Dispute Resolution Conference Scholarship Applications
Scholarship Description
The Dispute Resolution Section of the Washington State Bar Association wants to facilitate opportunities for law students and new attorneys to attend educational events and meet others in the dispute resolution community. As a result, the Dispute Resolution Section is pleased to announce that it will award two scholarships annually up to $1,250 each for law students and new practitioners to attend dispute resolution conferences as described below.
Qualifying Events
Scholarship funds may be used for the following conferences:
- Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference
- Another dispute resolution conference identified by the applicant in their application materials
Criteria
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a J.D. or L.L.M. student; or
- Have completed a Washington State 40-hour Basic Mediation Training (BMT) AND be currently participating in practicum program recognized by the Washington Mediation Association or Resolution Washington; or
- Be an attorney for LLT who has been a member fo the WSBA or any state bar for three (3) years or less, and is either:
- Unemployed
- Employed in the public sector
- Employed by a non-profit organiztion
- Employed by a Native or Indigenous tribe
- Employed by some other organization that does not fully reimburse attorneys for continuing legal education
Application Process
To apply, applicants must submit the following information to wsbadisputeresolution@gmail.com:
- Name
- Employment or student status
- Documentation confirming that the applicant meets the application criteria
- An indication whether the applicant may be a speaker or panelist at the conference
- If the applicant desires to attend a conference other than the Northwest Dispute Resolution conference, the applicant should provide the name, date, and location of the conference detailing the conference agenda and the amount requested; and
- A statement of approximately 1,000 words or fewer about the applicant's interest and experience in dispute resolution.
- Demographic information will be requested from applicants to support the selection committee in tracking impacts and identifying any unintentional bias in awarding the scholarships. However, no applications will be denied if an applicant chooses not to provide the demographic information requested.
Applicants who require an accommodation to a written application should please email wsbadisputeresolution@gmail.com requesting the accommodation(s) appropriate to their circumstances.
Applications are open at any time, and will be formally solicited by the Dispute Resolution Section beginning October 1 of each fiscal year. Names will be redacted on the applications received, which will then be reviewed by a committee of the Dispute Resolution Section. Only applications submitted to wsbadisputeresolution@gmail.com at least eight weeks before the conference begins will be considered.
Scholarship decisions will be selected based on: whether they meet the applicant criteria set forth above; evaluation by the committee of the applicant's statement of interest in dispute resolution; and whether the applicant has received scholarship funds from the Dispute Resolution Section on a prior occasion.
Scholarship recipients will be selected and notified by the committee upon review, within six weeks of receiving the application.
Disbursement and Use of Funds
Scholarship funds will be dispersed directly by WSBA to recipients shortly after they are selected (in advance of the conference the recipient plans to attend). Scholarship funds may be used to for conference registration, travel, lodging, and other expenses directly related to conference attendance. Recognizing that even the maximum scholarship award may not cover the full cost of attendance, selected applicants must agree and be able to cover any costs or fees related to the conference which are not covered by the scholarship.
The amount of funds dispersed will depend on whether the recipient will attend the conference in person or virtually and whether out-of-state travel is required. Scholarship recipients planning to travel to an out-of-state conference will receive the full $1,250. For other conferences (attended virtually, or in person but without travel), funds will be distributed in an amount to cover the conference registration fee, plus costs of travel and lodging, if applicable. The committee will work with the applicant to obtain appropriate verification of such costs. In either case, the total amount of funds distributed to a recipient shall not exceed $1,250.
After each recipient has attended the conference of their choosing, they will be expected to report5 on their experience to a designated liaison from the Dispute Resolution Section. This may be sharing oral feedback at a regular meeting of the Dispute Resolution Section Executive Committee or writing a short email summarizing their experience and learnings posted to the section's listserv and, at the discretion of the scholarship recipient, providing the Dispute Resolution Seciton a paragraph regarding their conference experience to be posted to the Section's webpage.
Questions?
Questions regarding the scholarship should be directed to wsbadisputeresolution@gmail.com.
