Sarasota County Bar Association Richard R. Garland Diversity Scholarship Fund
The Sarasota County Bar Association Diversity Scholarship Fund is intended to provide an internship opportunity for first through third year law students of under-represented minority backgrounds (e.g. race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, or socioeconomic background), who have an interest in practicing law in Sarasota County upon graduation, to obtain summer placement in private law firms and governmental agencies in Sarasota County. The Scholarship Application is open to those aforementioned law students enrolled in Florida law schools and those enrolled in out-of-state law schools, but who have or having had family, school, or community ties to Sarasota County and are interested in practicing law in Sarasota County.
The Diversity Scholarship aims to foster an employment and collegial relationship between the law student/s and the legal employer/s and consequently enhance the diversity of the Sarasota legal community. At the conclusion of the student’s summer employment, the law school where the student matriculates will receive scholarship funds of up to $5,000.00 per student, to be used by the student for his/her law degree. The Diversity Intern also earns wages from the Employer.
The SCBA Diversity Committee assigns an attorney mentor to each Diversity Scholarship Intern. Along with the Internship Employer, the SCBA mentor coordinates the activities promoting the Diversity Scholarship Intern’s professional development during the internship period. The Diversity Scholarship Intern and the Diversity Scholarship Employer will be welcomed and recognized, respectively, at a reception by the SCBA and representatives from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
To apply, students must submit the application form and enclose any additional required attachments. Completed applications must be in the Community Foundation office by July 1, 2016. Applications may be e-mailed in a single .PDF document by midnight on July 1, 2016 at this email address under the subject “Richard R. Garland Diversity Scholarship Application attached.” The original application is required to be returned to the Community Foundation via mail.
For a copy of the application form, questions or/and additional details, please ask your CDO advisor or click here.