. Awards are $15,000 per year for three years, a total of $45,000, provided scholars remain in good academic standing and continue to meet the criteria. Eligible applicants are students entering their first or second year of full-time study at an accredited law school. There is no minimum LSAT or GPA requirement; candidates are judged holistically. Scholars may also apply for LDF internships, externships, and guided research projects. Final decisions are made in mid-August or early September.
Herbert Lehman Education Fund Scholarship
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
The Herbert Lehman Education Fund is a national, highly competitive scholarship established in 1964 that makes annual awards to outstanding undergraduate and law school students with financial need. It was created to help Black students attend formerly segregated four-year colleges and universities in the South and to increase the number of Black Americans in the legal profession. Undergraduate awards generally do not exceed four years and the law school awards, offered in limited numbers to students committed to public interest law, generally do not exceed three years. There is no minimum test score or GPA requirement; the committee weighs GPA, test scores, recommendations, financial need, volunteer activities, and essays together, with no single component determining an award.
The Ally Financial Law Scholars
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
The Ally Financial Law Scholars program is administered by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation for students pursuing a law degree. It shares the foundation's common application window, opening in early January and closing in late March, with submissions through the CBCF scholarship portal. Immediate relatives of a CBC Member are not eligible.
Frequently asked questions
What law scholarships for Black students are available right now?
We list 4 verified law scholarships for Black students. The nearest deadline is October 15, 2026 for the 2026 D.C. Future Legal Leaders Scholarship, worth $1,000 from HKM Employment Attorneys LLP. The rest run on recurring annual cycles, so the exact date shifts each year.
Do I need a high GPA for law scholarships for Black students?
Not necessarily. The lowest published GPA requirement among these 4 listings is 3.0, and 3 of them publish no GPA minimum at all. Sponsors that do not state a minimum typically assess applications holistically, weighing essays, financial need, recommendations, and community involvement alongside grades.
Are these law scholarships for Black students only for Black students?
Not formally. None of these 4 listings imposes a race requirement in its published criteria, but 3 are run by organisations whose stated mission is serving Black or minority students, so Black applicants are squarely who they exist for. The distinction matters because it determines whether you are eligible on paper, and we label every listing accordingly.
What is the largest of these law scholarships for Black students?
The largest is the Earl Warren Scholarship from NAACP Legal Defense Fund at $45,000 total ($15,000 per year for three years). It is renewable, so the figure reflects support across more than one year. Its deadline is Annually, May 1.
How do you check that these listings are accurate?
Every listing is read off the sponsor's own page before it goes live, and each one records the date it was last checked plus a note saying what was confirmed. Anything a sponsor does not publish, such as an award amount or a GPA floor, is left blank rather than guessed. Listings we cannot verify are held back rather than published.