The UNM School of Law Scout Scholarship Project

Supporting Eagle Scouts & Philmont Scout Ranch Alumni in the Study of Law

Our Aim: To establish a scholarship endowment that will support Eagle Scouts and alumni of the Philmont Scout Ranch who wish to attend the UNM School of Law.

Scholarship Eligibility: To be awarded to students who meet one or more of the following criteria (and preference will be given to students who continue to have a relationship with scouts): a) have attained the rank of Eagle Scout; or b) have attained the Silver Award in a BSA-sponsored Venture Crew; or c) have attended as a scout or worked as a staff member at the Philmont Scout Ranch. (These criteria may be subject to further refinement.)

Financial Goal: The endowment will be officially established when a minimum of $25,000 is raised. In the best tradition of the Scouts, our goal is to surpass the bare minimum. Help us reach our goal of raising $25,000 to secure a matching donation of $25,000 for a total of $50,000. The endowment fund would exist and grow forever. Approximately four to five percent of the endowment would be spent each year for the annual scholarship(s).

We have realized that Eagle Scouts make wonderful lawyers. It is no accident that one of the first young men to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, Tom C. Clark, later became a U.S. Supreme Court justice. The fundamental values that animate scouting, such as preparedness, helping others, and challenging oneself to achieve difficult goals, are key attributes for success in law and civic leadership. It should be no surprise that former scouts are among the leading lawyers and judges in our state.

The UNM School of Law believes these values are important and wishes to attract the kind of people who have challenged themselves by visiting or working at the Philmont Scout Ranch or have achieved the highest ranks of scouting. The School of Law has a responsibility to produce leaders for New Mexico and beyond; it has produced many of New Mexico’s Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals and District Court judges, Members of Congress and the state Legislature, Attorneys General, United States Attorneys, and numerous legislative leaders, as well as leaders in the private bar. Our purpose is to retain these capable candidates in New Mexico. See first-hand how scouting led one of our current students to our law school.

Accordingly, the UNM School of Law is working to endow a scholarship to encourage motivated young people who visit or work at the Philmont Scout Ranch, or who have achieved the highest ranking and awards in scouting, to consider UNM when and if they apply to law school.

For more information contact Advancement Operations Manager Melissa Lobato at (505) 277-1457 or lobato@law.unm.edu.