Sanctions Reform & Human Rights Scholarship

About the Scholarship

Sanctions Law Center, PLLC is committed to advancing a more rigorous, transparent, and ethically grounded understanding of sanctions law. Through this annual scholarship, we seek to support students who engage critically with sanctions policy—its harms, its limits, and its potential when used within a coherent legal and moral framework.

Essay Prompt
Applicants must submit an original essay of approximately 750 words responding to one of the following prompts:

Prompt 1
How have economic sanctions affected you, your family, or your community—directly or indirectly?

Prompt 2
How could economic sanctions, if designed and implemented differently, be used to advance justice, accountability, reform, or the protection of vulnerable populations relevant to your community or area of interest?

Applicants should be prepared for their submitted essay to be published, in whole or in edited form, on Sanctions Law Center’s website. Applicants are encouraged to pursue publication of their essay in a local or school-affiliated newspaper or other relevant online publication. External publication is optional and will not affect scholarship selection.

Eligibility
✓ Open to students currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or master’s program, or law school program, in the United States
✓ Open to applicants who are currently enrolled or who will be matriculating in the Fall 2026 term into an accredited U.S. master’s or law school program
✓ Applicants must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0
✓ Demonstrated interest in law, public policy, international affairs, economics, or related fields
✗ Employees of Sanctions Law Center, their immediate family members, and individuals living in the same household are not eligible
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit:

• A completed scholarship application form (below)
• A 750-word original essay responding to one of the prompts above
• A professional resume (academic and/or professional experience)
• A transcript from the applicant’s current or most recent institution (unofficial transcripts accepted)

Essays must be the applicant’s original work. Submissions may be reviewed for AI-generated content. Essays determined to be substantially AI-generated will be disqualified.