Merit scholarships for entering students

Academic Honors

Eligibility: For an entering students who possess exceptional academic credentials as well as a substantial career history or history of significant community or extracurricular engagement.

Alaska Scholarships

Amount: $6,000 per year, guaranteed for duration of legal study.

Eligibility: Alaska residents who demonstrate exceptional aptitude for the study of law, coupled with a strong history of service and/or commitment to issues relevant to the Alaskan community.

Created by George and Mary Sundborg, parents of Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J., president of Seattle University. George Sundborg helped Alaska gain statehood and was an elected delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention.

Community Service Stipend

Amount: $3,000, for first-year studies only

Eligibility: Entering law students who have participated in Americorps, City Year, Peace Corps, VISTA, Teach for America, military service or Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

To apply: No application is required. Applicants should indicate relevant service in their resume or personal statement.

Dean's Inclusive Excellence Scholarship

Eligibility: Admitted students who have achieved merit and personal success despite significant obstacles.

Douglas R. Nash Native American Law Scholarship

Amount: Full tuition

Eligibility: Entering students who are enrolled members of a federally-recognized tribe or a lineal descendant of an enrolled parent or grandparent. Recipients must demonstrate commitment to Native American or Native Alaskan issues, academic achievement and promise.

To apply: This scholarship requires a special application process. Read more.

Outlaws Civil Rights Scholarship

Amount: $2,500, awarded as part of recipient’s financial aid package. Renewable annually through reapplication process.

Eligibility: Entering students actively committed to and engaged in public interest law benefitting the LGBTQ community.

Presidential Law Scholarships

Amount: Varying amounts, renewable annually with conditions.

Eligibility: Candidates who demonstrate exceptional aptitude for the study of the law.

Remala Family Scholarship (LLM students)

Amount: Full tuition

Eligibility: Applicants must be from India and seeking a Master of Laws (LLM) degree

Details: One full tuition scholarship is available each year to a student from India, made possible through a generous grant from the Remala Family Foundation. The recipient is selected based on both need and merit. In addition to the admission application, please complete this application to be considered for the scholarship.

To apply: This scholarship requires a special application process. In addition to the admission application, please complete the Remala Family Scholarship Application (PDF) to be considered for the scholarship.

Scholars for Justice Award

Amount: Full tuition

Eligibility: Entering students who demonstrate a commitment to a career in public interest law, such as past involvement in significant public service and/or social justice activities, as well as excellent academic achievement.

To apply: This scholarship requires a special application process. Read more.

Trustee Scholarships

Amount: Varying amounts, renewable annually with conditions

Eligibility: candidates who possess attributes that contribute to a diverse and dynamic student body, including age, experience, academic background, career history, community service, socioeconomic status, or special talents.

Washington State Scholars

Amount: Varying amounts, renewable annually with conditions

Eligibility: Entering students who are Washington state residents, based on exceptional aptitude for study of law, along with strong commitment to issues relevant to the law school’s mission.

Scholarships for current students

Access Admission Scholarship

To provide scholarship support for students admitted through the Access Admission Program.

Boerner Lustbader Access Admission Scholarship

Amount: varying amounts, awarded following both winter and spring graduations

Eligibility: Graduating Access Admission Program students

Dean James Bond Endowed Scholarship

Named after James Bond who was the longest-serving dean of the Seattle University School of Law.

Dean’s Medal Award

Awarded to the student in the graduating class who has the greatest potential to achieve the legal profession’s most noble aspirations for justice and ethics through their career.

Dreamer Scholarship

Awarded to full-time or part-time Seattle U Law students with financial need in good academic standing. Students must be enrolled in either the International Human Rights Clinic, the Immigration Law Clinic, or have declared an intention to work in human rights or immigration law practice areas, with preference given to DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students when DACA status is known.

Faculty Scholar

Each year, the faculty honors a student who demonstrates the skill, dedication, scholastic achievement, and leadership, both inside and outside of the classroom, that best exemplify the ideals for which the institution, its faculty, its students and the law profession incessantly strive.

Fred H. and Mary S. Dore Foundation Scholarships

Awarded to finalists in the two moot court competitions. Students who earn a B+ or better on their appellate brief in their Legal Writing II class are eligible to compete.

Fredric C. Tausend Scholarship for Academic Excellence

Established by the firm Pfau, Cochran, Vertisis, Amala PLLC to provide a scholarship in honor of Dean Fredric C. Tausend.

Full Circle Scholarship

Established by alumna, Amanda DuBois ’86, founder of Civil Survival, intended for a student whose life has been directly impacted by the criminal justice system.

James F. Henriot Endowed Scholarship

Established to honor James F. Henriot an alum and South Sound resident. His law focus was on civil litigation, labor, employment and business law.

Institutional Yellow Ribbon Program

Seattle University currently participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. This is a program that allows students who are eligible for 100% Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill®) benefits and not on active duty to gain additional funding for their tuition and fees.

John J. Costello, Leo B. Costello, and The Society of the Friends of St. Patrick Law Endowed Scholarship

Purpose of providing a rising 2L or 3L based on academic merit and financial need.

John A. Livingstone II Memorial Endowed Scholarship

To honor John A. Livingstone II class of 1999 by his parents as a tribute to his legal education and irrepressible spirit.

Justice Mary I. Yu Endowed Scholarship

To honor Justice Mary I. Yu, a Washington State Supreme Court Justice and Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Seattle U Law, and the diversity and representation she brings to the justice system. Established to aid underrepresented students at Seattle University School of Law, especially women of color.

Kellye Testy Scholarship

Established in recognition of Seattle University School of Law's first female dean, this award recognizes the unique potential represented by women in the law, and fosters leadership abilities and excellence.

