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The Massachusetts Bar Foundation (MBF) is pleased to announce that scholarships of $8,000 each have been awarded to 19 law students as part of the second year of the Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants Judicial Scholarship Program. This initiative honors the legacy of the late Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants, a tireless advocate for justice and equity within the Massachusetts legal system.

Funded by a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, the program is a collaboration between the Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants Fund for Racial Equity and Access to Justice and Northeastern University School of Law’s Center for Law, Equity, and Race.

According to Professor Deborah Ramirez of Northeastern University School of Law, chair of the Ralph D. Gants Fund, the program was established to provide financial support to law students who otherwise could not afford to take unpaid internships. “Our goal is to broaden and diversify the pool of applicants for post-graduate clerkships and judicial positions,” she said, “ultimately fostering a judicial system that truly represents the diversity of Massachusetts.”

The scholarship program officially launched in the spring of 2023. The students comprising the 2024 cohort of “Gants Scholars” are currently participating in internships across nearly every court department in Massachusetts.

“Interning for a judge is a valuable opportunity that can lead to judicial clerkships and fellowships after graduation, giving new attorneys a running start,” notes MBF President G. Perry Wu. “Judicial internships foster relationships with judges and other court members, expanding professional networks and positively impacting career trajectories.”

2024 Chief Justice Gants Judicial Scholars