MEMBER CENTER
ABOUT THE FINLAYSON FELLOWSHIP
The San Antonio Bar Foundation Finlayson Fellowship honors former San Antonio Bar Association President Dawn Bruner Finlayson.
Ms. Finlayson began her career in the public sector working in the Office of the Attorney General of Texas and as a law clerk to Chief Judge William Sessions of the US District Court of the Western District of Texas. She worked in-house and in private practice, focusing on employment law. Ms. Finlayson was engaged in her community and was committed to voter protection, civic education and access to justice.
In addition to these causes, Ms. Finlayson was passionate about building a talent pipeline for students to pursue legal careers and join the San Antonio legal community. After passing in 2021, Ms. Finlayson's husband, Dan Finlayson, and San Antonio Bar Association members donated more than $100,000 to launch the Finlayson Fellowship program to recognize and support talented students who want to be attorneys and legal professionals in San Antonio.
ABOUT THE 2022 FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The San Antonio Bar Foundation will award scholarships annually to seven (7) students who demonstrate an interest in pursuing a legal career in San Antonio. These students will form a cohort receiving invitations for in-person and virtual events throughout the year. Click the link above to meet the Inaugural cohort of 2022 Finlayson Fellows.
The awards will be distributed to first-generation students in the following categories:
- Three $5,000 scholarships to San Antonio Bar Association Law Student members;
- Two Youth Justice Alliance awards to graduating seniors entering undergraduate studies in the Fall of 2024;
- One $2,500 Project Steno award to a first-generation court reporter student;
- One $2,500 State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division award to a first-generation paralegal student;
Applications are now open for the Law Student, Undergraduate, Paralegal and Court Reporter Awards. The deadline for the 2024 application is Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 5:00 PM (CST).
HOW TO APPLY
| LAW STUDENT | UNDERGRADUATE | PARALEGAL | COURT REPORTER |
|---|---|---|---|
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All Law student applicants must: 1) Be the first person in their immediate family to attend law school and/or practice law and; 2) Be a Law Student Member of the San Antonio Bar Association (free membership, register online HERE). 3) In Fall 2024, the law student must have completed one year of law school. 4) Complete the corresponding ONLINE application that includes: a) Submission of transcripts; and b) Submission of two letters of recommendation; and c) Submission of a 500 to 600-word essay demonstrating the student's interest in establishing a legal career in the San Antonio area. Click here for a list of application questions. Please note that the online application cannot be saved for later. Please be prepared to submit all information in one session.
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All Undergraduate applicants must: 1) Be the first person in their immediate family to receive a college degree and 2) Be a graduating senior entering undergraduate studies in Fall 2024. 3) Apply through the Youth Justice Alliance Program (online application) |
All Paralegal applicants must: 1) Be the first person in their immediate family to pursue a career as a paralegal and 2) Complete the San Antonio Bar Foundation Finlayson Fellow application form Click here for a list of application questions. Please note that the online application cannot be saved for later. Please be prepared to submit all information in one session. |
All Court Reporter applicants must: 1) Be the first person in their immediate family to pursue a career as a court reporter and 2) Apply through the Project Steno Scholarship program for the 225 WPM steno speed HERE; and 3) Submit the San Antonio Bar Foundation Finlayson Fellow additional form. Click here for a list of application questions. Please note that the online application cannot be saved for later. Please be prepared to submit all information in one session. |
| CLICK TO APPLY | CLICK TO APPLY | CLICK TO APPLY | CLICK TO APPLY |
DEADLINE
The deadline for the 2024 application is Wednesday, January 31, 2024, 5:00 PM (CST).
