One (1) scholarship, valued at $500.00, will be awarded to one (1) paralegal or one (1) paralegal student, provided such student did not receive an OCPA student scholarship during the calendar same year, for reimbursement of paralegal education, seminars, meetings, OCPA membership or fees for certifications (example: the NALA certified paralegal ("CP") exam or preparation classes), or the advanced certification ("ACP") exam. Qualified applicants are asked to complete the Entry Form and Essay and submit via email to the OCPA Scholarship Committee at scholarship@ocparalegal.org by October 10, 2025. All Essays submitted will be considered by the OCPA Scholarship Committee using the Essay Judging Criteria listed below. If the OCPA Scholarship Committee deems no qualified winners, no scholarship will be awarded.

The awards ceremony will be held November 5, 2025 at the OCPA November General Meeting.  Winners must be present at the awards ceremony to accept the scholarship. 

• Eligibility.  Scholarship applicants must be members of the Orange County Paralegal Association.

• Deadline for submission:  11:59 pm on October 10, 2025
• Essay Guidelines: 

Representative Lewis said,

“Freedom is not a state, it is an act.  It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest.  Freedom is the continuous action we must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”

Answer the following question in 500-700 words:

Rep. John R. Lewis was a strong leader who, over time, expanded his message of righting inequality to include other marginalized groups.  How do you intend to use your legal knowledge and position to ensure values of inclusion and equity are honored?

• Submission Guidelines: 
• • Submit completed entry packet (essay and entry form) as an email with attachments to scholarship@ocparalegal.org by the deadline of 11:59 pm on October 10, 2025. Incomplete entries may be disqualified.
• Essay Judging Criteria: 
• The Scholarship Committee will consider, in no particular order:
• Did the response address all of the questions
• Writing and grammar skills
• Quality of the response

If you have any questions regarding the Rep. John R. Lewis Memorial Scholarship, please contact the Scholarship Committee at scholarship@ocparalegal.org.

past scholarship recipients