Law school debt is well documented.

What’s not so well known is the need for additional funds to prepare for the Bar exam. In addition to the cost of a prep course, at about $5,000, many recent graduates must take out personal loans to cover living expenses as they take on the full-time, unpaid work of preparing for the exam.

Unlike many law graduates who head to private practice, those who choose to work for public agencies are financially responsible for preparing for the Bar exam on their own. Those upfront initial costs are steep enough to deter people from pursuing public sector legal work.

Young woman in black dress wearing a graduation stole with colorful stripes, standing in front of large white columns outdoors on a sunny day.

Scholarship

The SCWLF awards $5,000 scholarships to law students who have committed to careers as prosecutors. The scholarship helps cover the cost of the bar application and exam prep