Marshall-Motley Scholars Program (MMSP)

Description

Sponsored by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program seeks to identify the next generation of aspiring civil rights lawyers pursuing racial justice in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Participants must commit to practice civil rights law in pursuit of racial justice in the South for eight years following the fellowship.

Benefits

The scholarship covers tuition, room, board, and incidentals associated with three years of law school. During law school, scholars participate in summer internships at civil rights organizations focused on racial justice in the South and have access to special NAACP trainings. After law school, scholars take up a two-year fellowship at a civil rights law organization in the South.

Scholars also gain access to a strong alumni network and ongoing opportunities for networking, collaboration, and advancement.

Eligibility

• Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Be admitted to, or expect to be admitted to, an ABA-accredited law school as a first-year, full-time law student, in a 3-year full-time JD program to begin in the fall 
• U.S. citizens or students with permanent resident status
• Intend to pursue a career in Civil Rights law and, if awarded, you must work in pursuit of racial justice in a southern state for a period of 8 years immediately following the fellowship portion of the MMSP
• Able to describe in your application a sustained personal engagement in Civil Rights and racial justice in one or more of the following areas:  Work/Internship, Academic/Coursework, Campus Organizations, Community-based Organizations, Volunteer, Research 
• Open to everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or disability.

Selection Criteria

• Purpose & commitment: People who care deeply about racial justice and are committed to pursuing the practice of civil rights law.
• Resilience: People who foresee challenges, respond to them, and bounce back from them.
• Preparation to lead: People who are uniquely equipped to take on such a substantial leadership role in the world.
• Connectedness:  People who have a demonstrated commitment to working on issues of racial justice and equality and who have an interest in working in the South. 

*MMSP has a particular interest in students with strong connections – familial, work, or otherwise, to the South.