King County Bar Scholars

Started in 1970 when the King County Bar raised $10,000 for minority law student scholarships, this program has grown today to scholarship awards of over $150,000 annually, divided between the University of Washington and Seattle University Schools of Law.

The Latina/o Law Student Association Scholarship Fund

Established in 2015 to provide financial support for an LLSA member who has demonstrated the leadership qualities embodied in LLSA’s Mission.

Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson Diversity Scholarship

Established by Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson to support students who are underrepresented in the legal profession.

The Louis J. Muscek Endowed Scholarship Fund

Established through a bequest from Tacoma attorney Louis J. Muscek.

Mary Ellen Krug Award

Established to honor the memory of Mary Ellen Krug who was a Seattle attorney and distinguished labor law practitioner to benefit law students who have an interest in labor and employment law.

Mary H. Wechsler AAML of Washington Scholarship for Social Justice in Family Law

Established by the chapter with Mary Wechsler ’79 to be awarded to a student that participates and promotes the ideals of the AAML mission as well as someone who intends to practice family law and who aspires to work toward social justice, access to justice, and judicial reform during their career.

Marilyn J. Berger Gender and Justice Writing Award

Recognizes excellence in written work on a “gender and the law” topic for 2L or 3L students.

Moot Court Scholarship

Awarded to the winner and runner-up of the Moot Court Competition.

Honorable Lloyd Shorett Endowed Scholarship Fund

Established to honor the late Judge Lloyd Shorett who was a Prosecuting Attorney for King County for nine years before running for the Superior Court Department 8 in which he served on the bench for 24 years.

Tony Yerry Memorial Scholarship

Established to honor Anthony "Tony" Yerry '14 who was a successful lawyer as a corporate attorney at K & L Gates. While at SU he was the co-president of the SU Trial Lawyers Association and a Research and Technical Editor of Law Review during his 3L year, graduating summa cum laude.

WSBA IP Scholarship

Established by the Washington State Bar Association Intellectual Property section for students interested in the practice of intellectual property law (whether litigation or transactional work) in the areas of patent, copyright, trademark or trade secret protection, arts and entertainment, advertising law and/or the intellectual property aspects of business.

WSBA Litigation Scholarship

Established by the Washington State Bar Association Litigation section for students who are interested in the practice of litigation.

Other scholarships

Additional non-Seattle U Law scholarships for eligible law students are listed on our Outside Scholarships page.

Other external scholarships may be researched at:

Submission-based scholarships

Cheney Legal Writing Endowed Scholarship

Awarded to 2L students from those selected from their 1L Legal Writing sections to participate in a writing competition, demonstrating high proficiency. Learn more.

Mark Reutlinger Legal Writing Endowed Scholarship

Established in 2004 to honor Professor Emeritus Mark Reutlinger, to provide awards to 2L, 3L or 4L students who have written the best paper in a law school course outside the Legal Writing Program determined by a faculty committee.

McKinley Irvin Diversity Scholarship

Established by McKinley Irvin PLLC, a premier divorce and family law firm, and the largest family law firm in the Pacific Northwest for SU Law students with strong consideration for students with an interest in the field of family law and involved in BLSA.

To apply: Submit a letter of interest and resume to Associate Dean of Student Life.

Read more about McKinley Irvin.

McKinley Irvin Scholarship

Established by McKinley Irvin PLLC, a premier divorce and family law firm, and the largest family law firm in the Pacific Northwest for SU Law students with strong consideration for students with an interest in the field of family law.

To apply: Submit a letter of interest and resume to Associate Dean of Student Life.

Read more about McKinley Irvin.

Metzger Scholarship

Awarded to 2L students from those selected from their 1L Legal Writing sections to participate in a writing competition, demonstrating high proficiency. Learn more.

Outlaws Civil Rights Scholarship

Amount: $2,500, awarded as part of recipient’s financial aid package. Renewable annually through reapplication process.

Eligibility: Current 1L/2L students actively committed to and engaged in public interest law benefitting the LGBTQ community.

Seed IP Law Group Founders Scholarship

Established by Seed IP Law Group in honor of the firm's founders, Richard W. Seed and Benjamin Berry to be awarded to a student with a strong interest in the field of intellectual property law.

Terry Oates Legal Writing Scholarship

Named in memory of Terence “Terry” Oates, husband of Professor Emeritus Laurel Currie Oates in the School of Law, who passed away in September 2014. Awarded through the annual legal writing competition. Learn more.

About Merit Scholarships

  • Seattle U Law offers merit scholarships in the form of tuition remission.
  • Awards are divided equally between fall and spring terms.
  • Offered in addition to other types of financial aid.
  • Scholarship awards may impact the level and type of other funding for which you may qualify.
  • If you receive a non-Seattle U Law scholarship or employer/government education benefits, you must notify us as we are to include these benefits as part of your financial aid award package.

Application information: Seattle U Law scholarships do not require a separate application process except for: Douglas R. Nash Native American Law Scholarship, Law Librarianship Scholarship, Outlaws Civil Rights Scholarship, Remala Family Scholarship, and Scholars for Justice Award.

Contact us

Student Financial Services (SFS)
Sullivan Hall, Second Floor
901 12th Avenue
P.O. Box 222000
Seattle, WA 98122-1090
206-398-4250
lawfa@seattleu.edu

SFS Hours

Monday - Friday:
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Late Hours*
Monday and Thursday
4:30-6:00 p.m.

*By appointment only

Hours are subject to change during exams, holidays, and summer session. Changes will be posted outside of the entrance to the Administrative Offices.

A drop box is located to the left of the Administrative Office doors for after-hours correspondence.