This scholarship program supports students interested in civil rights and criminal justice issues. The underlying principle is that every person deserves to be treated with dignity.
The Civil Rights and Criminal Law Essay Competition awards a $1,000 scholarship to the winner. The purpose of the scholarship is to raise awareness of criminal and civil rights issues and support students who can articulate the importance of these principles.
Essay Prompt
- What Does the U.S. Constitution Mean to You?
Eligibility
- Applicants must be enrolled in a college or university.
- Applicants may be undergraduate or graduate students.
- GPA of 3.0 or higher required.
How to Apply
- Complete the Application Form.
- Write an original essay responding to the essay prompt above, no more than 2,000 words in length.
- Obtain a transcript or proof of enrollment from your college or university.
- By October 1st, submit the completed application form, essay, and proof of enrollment to [email protected], subject line "Scholarship Application."
Scholarship Details
- One thousand dollars ($1,000) will be awarded to the winner of the essay competition and paid directly to the college or university on behalf of the winner.
- The essay responding to the prompt can be any length under 2,000 words.
- October 1st is the annual deadline. Essays received after October 1st will be evaluated for the following year's competition.
Past Winners
- 2022 Winner: William Murrin (Colorado State University Global; Aurora, CO)
- 2021 Winner: Yumei Duan (University of Southern California; Los Angeles, CA)
- 2020 Winner: Javier Nicholas Ordieres (University of Georgia; Athens, GA)
- 2019 Winner: Meena Venkataramanan (Harvard University; Cambridge, MA)
- 2018 Winner: Crystal Huynh (UCLA; Los Angeles, CA)
- 2017 Winner: Benjamin Carew-Gonzales (Austin Community College; Austin, Texas)
- 2017 Honorable Mentions: Courtney Smith (Augustana College; Rock Island, Illinois), Jeremiah Taylor (Louisiana Tech University; Ruston, Louisiana), Stefan Pinkston (University of Scranton; Scranton, Pennsylvania), Amber Banks (Alabama A&M University; Huntsville, Alabama)
The Spolin Post-Conviction Resource Center is happy to encourage the next generation of civil rights leaders, constitutional scholars, and people who have compassion for others. For legal representation inquiries, visit SPCRC's Recommended Lawyers.