The Christopher W. Keyser Scholarship

Keyser Law, P.A. created the Christopher W. Keyser Scholarship to provide financial support to students working towards a career in the legal field. Our law firm strives to positively change people’s lives by advocating for them during their most important and significant challenges. Great students will someday make great advocates, and we hope this scholarship program supports that endeavor. Students interested in applying for our schoalrship must meet certain criteria and submit an essay.

Scholarship Guidelines and How to Apply

Applicants must write an essay between 2,000 and 3,000 words on one of the following topics:

A. Police conduct is a divisive issue in our country. Do you think police officers should wear body cameras while on patrol? Do you think this will better serve the community? Explain your answer.

B. Do you think our criminal justice system is too hard on defendants? Should mandatory minumum jail sentences be higher or lower for certain offenses such as drug crimes, gun crimes, or DUIs? Explain your answer.

Applicants must email their completed essay as a WORD DOCUMENT to scholarship@keyserdefense.com. Essays submitted in any format other than Microsoft Word (such as RTF or PDF) will not be accepted. Applicants must also submit a cover letter separate from the essay as a Word document with the following information:

– Applicant’s full name

– Mailing Address

– Telephone Number and E-mail Address

– College or University currently attending

– Anticipated graduation date

– Current Major

Applications can also be mailed to Keyser Law, P.A. at 400 South Fourth Street, Suite 806M, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415.

The required essay word count of 2,000 to 3,000 is for actual words, not letter characters. Titles, headings, and citations do not count towards final word count. The essay body must contain at least 2,000 individual words and no more than 3,000 individual words. All essays are checked for authenticity. Plagiarized essays will be rejected.

The scholarship award is sent directly to the recipient’s college financial department. Awards are NOT mailed directly to students. Before awarding the scholarship, the recipient’s school and major will be verified.

Who Can Apply?

Any undergraduate student enrolled in a four-year college or university program in the United States may apply. To be awarded the scholarship, the student must still be enrolled in a four-year college or university program in the upcoming fall semester. Students should not apply for this scholarship if they will graduate in the spring semester, and therefore will not be enrolled in school in the fall semester. Exceptions will be made for graduating college students who are enrolled in law school for the upcoming fall semester.

Application Dates

Completed applications must be submitted between May 1 and July 31 each year. Applications submitted outside these dates will not be considered.

Scholarship Award Amount

The scholarship award is $1,000.00.

Selection Process and Notification

The scholarship committee will review all applications and notify all applicants of its decision via email by August 31 each year.

Questions?

Please direct any questions regarding the scholarship to scholarship@keyserdefense.com.

Past Scholarship Recipients

2020 – Lea Rodger, University of South Florida

2019 – Alexandra Smolyar, University of Georgia

2018 – Aimee Clesi, University of Florida

2017 – Daisha Edmundson, Hampton University

2016 – Moushmi Patil, Cornell University

2015 – Brea Childs, New York University

2014 – Matthew Van Grinsven, University of Minnesota