The Lisa M. Schnitzer Memorial Scholarship was established by the family and friends of Lisa M. Schnitzer, a first-year student at Stanford Law School who was killed in a car accident in 1987. The Scholarship was designed to be a lasting tribute to Lisa, in recognition of her deeply held commitment to helping others, particularly those less fortunate. The $4,000 Scholarship recognizes a public interest student completing the first year in law school who will spend 1L summer working for a public interest/public sector employer, a charitable organization, or another nonprofit organization working in the public interest.

The Lisa M. Schnitzer Memorial Scholarship is awarded on the basis of the following criteria:

• demonstrated commitment to public interest and helping the disadvantaged;
• summer work for at least eight weeks in public interest/service;
• academic standing;
• financial need¹; and
• preference is given to women applicants (per request of the donors).

A committee of students, including a first-year class representative, an officer of Women of Stanford Law, an officer of the Stanford Public Interest Law Foundation, and the previous year’s Schnitzer Memorial Scholarship recipient, will select the scholarship recipient.²

To apply, please submit TWO PDF files:

1. The first file should contain a cover page with your name and student ID number as well as a signed statement authorizing the Stanford Law School Financial Aid Office to compute your financial need and release the results to Stanford Law School administrators for the sole purpose of this application. Name the file with your name and student ID (e.g., Doe_ Jane_01234567.pdf).
2. The second file should not have your name in it anywhere. Only use your student ID number in place of your name. This is to enable the student selection committee to evaluate applications without regard to names. Please also redact your name from your transcript and resume. Name the file with only your student ID (e.g. 01234567.pdf).

   This file will include:

   1) An essay of 500 words or less outlining your commitment to public interest and helping the disadvantaged

   2) A resume, with special emphasis on any public interest commitment

   3) An unofficial transcript

   4) A brief statement identifying your summer public interest employer and the work you will do there

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS 11:59 pm on Monday, April 8, 2024.

¹ We use a broad definition of financial need, which includes students who are eligible for loans.
² None of the committee members will see applicants’ specific financial need. Levin Center staff will provide a ranking of applicants from most to least need.