Scholarships & Awards | School of Law | SIU

Distributions from this account established on the records of the Southern Illinois University Foundation to be used under the following terms and conditions:

1. Recipient must be a 2nd year law student (2L) with full-time status.
2. Recipient must be in good academic standing.
3. Preference shall be given to female under-represented minority law students who demonstrate financial need.
4. All applicants must submit the following for consideration: a resume a one-page essay describing the student's commitment to diversity and social justice issues; and a statement describing how the student anticipates using the scholarship funds.

Open to 1L, 2L, 3L

Winner of annual ping pong tournament

Open to 1L, 2L, 3L

Scholarship will be open to all applicants with the following qualifications, regardless of race or ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or marital status, national origin, disability, age or veteran status in accordance with the SIUC Affirmative Action Policy:

1. Any student in good academic standing enrolled at the SIU School of Law as selected by the Selection Committee using the criteria set forth herein.
2. Preference should be given to an eligible recipient who has "made a positive impact on student life at the SIU School of Law."

Scholarship will be open to all applicants with the following:

1. a second or third-year student in good acade mic standing enrolled at the SIU School of Law.
2. Preference should be given to an eligible recipient who is employed by the School of Law as a Research Assist ant.
3. Potential recipients shall be nominated by a supervising faculty member.  The faculty member shall submit in writing to the Committee the reasons for the nomination.

Open to present 1L or 2L

The award criteria are, in the following order, a law student who

a) is or who has a parent, guardian, grandparent, aunt or uncle, who is a member of the United Transportation Union or its successor labor organization;

OR

b) is or who has a parent, guardian, grandparent, aunt or uncle, who is a member of any AFL-CIO affiliated labor organization.

The student must demonstrate through academic study, community service, or essay that he or she is cognizant of the ethical issues confronting those in the practice of law and intends to pursue high ethical standards.

Open to present 1L, 2L, or 3L

The Bessie Engram Community Service Award is to be awarded to a Southern Illinois University law student (first, second or third year) who has volunteered the most time in helping local citizens of Southern Illinois while in law school.  Financial need of the recipient is preferred, but not mandatory.

Open to 1L, 2L

Preference for this award shall be given to a student with financial need from Marion, Illinois. If there is no student from Marion, then the award shall go to a student with financial need from Williamson County, Illinois, or if there is none, a student with financial need from the Southern District of Illinois.

The Lisa Franke Scholarship will be open to all applicants with the following qualifications, regardless of race or ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or marital status, national origin, disability, age or veteran status in accordance with the SIUC Affirmative Action Policy:

1. A student enrolled in the JD/MSW dual degree program or participating in the School of Law's Domestic Violence Clinic.
2. Preference should be given to an eligible recipient that is 1) female or 2) a member of the Women's Law Caucus.

The scholarship may also be designated for a student who exhibits the following characteristics: endless enthusiasm, an outgoing personality, strong leadership ability, a commitment to civic and charitable causes, and the ability to motivate others to become involved in important causes.

Open to 2L

The Gilbert Family Memorial Scholarship is to be awarded to a Southern Illinois University law student. Preference is to be given to fourth-semester students in the top 50% of the class after three semesters from the southern part of Illinois (Springfield and south) who can show economic need and evidence of service to the School of Law while a law student.

Open to 1L, 2L, 3L

This scholarship is given to a student who majored in Agriculture (or a related field) in their undergraduate college work and who has expressed an interest in practicing agriculture law (or a related field or occupation) after graduation from law school. Preference will be given to students who majored in agriculture at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.  

Open to 1L, 2L & 3L

This scholarship is awarded to a SIU Law Student who is a member of the Jackson County Bar, is in the top 50% of his or her class, has participated in volunteer work in Jackson County, which may include participation in the clinical programs at the law school, and intends to remain in Jackson County to practice law.  Short essay required. 

