LOS ANGELES – MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025-2026 Law School Scholarship Program. Since its founding in 1968, MALDEF has awarded scholarships to law students committed to furthering our mission of promoting and protecting the civil rights of the Latino community in the United States.
“The events of this past year conclusively demonstrate the ongoing need for lawyers who will champion the rights of all members of the growing Latino community in the United States,” said Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel. “We are pleased to support our eight scholarship recipients as they progress toward becoming leaders for Latino civil rights in the bar and community.”
For years, MALDEF has awarded five to 15 deserving students scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 each. MALDEF’s Law School Scholarship application is open to any student enrolled at an accredited U.S. law school. This year, eight recipients received a combined award of $50,000. The recipients are selected by a national Law School Scholarship Committee of leading attorneys.
The scholarship committee assesses applicants based on personal background and financial need; academic and extracurricular achievement; demonstrated commitment to serving the Latino community, shown through an academic, extracurricular, or professional record of service; and future plans to advance the rights of Latinos.
This year’s recipients are studying at schools including Columbia Law School, Duke University School of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School, Michigan State College of Law, New York Law School, UCLA School of Law, University of Michigan Law School, and Yale Law School.
All of the recipients are children of immigrants and have a passion for protecting the civil rights of Latinos. All of the scholarship winners have spent time working for organizations that promote the rights of Latinos and other communities.
Applications for MALDEF’s 2026-2027 MALDEF Law School Scholarship Program are available for download at our website HERE. The deadline to apply is May 15, 2026.
Donations may be made to MALDEF’s Law School Scholarship Program HERE.
A complete list of MALDEF’s 2025-2026 Law School Scholarship recipients and brief bios of each can be found HERE.