Do you have a passion for protecting and advancing civil rights? If so, the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program (MMSP) might be for you. Named in honor of civil rights pioneers Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley, this groundbreaking program from the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund (LDF) will endow the South with the next generation of civil rights lawyers trained to provide legal advocacy of unparalleled excellence in the pursuit of racial justice.

About the Program

“With the soaring costs of a law school education, a path in civil rights law is nearly impossible for many promising applicants without incurring substantial debt,” noted MMSP Director Adria Kimbrough. “The Marshall-Motley Scholars Program seeks to not only alleviate that debt burden, but also to invest in the academic and professional development of these aspiring civil rights attorneys. At this moment, we have witnessed our first cohort graduate from law school and enter a new phase of the program, while we prepare to welcome the fifth cohort into the program. We are confident that these fifty Marshall-Motley scholars will help usher in transformative change for Black communities in the South.”

The Marshall-Motley Scholars Program provides a full law school scholarship and professional development to those passionate about a career as a civil rights lawyer. The scholarship includes law school tuition; a reasonable cost of living for room, board, and incidentals; paid summer internships; bar exam fees; and a paid two-year postgraduate fellowship. In exchange, Marshall-Motley scholars commit to living and working in the South for eight years with a focus on racial justice advocacy on behalf of Black communities.

Speaking at an October 31, 2024, webinar about the MMSP, Program Coordinator Christina Hayes explained the program’s importance.

“There is a need for the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program, especially in the South — all over, but especially in the South. The South is full of wonderful and rich traditions, and [a] rich cultural heritage, but we cannot deny the history of racial violence and racial unrest in that region. And it is also the area where the majority of Black Americans live.

“So that is the goal — to build up this cadre, to build up this network of aspiring civil rights attorneys who are going to work not only for Black communities, but work alongside of them and work to build them up and really improve the ecosystem of that region, knowing that it will affect the country as a whole.”

Who Should Apply

This year’s MMSP cohort is open to those applying to begin law school during the fall 2025 semester. Applicants must be admitted, or expect to be admitted, to an ABA-accredited law school as a first-year, full-time law student for the fall 2025 semester.

How to Apply

Applications opened on November 1, 2024, and the application deadline is February 5, 2025.

The application materials required are like those needed for your law school applications: a personal statement, an essay about your experience with racial justice, your résumé, a college transcript, a test score (LSAT or GRE), and two letters of recommendation. Applicants must also submit video responses to three prompts.

The Timeline

In March 2025, MMSP finalists will be selected and invited to interview in person, and the newest cohort of MMSP scholars will be chosen in April 2025. This aligns with the timeline for scholars to commit to the law school they plan to attend in the fall.

If you are planning to enroll in law school for fall 2026 or thereafter, please continue to check the MMSP website for updates regarding the program’s extension.

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a MMSP scholar or in applying to the program, please visit https://www.marshallmotleyscholars.org/.

Meet the Scholars

Hear from a current scholar below to learn about his experiences and the benefits he has already received from the program.

Watch the Freddrick Malik video

Catch up on the special live event with LDF about the MMSP, the application process, and two scholars sharing their reflections about the program.

Watch the October 31, 2024, Marshall-Motley Scholars Program webinar video