Four law schools offering scholarships to City Year alumni

From the classroom to the courtroom

For law schools, a desirable applicant often has more than a high LSAT score and undergraduate grade point average. Admissions committees are looking for candidates with “real world” experience and a demonstrated commitment to service and social justice—all things that City Year alums bring to the table. While City Year service may not be considered a traditional path to law school, it certainly is a unique one. Each year, there are alums who leave their City Year experience with plans on pursuing their law degree.

“After serving for two years with City Year, I attended law school at Harvard. While in school, I was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, a student-run, low-income legal assistance office, where I got my first taste of real lawyering,” recalls Monica Glicken, (Philadelphia ’01, ‘02).

“The lessons I learned at City Year about taking the initiative and being a creative problem-solver definitely came in handy there. I was also happy to once again be a part of team of people who were working for a cause greater than ourselves.” Monica is now Directing Attorney in the Immigration Unit for the Public Law Center in Santa Ana, California.

If you’re like Monica and you want to continue to be civically engaged in your community through the practice of law, take a look at some of our University Partnerships. City Year has formal partnerships with 9 law schools that offer exclusive scholarship opportunities to our alums and more than 15 other schools waive the application fee for AmeriCorps Alums. Here’s a snapshot of a few of those programs:

Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago-Kent College of Law

Located in Chicago, the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law is one of the few law schools affiliated with a technological university. Recognizing that students must be able to think like lawyers before they can practice, Chicago-Kent first and foremost teaches students the inner logic of the law. It then stresses innovative skills programs that enable students to learn to practice as attorneys. The Chicago-Kent College of Law offers no application fee and a $10,000 grant per year to three City Year alums.

Northeastern University | School of Law

Northeastern University School of Law, consistently recognized as one of the top public interest programs in the national and ranked number one for in the nation for practical training, sits in the heart of Boston. The program offers an innovative approach to training the next generation of law practitioners. There are international co-ops available across 71 countries and each year, 100% of law students graduate with a year of legal experience. The university offers a fee waiver and a minimum 25% tuition scholarship for two-four City Year alums, annually.

University of California Davis | School of Law

The School of Law at UC Davis is an internationally recognized public law school. It is known for its inclusive academic community, dedication to public service and academic excellence. The Law School is also a part of the California State Bar Community Pathways to Law School initiative, which seeks to increase socio-economic diversity within the California bar. The program offers a $15,000 annual scholarship to one City Year alum, annually.

University of Florida | Levin College of Law

The University of Florida Levin College of Law, located in Gainesville, is committed to academic excellence, advancing legal scholarship, serving the public, and fostering justice. UF Law provides opportunities such as externships, Semester-in-Practice programs, and other experiential learning to help prepare for a career in law. Each year, the Levin School of Law offers a 25% tuition scholarship for a minimum of five City Year AmeriCorps alums.

Learn about scholarships

Learn more about City Year’s graduate study opportunities for our alums

*This post was originally published in 2020 and updated July 2023.