Marshall-Motley Scholars Program

The Marshall-Motley Scholars Program (MMSP) is a revolutionary and groundbreaking commitment to populate the South with a new generation of civil rights lawyers trained to provide legal advocacy of unparalleled excellence. Through scholarship support, legal fellowships, and professional mentoring, the MMSP will equip and prepare these aspiring lawyers to advocate on behalf of communities as they pursue racial justice and equity in the South, a region of the country where the majority of Black Americans live. Over the next two decades, this ambitious and unique program is committed to creating the next generation of racial justice warriors through the development of 50 new civil rights lawyers.

Eligibility: 

1) Must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university no later than September 2023.

2) Must be admitted to, or expect to be admitted to, an ABA-accredited law school as a first-year, fulltime law student, in a 3-year full time JD program to begin in the fall of 2024.

3) Must be a United States citizen or the holder of a Permanent Resident green card.

4) Must intend to pursue a career in Civil Rights law, and if awarded, you must work full-time in pursuit of racial justice in a southern state for a period of 8 years immediately following the fellowship portion of the MMSP.

5) Must complete application

Program Benefits: 

1) A full law school scholarship for tuition, room, board, and incidentals to alleviate the debt burden that can prevent future lawyers from pursuing a career in racial justice.

2) Summer internships at LDF and other national civil rights organizations with offices in the South to begin their training as civil rights lawyers early in their law school careers.

3) A two-year postgraduate fellowship at a national, regional, or local civil rights organization with a racial justice law practice in the South.

4) Access to special trainings sponsored by the LDF and the National Academy of Sciences.

Deadline is February 5, 2025

For more information and how to apply, click here.