The firm provides Diversity Scholarships to support outstanding diverse law students attending Bay Area law schools. Applicants must be current first-year law students who are students of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, disabled, or whose background or experience would otherwise contribute to the diversity of the legal profession.  The firm awards a total of $25,000 to be divided between three to five scholarship recipients.

Applications must be postmarked by March 2, 2012.

Interested students are invited to attend the program reception on February 15.

For more information and to download the application, please visit the firm’s website.

International JD students who wish to be considered for need-based grants at Berkeley Law may submit the FAFSA using the following method.

If you will be in the U.S. on an F1 or F2 student visa, a J1 or J2 exchange visa or a G series visa, you can select “No, I am not a citizen or eligible noncitizen.” You will not be eligible for federal student aid; however, you should still complete the application because you may be eligible for institutional aid.

The application for the California Bar Foundation’s Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarship for graduating 2012 California law students is now available.  As one of the only scholarship programs in the country that helps public interest law students with bar exam costs, the Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarship supports young California lawyers entering the legal profession as public interest attorneys. All winners will receive California Bar/Bri Law Review Bar Exam review courses (valued at more than $3,500), with top winners also receiving $2,000 in cash to help defray the fees and related expenses of taking the California Bar Exam.

The application and more information are available for you to download from the California Bar Foundation’s web site www.calbarfoundation.org/programs/scholarships/rosenthal.html.

Because each school can nominate a maximum of four applicants for the Rosenthal Bar Exam Scholarship, applications will need to be submitted to the law school’s Financial Aid Office no later than 5:00 P.M., Wednesday, January 25.

Please submit your application via e-mail to financial-aid@law.berkeley.edu as a single PDF document, though recommendations may come directly from the recommender.

The law school will certify and submit the nominees’ actual or anticipated graduation date, good ethical standing, and financial need with the nominees’ packet.

For additional information, please contact Jasmine Guillory, Program Director, at 415-856-0780 ext. 302 or by e-mail to jguillory@calbarfoundation.org

As you may already know, the FAFSA application for 2012-13 is now available.

All students who wish to be considered for a need-based grant MUST submit complete parent information on the FAFSA and supplemental application unless they meet the requirements for financial independence for that academic year. Without complete parent information, the applicant will not be considered for grant eligibility.
Students who do not wish to include  parent information on the FAFSA for other law schools may want to consider submitting the FAFSA to those schools first, then resubmitting for Berkeley. This can be done once an e mail is received confirming receipt of the initial FAFSA submission.  Remove those school codes, add the information to complete your application to Berkeley and resubmit with Berkeley’s school code, 001312.

La Raza Lawyers Association of Fresno has awards scholarships to deserving law students who have demonstrated academic achievement, leadership ability, involvement in the Latino community, financial need, and ties to California’s Central Valley.  Since 1991, the scholarship fund has been dedicated to the memory of the late Superior Court Judge Mario G. Olmos, a Fresno County jurist and respected community leader. This year’s annual banquet will be held in Fresno on March 2, 2012, and scholarship recipients are expected to attend to receive their awards.

Applications must be received by January 20, 2012.  Please address any questions to Erica Gonzalez, Treasurer of La Raza Lawyers Association, or visit our outside scholarships page for more information.

If you have not already signed up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to receive your spring refund through direct deposit, sign up online by January 2. Otherwise, paper refund checks will be available for pick-up at the cashier’s office at 140 University Hall. Periodically check your email account or your BearFacts CARS Refund Summary to find out when your refund becomes available. BearFacts will also show whether your EFT is active.

You can always check your most current CARS balance by viewing your Quick Statement on BearFacts. Remember that your e-Bill is a monthly snapshot and will not reflect recent payment activity, but your Quick Statement is updated daily and will show recent payments and any current CARS balance due.

You can also view your financial aid payments by logging on to MyFinAid and visiting the “Award Payment Status” link in the left column. Be sure to also check “messages” on MyFinAid— we may need a certain document or additional information from you in order to pay your aid. We recommend that you check MyFinAid regularly throughout the semester for updates.

Financial aid payments for spring semester 2012 will be sent to the Campus Accounts Receivable System (CARS) in early January, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements, which include being enrolled in at least 6 units, not having any registration blocks, and not having an unresolved overaward in your aid package.

Your first CARS bill for the spring semester will be visible in BearFacts on or near December 5, 2011. Please note that this December CARS statement will not show your financial aid payments, including loan disbursements for the spring semester.

Beginning in early January, financial aid payments (including any loans) will be transferred to your CARS account. If your aid payments exceed your charges, remaining funds will be issued as refunds beginning Friday, January 13, 2012. If your aid is delayed because you do not meet the eligibility requirements, you can expect your refund 7-10 days after you establish your eligibility.

Awards from Other Departments:

For questions about fellowships, departmental awards, fee waivers, and fee remissions, please contact your department or the fellowships office. The Financial Aid Office does not have information about these award disbursements.

Regular Office Hours:

Monday-Thursday 9am-12pm and 1pm – 4pm (Closed Fridays)

Holiday Hours:

The Financial Aid Office will be closed from December 23 through January 1, resuming normal office hours on Monday, January 2. There will be limited resources for services on Monday, December 19, through Thursday, December 22.

Fall Semester Aid:

Students intending to borrow additional loans for the fall semester should accept the loans and meet all other requirements by December 12. Students intending to borrow the campus’ emergency loan may do so only until December 15.

ABA Diversity Fellowships in Environmental Law

The American Bar Association is offering fellowships in environmental law for the summer of 2012. The program is available to law students of underrepresented groups, including age, disability, sexual orientation, and cultural backgrounds. The fellowship includes a $5,000 stipend for an 8-10 week internship at a government agency or public interest organization, participation in relevant ABA meetings, and a mentor from the ABA or California Bar Association.  Completed applications must be submitted by January 23, 2012.  More information is available at the ABA website.

Community Foundation of  Sonoma County – Michael F. O’Donnell Memorial Scholarship

This fund will award scholarships to students currently enrolled in law school or pursuing a law-related career. Applicants must be residents of Sonoma County or have attended a high school located in Sonoma County.  For more information, visit the Community Foundation website or email Dana Johnson, Program Associate.  Applications must be received by March 5, 2012.

JVS Scholarship Fund

The JVS Scholarship is available to Jewish students with verifiable financial need who are legal and permanent residents of Los Angeles County.  All applicants are required to file a “Free Application for Federal Student Aid” (FAFSA) in January.  Scholarship applications will be available on January 4 and must be received by March 16, 2012.  For more information, please visit the JVS website.