Scholarship Information for Pennsylvania Attorneys Experiencing Financial Hardship
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Board requires that all accredited CLE providers "shall have available a financial hardship policy for attorneys who wish to attend its courses, but for whom the cost of such courses would be a financial hardship." Pa.R.C.L.E. Regulations § 11(h).
The Board of Directors ("Board") of the Benjamin Franklin American Inn of Court (the "Inn") will award a limited number of scholarships to attorneys experiencing financial hardship, in the form of a waiver of fees for the Inn's educational programs. When a scholarship is awarded, the recipient may attend the Inn's educational programs and pay only the applicable Pennsylvania CLE credit fee (currently $1.50 per credit hour, as of January 2010). Scholarships do not include membership in the Inn, and do not include admittance to non-CLE social events.
Each scholarship is valid for the then-current program year, expiring on June 30 each year. Recipients who continue to experience hardship must reapply annually.
Application Procedure
Each applicant shall provide a personal statement in the form of a letter to the Board, not to exceed one page. The applicant should:
- State that the Inn's applicable membership fee would constitute a financial hardship
- Explain in reasonable detail the nature of the hardship (e.g., unemployment).
No documentation, exhibits, or attachments should be included with the letter.
Scholarship applications will generally be considered and voted upon by the Board at their next regular meeting following receipt of an application. Approval is at the sole discretion of the Board.
Download the copy of the scholarship datasheet.
Last revision: January 2010