Straker announces application deadline for law scholarship

The D. Augustus Straker Bar Foundation, Inc., announced this week that the deadline for applications for its A. Kay Stanfield Spinks Law Student Scholarship is Friday, May 26, 2017. The Straker Foundation awards scholarships for African American students seeking financial assistance in the pursuit of a degree in law.  There will be one or more scholarships awarded at the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association’s Annual Trailblazers Award  and Scholarship Dinner, on Thursday, June 8, 2017 at the Westin Hotel in Southfield.  Our first scholarships were presented at the 1999 Trailblazer's Dinner, and through the fundraising efforts of the Straker Bar Association, since that time we have awarded over $100,000 to law students.
The A. Kay Stanfield Spinks Law Student Scholarship encourages law students to excel in their legal studies, with the ultimate goal of increasing African American representation within the practice of law.  The program is also a fitting way for us to honor the memory of D. Augustus Straker, who in 1890 became the first African American attorney to argue a case before the Michigan Supreme Court and A. Kay Stanfield Spinks, for the founding the Straker Foundation and the establishment of the scholarship award.

To qualify for the Straker Scholarship, applicants must be enrolled in an ABA certified law school program and entering their second or third year of law school in the fall of 2016.  An application form should be completed and submitted to the email address of Mr. Aaron V. Burrell at ABurrell@dickinsonwright.com not later than Friday, May 26, 2017.  Students may contact their respective Law School Deans of Student Services or go to the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association's website at http://www.strakerlaw.org to download an application.

Successful applicants must demonstrate scholarly dedication, be involved in school and community activities and be able to clearly articulate a vision which indicates  prospects  for long-term success in the practice of law in the State of Michigan, especially as it relates to representing people of color within the legal system.