The Austin Black Lawyers Association operates a charitable 501(c)(3) Foundation which supports charitable and educational programs and services that provide scholarships to African American students attending colleges and universities at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The ABLA scholarships focus primarily on students who are graduating high school seniors or college graduates entering the legal profession. ABLA's two primary scholarship programs are the Heman Sweatt Scholarship and the Virgil C. Lott Scholarship.
The Heman Sweatt Scholarship honors Heman Sweatt who In 1946, sued The University of Texas after they denied him admission to the Law School because he was black. A Texas judge at the Travis County Courthouse first denied Sweatt's claim. However, the U.S. Supreme Court took up the case on appeal and in 1950, the court unanimously ordered Sweatt's admission. In 2007, the Travis County Courthouse, where Sweatt was first turned away with his suit against the University of Texas, was renamed in his honor.
The Virgil C. Lott Scholarship honors, Virgil C. Lott who was the first African American to graduate from The University of Texas School of Law. The scholarship is awarded to graduating seniors in Austin ISD and the surrounding areas who exhibit community service, good scholastic standing, evidence of leadership, and extracurricular involvement. Recipients are awarded the scholarship upon acceptance to any junior college or university.
To apply for this scholarship, please download the application and follow the directions. Completed applications may be mailed to : Austin Black Lawyers Association, Attn: Scholarhsip Committee, P.O. Box 13321, Austin, Texas 78711
To donate to our Foundation or any specific Scholarship, please mail checks to:
Austin Black Lawyers Association
Attn: Foundation Donation
P.O. Box 13321
Austin, Texas 78711
OR
Use the button below to Donate using PayPal:
Scholarship Application.doc
© 2011 Austin Black Lawyers Association