The School of Law annually awards scholarships to outstanding students on the basis of academic performance, leadership, character, personal achievements, and financial need. The scholarships listed below are funded through private donations and are administered by the law school. They are open to all University of Memphis School of Law students who meet the specified criteria and complete the application process. Visiting law students are not eligible for these scholarships.

RETURNING STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

Black McLaren Jones Ryland & Griffee Judicial Endowment Fund

Tillie B. Alperin Scholarship is named in honor of the late Tillie Blen Alperin, a 1935 graduate of the old University of Memphis Law School and one of the first women to practice law in Tennessee.  Female law students who have successfully completed their first year with a B average, have demonstrated a commitment to the legal profession, and have financial need are eligible.  Preference will also be given to applicants who have overcome significant obstacles in pursuit of their education.

Cleveland Drennon, Jr. Memorial Scholarship is funded by Humphrey E. Folk, Jr. and the Drennon family and friends. All full-time students are eligible for the award, with special consideration given to applicants who were student-athletes graduates of The University of Memphis or Vanderbilt University. 

Deal Cooper Holton PLLC Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy was established by the law firm of Deal, Cooper & Holton, PLLC. This award will be given to the student with excellent performance in the School of Law course entitled Trial Advocacy. 

East Tennessee Foundation Scholarship is made possible by a grant from the Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation. This scholarship is awarded to one second- or third-year student who has demonstrated community involvement and/or a commitment to public service. The scholarship recipient may be required to attend and participate in the annual Tennessee Judicial Conference. The recipient’s travel, meals, and lodging expenses will be provided by the Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation. The scholarship is awarded every four years, rotating among the other law schools in the state.

Evans & Petree Law Firm Scholarship in Honor of Percy Harvey, Esq. was established by this Tennessee law firm to demonstrate their commitment to increasing access for minority students to the legal profession. One scholarship is awarded annually, with preference given to a returning African American student with financial need.  Final selection is made by the donor committee.

Federal Court Bench and Bar Scholarships are awarded to economically disadvantaged law students from the Middle District of Tennessee. The recipients must be in good academic standing at the law school or the most recent school attended, but this is not intended to be a merit or academic achievement based scholarship. The goal is to broaden the Middle District of Tennessee bar through expanded opportunities for law students from all backgrounds. The recipients must have demonstrated financial need and must have either graduated from a high school in, or resided for the previous three years as a non-full time student in, one of the following Tennessee Counties:  Cannon, Cheatham, Clay, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Dickson, Fentress, Giles, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lawrence, Lewis, Macon, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, White, Williamson, or Wilson. The recipient does not become ineligible for this scholarship merely by moving from the Middle District to the Western or Eastern District to attend law school.  The following students are ineligible for this scholarship:  Judges and employees of the United States courts and their family members, and Nashville Bar Association employees or Board members and their family members. “Family member” shall include any person covered by Canon 3C(1)(d) or (3)(a) of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges.

Wilford Hayes Gowen Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Wilford Hayes Gowen, through the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, in memory of Wilford Hayes Gowen. Hayes Gowen, a graduate of Southern Law School in the late 1930’s, founded the Law and Real Estate division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This scholarship is awarded to a second- or third-year law student on the basis of academic performance, financial need, and personal industriousness.

Robert and Elaine Hoffman Memorial Scholarship is named in honor of the late Chancellor Robert Hoffman and his sister Elaine.  All students are eligible for consideration, with selection based upon academic merit. Two awards are available, one to a second-year and one to a third-year law student.

Kathryn Hookanson Law Fellowship was established by Ms. Hookanson, her family, friends and colleagues. Kathryn Hookanson was Legal Counsel for The University of Memphis, a member of the law faculty, and a practicing member of the Memphis Bar. All students are eligible to apply.  Preference may be given to female students and those in financial need.

John C. “Jack” Hough Memorial Law Scholarship is named in honor of the late John C. “Jack” Hough, a former member of the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office. The scholarship is available to a second- or third-year law student who demonstrates financial need and is working as a volunteer or in a law school externship in the office of the Shelby County Public Defender.  Preference will also be given to applicants who express an interest in a career in government service as a public defender or prosecutor, or in the field of criminal law.

