MEMORANDUM
The Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Law Scholarship
Information and Guidelines
Background Information:
Throughout his distinguished life and career, the Honorable Abraham Lincoln Marovitz was a firm believer that financial need should not be a bar to dedicated young students who want to pursue careers in public service. For almost a century, Judge Marovitz consistently demonstrated his commitment to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through a variety of charitable activities. Prior to his death in 2001, Judge Marovitz insured that this legacy would continue by establishing funding for a number of charitable initiatives, highlighted by the new Chicago Bar Foundation Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Law Scholarship.
The Marovitz Scholarship will be awarded annually to a student attending one of the seven Chicago area law schools by (DePaul, John Marshall, Chicago-Kent, Loyola, Northwestern, University of Chicago, and Northern Illinois University). These funds, payable over a three-year period, will enable an incoming student who intends to pursue a career in public interest law to have a significant portion of his or her tuition and related expenses covered by Scholarship funding. Contingent on the recipient’s continued compliance with the terms of the Scholarship, the student will receive $5,000 in the first year of law school, $10,000 in the second year, and $15,000 in the third year. (The payment schedule may be modified for part-time students).
Purpose of the Scholarship:
The Marovitz Scholarship is intended to support a needy law student who is deeply committed to public interest work so that upon graduation financial need will not prevent the student from pursuing a public interest legal career. The Scholarship provides funds for needy public interest-minded students so they may complete law school with as little debt as possible. In addition to the financial aspect of the award for the individual student recipient, the broader goals of the Scholarship are to:
- create a support structure for individual recipients so they have a richer, more complete public interest focus during law school.
- create recognition by the greater public interest law community of the commitment or special talent of the recipient, thus assisting that individual in job searches upon graduation from law school.
- raise awareness about the practice of public interest law.
- create an incentive for law schools to promote and support public interest law activities.
- build, over time, a group of former recipients who will benefit the public interest law community of the Chicago area through their practice of law.
Financial Administration of Scholarships:
The Marovitz Scholarship recipient’s law school is responsible for all aspects of administering Scholarship funding. Law school financial aid offices are best equipped to administer such funds. The CBF distributes the Scholarship funds to the law school, which in turn handles disbursement to the student.
Administrative Responsibilities of Law School:
A law school whose student receives the Marovitz Scholarship must:
1) Publicize the Scholarship and application process to potential recipients.
2) Provide CBF an update each semester, which states that the Scholarship recipient remains in good academic standing and chronicles student compliance with the required terms as listed below.
3) Provide a statement to CBF upon disbursement of funds for each year of the Scholarship.
4) Maintain updated contact information of the Scholarship recipient during law school as well as contact information and employment information from graduation onward.
Criteria for Selection
The CBF will select the candidate who best demonstrates the following:
1) A solid commitment to public interest issues, as demonstrated by past and present activities.
2) The desire to practice public interest law. While the CBF recognizes the importance of all public service work and commends all attorneys who pursue such careers, for purposes of this Scholarship “public interest law” is defined consistent with the CBF’s mission: to improve access to justice for people who are impacted by poverty, abuse and discrimination by working at a legal aid or similar public interest law organization or entity. Consistent with this focus, not included in this definition of public interest law are judicial clerkships, private practice, pro bono work in a traditional firm or corporate setting, most academic work, and state’s attorney and other government work not fitting the above definition.
3) A commitment to pursue a career in public interest law, as demonstrated by an application essay, and possibly a personal interview.
4) The ability to achieve success as a lawyer, as demonstrated by past achievements in school or other activities, and taking into account any personal obstacles that the candidate may have overcome and other relevant considerations.
5) Financial need, taking into account other means of funding tuition, such as other scholarship awards or personal assets.
Application Method
Applicants should submit the following materials for consideration by the selection committee:
1) Cover Letter
2) Resume
3) Letter of Reference speaking to the applicant’s commitment to public interest work (at least one, not more than three)
4) Financial information from the FAFSA form. A school to which the applicant is applying may provide information on the “family contribution” as indicated by the FAFSA form with written authorization from the applicant.
5) Brief essay, no more than three pages, explaining the applicant’s interest in and commitment to pursuing a career in public interest law. Applicants may also include any information they feel is relevant to the committee’s decision, such as information about the applicant’s financial need or particular circumstances.
Complete applications are due by April 1, 2004 and should be mailed to: Marovitz Public Interest Scholarship Selection Committee, Chicago Bar Foundation, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Suite 3B, Chicago, IL 60604. Applicants with questions regarding the process may contact Leslie Corbett at (312) 554-1206 or lcorbett@. The judging committee may choose to conduct a personal interview with finalists before making their determination.
Requirements and Benefits to Recipient
Recipients of the Scholarship are required to demonstrate a continued commitment to public interest law to continue receiving funds after the first year. In order to remain eligible for funding, the Marovitz Scholarship recipient must:
1) Make a commitment to practice public interest law for at least three of the first five years following graduation from law school, as the foundation for a career in public interest.
2) Participate in a public interest law clinic, internship or other CBF approved project that will give public interest law experience during the second and third academic year. This could be for academic credit.
3) Become a student member of the Chicago Bar Association.
4) Participate on the Legal Aid Committee of the Chicago Bar Association after the first year of law school.
5) Report to law school administration and the CBF each semester about participation in public interest activities and compliance with the specific requirements of the Scholarship.
6) Complete an evaluation upon graduation from law school about the recipient’s Scholarship experience, and offer suggestions on how to improve the program for future participants.
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