Hugh Goodwin Scholarship

Amount: $5,000 (in tuition)

Sponsored by the Black Lawyers Association of Central California and SJCL

The purpose of the Hugh Goodwin Scholarship is to encourage racial and ethnic minority students who are under-represented in the legal profession to apply to law school and support their attendance financially. In collaboration with the Black Lawyers Association of Central California, San Joaquin College of Law offers this scholarship to increase fairness and equity in the development of the law and the administration of justice.

The Black Lawyers Association of Central California seeks fairness and equity in the administration of justice, educational outreach to the community about the law and the legal process, and community service.

San Joaquin College of Law is committed to diversity in all aspects of its operation. We are committed to educating and respecting all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, socioeconomic status, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation or identity, age, and disability. .

Requirements for Eligibility

To be eligible for the scholarship, an applicant must meet the following requirements.

  • Apply to SJCL and be deemed admissible by the SJCL Admissions Committee.
  • The applicant must be an entering, first-year law student in academic year 2024-2025.
  • Self-identify as a member of an underrepresented racial and/or ethnic minority (e.g. African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/American Indian).
  • Write a personal statement describing the reason the individual wishes to become a lawyer and why the individual is interested in practicing law in the San Joaquin Valley.
  • Identify financial need.
  • Have an established record of community service or involvement.

About the Scholarship

The Hugh Goodwin Scholarship is a Tuition Reduction Scholarship only, which can only be applied to the applicant’s first year of law school at SJCL. Fifty percent of the Tuition Reduction Scholarship shall be applied to each of the first two semesters of the recipient’s legal education. It is not transferrable to another individual or institution. There is no refund if the recipient leaves SJCL either due to withdrawal or being academically disqualified. The deadline to accept the Scholarship is 30 days after it is offered.

To Apply

Email the following information to ltennerelli@sjcl.edu with the subject heading "Goodwin Scholarship" on or before June 30th.

  • Your Name and Address
  • Which of the following you identify: African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/American Indian or Other with description.
  • An essay of no more than 500 words describing why you wish to become a lawyer and why you are interested in practicing law in the San Joaquin Valley. Please highlight community service and identify financial need.

Only one Hugh Goodwin Bar Scholarship will be awarded each year to the best-qualified candidate.

Honorable Hugh Goodwin

Honorable Hugh Goodwin

1921-2004

Judge Goodwin received his B.A. Degree in political science from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and his J.D. Degree from Harvard University Law School at a time when very few African-Americans considered entering the legal profession.

Judge Goodwin was admitted to the practice of law in California in June, 1949 and opened a private practice in Fresno, specializing in discrimination suits. Judge Goodwin was the first African-American attorney and the first African-American judge in Fresno County.

Judge Goodwin joined the Fresno County Public Defender’s Office in 1952 and gained a reputation as a formidable, but very fair, trial attorney. He stayed at the Public Defender’s Office for over two decades. Judge Goodwin was appointed to the Fresno Municipal Court in 1976 by then Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., and during his tenure he presided over a variety of important cases, showing sensitivity and caring in his judgments.

Following his retirement from the bench, he again went into private practice in Fresno, specializing in criminal defense until his retirement from the practice of law in 1996.