Cecil C. Humphreys Law Fellowships are funded through a grant from the Plough Foundation. These fellowships are awarded to students who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance, leadership, good citizenship, and scholarly achievements. Humphreys Fellows are required to work 15 hours per week as a research assistant to faculty members. This fellowship provides a stipend and a fee waiver for half the cost of in-state tuition. Fellows engage in activities under the direction of law faculty members. Fellowships are awarded to 2nd and 3rd year students.

Kiesewetter Wise Kaplan Prather, PLC was established by the law firm of Kiesewetter, Wise, Kaplan & Prather, PLC.  This award provides scholarship assistance to the student with the highest grade in the School of Law course entitled Labor Law. In the event of a tie for the highest grade, the professor teaching the course will determine the recipient. The awarding of this scholarship will commence for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Law Alumni Scholarship Award is awarded to an outstanding 2nd or 3rd year law student. The Law School Honors & Awards Committee screens the applications, selects the top three, and forwards them to the Law Alumni Scholarship Committee. The Law Alumni Scholarship Committee makes the final selection. These scholarships are funded by gifts to the law school from alumni and friends. Factors reviewed by the committee include financial need, undergraduate grade point average, law school grade point average, law school activities, and personal statement. The recipient is invited to, and recognized at, a Law Alumni Board meeting.

H. H. McKnight Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a veteran of the United States Armed Forces with financial need and who is interested in pursuing a career in criminal law.  Two scholarships are awarded annually, one to an entering student and one to a returning student.  Final selection is made by the donor committee.  

Memphis Access and Diversity Law Scholarship.  The Tennessee Board of Regents has allocated funds for a diversity scholarship program at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. If you are interested in applying for this diversity scholarship, you must complete the scholarship application and explain why you qualify. Only Tennessee and Border County residents are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Sam A. Myar, Jr. Law Scholarship provides scholarship assistance to the Editor-in-Chief and the Managing Editor of the University of Memphis Law Review. Sam A. Myar, Jr. was a highly regarded Memphis attorney and Professor of Law who passed away at the untimely age of 39 in 1959. Mr. Myar was a partner at McCloy Myar & Wellford, where his concentration was in Corporate and Tax Law. His friends and partners established a scholarship in his name due to his generosity of spirit, wisdom, and dedication to pursuing justice for all. This scholarship was established in 1960 at Southern Law University, which is now known as the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Mr. Myar was a graduate of the University of Virginia and received his law degree from the University of Chicago. The funds generated from this scholarship currently provide

Joseph Henry Shepherd Scholarship is made possible by an endowment fund established by Dorothy S. Shepherd.  It is awarded on the basis of academic performance and financial need.  Three scholarships are awarded annually, one to a member of each class.

Ratner and Sugarmon Scholarship is awarded annually to a second- or third-year student who, in the opinion of the Honors and Awards Committee, best exemplifies a commitment to the needs of the underrepresented in society. 

Jerome Rosengarten Scholarship is made possible by an endowment fund established by Sheldon, Shelli and Anna Rosengarten, the son, wife, and granddaughter of Jerome Rosengarten. Mr. Rosengarten's legal career included service in the Judge Advocate General Corps during World War II and 62 years as an attorney in Memphis, TN. This scholarship is awarded to a second- or third-year student with a minimum grade point average of 3.0, with preference given to a student who is interested in pursuing a career in property or real estate law.

Tennessee Bar Foundation IOLTA Law School Scholarship is funded by the Tennessee Bar Foundation. The recipient must be a Tennessee resident and a rising third-year student in good standing. Criteria considered for awarding this scholarship include any one or all of the following: student’s demonstrated concern for public interest law, student’s financial need, and/or diversity representation as defined by the University of Memphis School of Law.

Martin and Becky Zummach Book Scholarship provides one book award each semester to a non-traditional student who is pursuing a law degree after significant work experience. This award was established by Martin and Becky Zummach, and will be awarded beginning in the Fall 2008 semester. 

Applicants may be requested to appear for an interview with representatives of the law school and the donors who provide the scholarship funding. Every attempt will be made to notify scholarship recipients by May 1 for the following academic year.

For additional information or questions about scholarships, please contact:

University of Memphis School of Law
207 Humphreys Law School
Memphis, TN 38152-3140
901.678.5403
lawadmissions@memphis.edu