Home | Mexican American Bar Foundation

Enhancing the Diversity of the Legal Profession through Education since 1991

The Mexican American Bar Foundation

is a tax-exempt section

501(c)(3) charitable corporation dedicated to providing financial assistance to men and women of Latino heritage who intend to pursue careers in the law.

Image of scholars with plaques at fundraising gala

ABOUT US

Our Mission - To Enhance the Diversity of the Legal Profession through Education.

The mission of the Mexican American Bar Foundation, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable corporation organized and operated by volunteer lawyers and judges, is to enhance the diversity of the legal profession through education. We do this by supporting the dreams of young women and men of Latino heritage who are pursuing careers in the law.

We are dedicated to assisting students attending ABA-accredited law schools in Los Angeles County, including Loyola, Pepperdine, Southwestern, UCLA, and USC, as well as UC Irvine in Orange County. Most of our scholars are the sons and daughters of low-income immigrants. Our scholars are selected based on their academic achievement, community service, leadership, financial need, and success in overcoming hardships. Typically, they are the first members of their families to attend college, and of course, law school.

Our History - 29 Years of Service

With annual tuition starting in the $45,000 range for public and private institutions alike, law school is expensive. That is why, since our founding in 1991, the Foundation has awarded over $2.9 million, mostly in the form of 481 scholarships to law students, plus stipends to graduates studying for the California Bar Exam. In 2019 alone, our 28th year, MABF awarded 25 scholarships and 38 bar stipends totaling approximately $270,000.

We operate without full-time staff, fancy offices, or expense accounts. In fact, less than 15 percent of Foundation revenue is spent on overhead.