Tampa law firm establishes scholarship for aspiring attorneys facing adversity

Law students who hail from historically underrepresented backgrounds or face health or financial obstacles can apply for a new $5,000 scholarship established by Johnson Jackson PLLC, a Tampa-based labor and employment law firm.

The Courage to Grow Scholarship, according to a news release, will be awarded once per academic year to encourage diversity and inclusion in legal industry. To be eligible, candidates must submit a personal statement detailing how they’ve overcome obstacles in their legal education, in addition to other required criteria. Candidates must also demonstrate experience and/or interest in practicing management-side employment law and intend to practice law in Tampa upon graduation from law school.

“When we founded our firm in 2017, we developed our core values of teamwork, innovation, growth, excellence, and courage,” Johnson Jackson Founding Shareholder Erin Jackson states in the release. “We work hard to incorporate these values into everything we do — on behalf of our clients, with each other and in our community. It’s with that spirit in mind that we wanted to honor one individual per year for demonstrating courage, even while facing hardship, to maintain their steadfast pursuit of education in the law.”

Johnson Jackson Partner Ashley Gallagher, the release states, spearheaded the development of the scholarship program.

“It was a team effort at our firm to make this happen, but I am delighted that the Courage to Grow Scholarship has now become a reality,” Gallagher states in the release. “With its launch, I’m extremely excited to see what the scholarship becomes year after year, to meet our future recipients and hear their personal stories, and to help Johnson Jackson further connect with our community in such a meaningful way. Our goal is to acknowledge and recognize young law students’ efforts, while also establishing mentorship opportunities for them and taking at least a bit of the load off their shoulders.”

Scholarship hopefuls can find the full eligibility requirements and application at Johnson Jackson’s website. The deadline to submit applications is Aug. 1, and the recipient will be announced on or before Sept. 30.