Our Commitment
CHBA and the CHBA Foundation are committed to providing financial support to eligible Hispanic and Latino students and individuals committed to the advancement of our community. We therefore offer assistance in the form of traditional scholarships and financial aid for unusual circumstances members of our community may encounter in the pursuit of their legal education.
If you would like to apply to our traditional scholarships, click here.
If you are in need of immediate financial support for unusual circumstances, please email mflowers@polsinelli.com with your resume and a written request that includes amount of money being requested, purpose funds, involvement with the Colorado Hispanic community, and why you need the money.
The Colorado Hispanic Bar Association Foundation
The Colorado Hispanic Bar Association Foundation (the Foundation) raises money to fund and provide scholarships to students pursuing higher education in a legal field. Eligible students include those who are in good standing at an accredited school, have demonstrated a commitment to the Hispanic and Latino community, and have a demonstrated an unmet financial need.
Background
The Colorado Hispanic Bar Association established the Foundation on September 12, 2006, to address the disproportionate underrepresentation of Hispanic and Latinos in the legal profession. By way of example, in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic and Latino residents in Colorado represented 21% of the Colorado population. According to the Colorado Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, however, only about 6.5% of attorneys in Colorado identified as Hispanic or Latino. The Foundation’s mission is to narrow this gap. The Foundation operates via its volunteer Board of Directors, which is comprised of individuals who have beaten the odds.
The Endowed Scholarships
In 2007, as the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Colorado dedicated solely to promoting the Hispanic and Latino community in the legal profession, the Foundation endowed the Louis Romero Scholarship Fund at the University of Colorado School of Law and the Lawrence Manzanares Scholarship Fund at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Students may apply for these scholarships directly through CU and DU. These endowments address the main obstacle to Hispanic and Latino students attending law school – the exorbitant cost.
Since creating the Louis Romero Scholarship Fund and the Lawrence Manzanares Scholarship Fund, the Foundation has awarded over 90 scholarships to Colorado’s Hispanic and Latino law students.
The CHBA Foundation Scholarships
In addition, the Foundation is now providing direct scholarships to students outside of these endowments. The Foundation’s direct scholarships are available to Hispanic and Latino students in need who attend law school anywhere in the nation as part of the Foundation’s Circle of Giving and the Ellen Alires-Trujillo & Lorenzo Trujillo Scholarship. Students may apply for the Foundation’s direct scholarships through the button at the top of this page.
If you would like to apply to our traditional scholarships, click here.
Emergency Scholarship Aid
In addition to the CHBA Foundation Scholarships, there may be additional aid through CHBA to defray the costs arising from emergencies in the pursuit of your studies. If you are in need of immediate financial assistance, please email mflowers@polsinelli.com with your resume and a written request that includes amount of money being requested, purpose funds, involvement with the Colorado Hispanic community, and why you need the money.