Three prominent law firms have established endowed scholarships at UCLA School of Law to support academically talented students who have overcome substantial hurdles on their journeys to gaining a legal education.

The Cooley LLP Endowed Scholarship in Law, Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP Endowed Scholarship in Law, and Sheppard Mullin Endowed Scholarship in Law were established with endowed gifts to provide ongoing scholarship support. Each firm employs more than 30 UCLA Law alumni. The scholarships award tuition and aid to incoming students who demonstrate significant financial need and have confronted considerable obstacles in life such as socio-economic disadvantage, disability, being the first in their family to attend college, attending under-resourced schools, or other extensive hardships or challenges.

Cooley partner Eric Jensen ’88 made the lead gift to establish that firm’s fund, and partners Pat Mitchell ’98, John Crittenden ’81, Patrick Gibbs ’94, Nick Hobson ’07, and Matthew Caplan ’08 joined with significant contributions. Cox, Castle & Nicholson partner Alicia Vaz, who earned her undergraduate degree from UCLA in 1997, led the launch of her firm’s gift to fund the scholarship. Sheppard Mullin partner and executive committee chairman Guy Halgren ’84 drove the effort to create the scholarship that his firm endowed.

UCLA Law alumni at each firm have the opportunity to continue to make contributions to the scholarships during the Law Firm Challenge, the law school’s fundraising competition that raises nearly $2 million from more than 1,000 alumni at approximately 100 firms each year. The 19th annual challenge ends on June 30, 2021.

Seven other firms that participate in the Law Firm Challenge and employ a significant number of UCLA Law alumni previously established existing scholarship funds at the law school: Paul Hastings, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Irell & Manella, Latham & Watkins, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, Morrison & Foerster, and O’Melveny & Myers.

“These scholarships are incredibly helpful in our ability to provide our incoming students access to a premier legal education,” says Rob Schwartz, assistant dean of admissions. “We thank these law firms for their inspiring contributions and ongoing support.”