The Black, Latino, Asian-Pacific American Law Alumni Association (BLAPA) Public Service Scholarship was created in 1994 to promote the practice of law in the public sector by graduates of New York University School of Law. In October 2011, the Scholarship was renamed the Derrick Bell Scholarship for Public Service to celebrate Professor Bell and his commitment to legal education, critical thought, and community empowerment. Law Alumni of Color Association (LACA), formerly known as BLAPA, alumni have contributed funds to this scholarship to reduce the law school debt burden of second and/or third year students who are members of APALSA, BALSA, LaLSA, MENALSA, NALSA, or SALSA and are in need of financial assistance.
This year, LACA will continue to award scholarship(s) in the amount of $15,000 to student(s) who have proven their dedication to public service, who plan to pursue careers in public interest law, and who demonstrate a commitment to social justice in the best tradition of Professor Bell. The award will be directly applied to the recipient’s financial aid package for the 2025-26 academic year.
Applications are available on the LACA web site at: https://www.law.nyu.edu/alumni/alumniassociations/laca/for-students. Scroll down to the heading labeled The Derrick Bell Scholarship for Public Service to access the application link.
Completed applications are due no later than Monday, December 2, 2024.