Open to present 1L or 2L

The David C. Johnson Scholarship is to be awarded to a Southern Illinois University law student in good academic standing. The recipient must be a first generation college student, i.e., from a family where neither parent received a degree from an accredited four year college or university. This scholarship will be applied to the recipient's Bursar Account in the following academic year.

Open to 3L

Outstanding leadership and service to the law school and with the expectation of continued leadership and service to the law school and the legal profession.  Students should be in the top 80% of the class, but lower rank is not an automatic disqualification. The Committee is to select no more than 8% of the students in the Senior class for this honor. Separate application required.

The Thurgood Marshall Award Scholarship will be open to all applicants with the following qualifications: the recipient must be a member of the Black Law Students Association; the recipient must exemplify the following characteristics: compassion for others professionalism and a strong commitment to equal opportunity and diversity.

Open to present 3L

The Judge James O. Monroe, Jr. Award is to be awarded to a Southern Illinois University third-year law student who shall have demonstrated excellence in writing or research programs which are a part of his/her law school studies. 

Open to present 1L or 2L

The Scott H. Nichols Memorial Endowed Scholarship is to be awarded to a student who is in financial need.  Note: The committee anticipates that there will be many students with financial need. Please explain any extraordinary circumstances beyond the usual loans associated with school which make you the ideal candidate for this scholarship. 

1.  Recipient must have completed two semesters at the SIU School of Law.
2. Recipient must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
3. Recipient must reside in one of the following counties in Illinois at the time of application: Alexander Bond Calhoun Christian Clark Clay Clinton Coles Crawford Cumberland Douglas Edgar Effingham Fayette Franklin Gallatin Green Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jasper Jefferson Jersey Johnson Lawrence Macon Macoupin Madison Marion Massac Montgomery Morgan Moultrie Perry Pike Pulaski Randolph Richland Saline Sangamon Shelby St. Clair Union Wabash Washington Wayne White Williamson.
4. Recipients may receive the scholarship more than once if they re-apply each year and continue to meet the qualifications.

Open to present 2L

This scholarship is given to a 2L law student enrolled in Legal Profession in during the current academic year and who intends to practice in Southern Illinois and has demonstrated service to the Law School.

Academic achievement is not to be considered as this award is made of the basis of financial need.

Open to present 2L

This scholarship was established in memory of Judge Richard E. Richman.  It goes to a student (present 2L) to use during the student's final year in law school. The recipient criteria encompass character, verbal skills, humanity, and compassion.

Applicants should submit at least three letters of recommendation (with no more than one letter written by a School of Law faculty member) and a short essay on the topic, "My Role as a Lawyer in Society."

The recipient is selected by a committee consisting of the Director of Admissions and two members outside the School of Law.

Letters should be addressed to:

SIU School of Law Dean's Office
SIU School of Law
Carbondale, IL 62901-6811

and should say "Re: Richman Endowed Scholarship"

Open to present 1 or 2L

Preference is to be given to a Southern Illinois University law student who will be in his/her second or third year during previous Fall Semester  (i.e., a present 1L or 2L) from Southern Illinois (meaning south of Springfield, Illinois) who is studying one or more of the following fields: Employment Law; Environmental Law; Health Law; or a related field. 

Open to present 2L

The Edgar O. and Bonnie Zimmer Law Scholarship is to be awarded at the beginning of the fall semester to a senior in the School of Law who has indicated an intention of becoming a part of the community life of Southern Illinois.  Students should be in their fourth semester of law school when applying.

Southern Illinois means the Illinois counties of Monroe, Randolph, Perry, Hamilton, Franklin, White and all counties south thereof, except Jackson County.

The student shall be chosen according to the following guidelines:

1. Scholastic achievement need not be the sole criterion, but grades shall be satisfactory.
2. Need shall not be a necessary criterion, but other financial assistance available to applicant shall be considered.
3. The needs of the community in which applicant contemplates locating should also be considered.
4. Applicant must be of good moral character with the potential of becoming an active participant in the affairs of the community.