The Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC NEO) invites 2L and 3L school students enrolled at one of the three NEO law schools (Case Western Reserve University, University of Akron, Cleveland State University) to write and submit an essay and application to our 2025 Law Student Scholarship Program.
Submissions will be judged on the depth of thoughtful analysis, writing style, and originality.
Three winning essays (one from each law school) will be published with an author byline in ACC NEO’s Friday Five, the chapter’s weekly e-newsletter and mentioned in social media (LinkedIn and X). In addition, each winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Click here to access the scholarship application form.
Who is eligible?
• At the time of submission, students must be currently enrolled and in good standing at one of these Northeast Ohio law schools:
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law
- Cleveland State University College of Law
- The University of Akron School of Law
• The scholarship is open to students in their second or third year of law school who have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• The essay and the writing sample both must be original works of single authorship and written in the current calendar year.
What is the essay topic? Choose one:
• What do you believe is the most important function of a corporate counsel and why?
• What duties does a corporate counsel have that outside counsel typically does not? What is the importance of these duties?
Application and essay requirements
A law school writing sample authored by the student
• Must have been authored by the student in the current calendar year, though it does not have to have been authored for a class (i.e., it can be something written during a summer internship/clerkship)
Essay length and formatting
• Suggested length of paper is a maximum of 2,000 words; submissions that exceed 2,000 words will not be considered.
• Submissions must:
- Be double-spaced
- Use 11 point, Times New Roman font
- Include footnotes (not end notes), which should be in 10 pt, Times New Roman font
- Conform to the Bluebook or AWLD legal citation guide
Notes
• One essay submission per student.
• Student understands that submitting an essay is an agreement to be published, profiled, and/or otherwise shared by ACC NEO. All submissions become property of ACC NEO and may be used at our sole discretion and judgment.
• ACC NEO may amend, suspend, or modify any or all these rules at its sole discretion.
• Winners will be announced in January 2026.
• Decisions made by ACC NEO are final.
Click here to download and print the scholarship application.
