Legal Opportunity Scholarship by American Bar Association 2026

The American Bar Association (ABA) awards an annual Legal Opportunity Scholarship to first-year law students. The program's mission is committed to enhancing the diversity, equity, and inclusion of the legal profession. The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship grants $15,000 of financial aid to 20 - 25 incoming law students over their three years in law school. Since its inception, the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship has benefitted more than 400 students from across the country.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineApril 15, 2026
• Value$15,000
• Study LevelUndergraduate
• SponsorAmerican Bar Association
• Course to studyLaw

Benefits

 The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship grants $15,000 of financial aid to 20 - 25 incoming law students over their three years in law school. 

Requirements

To be eligible to receive an ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship, an applicant must meet all of the following requirements: 

1. The applicant must be an entering, first-year law student in academic year 2026.
2. The applicant must have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
3. Only first-year students beginning law school in this academic year will be eligible for a scholarship.  Law students who have completed one or more semesters or years of law school are not eligible.
4. Applicants who are part-time law students also must be starting law school in this academic year to be eligible.
5. At the time of submission of the application, the applicant must have achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 grading scale) at their undergraduate institution.  If the applicant has not completed their undergraduate degree at the time the application is submitted, the applicant must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 grading scale) as of the most recent completed semester.
6. Before receiving scholarship funds, recipients will be required to demonstrate admission to and plans to enroll at an ABA-accredited law school.  Because of the deadline for submitting applications the applicant will have applied to law schools, but may not yet have been admitted to law school.  If the applicant is selected to receive an ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship, the applicant will be required to demonstrate admission to and plans to enroll at an ABA-accredited law school before receiving scholarship funds.  Students who do not enroll or who leave law school after being admitted will be required to return all or a proportional amount of scholarship funds.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

The application period for the 2026 ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund for first-year students entering law school in the fall of 2026 will open on February 1, 2026. The application portal will close at 11:59 P.M. Central Time on April 15, 2026. 

For more details, visit ABA Scholarship Webpage