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2026 Scholarship Application
Judge A.D. Azios 1L Scholarship
A former World War II Army Infantryman, Judge A.D. Azios was the first Hispanic District Judge elected in Harris County. Judge Azios was born in Laredo, Texas on February 5, 1921. Judge Azios hitchhiked from Laredo to Austin to study pre-law at the University of Texas. In 1943, Judge Azios’ reserve unit was called to fight in World War II. One year into his tour, Judge Azios was captured and held as a prisoner of war by German forces. In 1945, he was liberated and he returned to the United States. Settling in Houston, Azios married his wife, Lauren, and he began attending South Texas College of Law.
Judge Azios was first appointed to the Houston Municipal Court, and then became a Justice of the Peace. Eventually, Judge Azios was elected to a criminal district bench. As a District Judge, Judge Azios continued to be a trailblazer. He presided over several high-profile cases and was the first judge in Harris County to allow the use of DNA evidence at trial. Judge Azios passed away in March 2013.
In Judge Azios’ memory, the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston will award one $1,000 scholarship to a deserving 1L law student at each of the three Houston area law schools (total of three scholarships, one student from each law school). The scholarship is designed to assist students in fulfilling professional aspirations and will be awarded to students based on financial need, demonstrated leadership, commitment to the advancement of Hispanics in the legal profession, extracurricular activities, and potential for successful study of the law.
Eligibility & Instructions:
In order to be eligible to receive the scholarship, applicants must be: (1) a first year law student, (2) a paid member of the Hispanic Law Student Association (HLSA) at your law school and (3) a current member of the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston.
To apply, you must submit all of the following:
- Your completed application (form below);
- An essay (not to exceed 500 words) discussing your past and future commitment to serving the Hispanic community;
- A current law school transcript;
- A brief description of your financial need (not to exceed 500 words);
- Supplemental Information: (i) a copy of your resume; or (ii) your typed answers to the following questions:
- What extracurricular activities have you been involved in?
- What honors and awards have you received?
- What kind of work experience do you have?
- Verification that you are a current member of HisBA. If you are not a current member, you may submit a HisBA Membership Application via the following link: https://www.hisbahouston.com/Join-HisBA
- (Note: Membership is free for law school students.)
If you meet the eligibility criteria and would like to be considered for the scholarship, please submit your completed application before the deadline of Friday, March 13, 2026. If you have any questions, please e-mail info@hisbahouston.com with the subject line “HISBA 1L Scholarship Application.”
Scholarship recipients will be notified by e-mail.
*The Hispanic Bar Association of Houston (HisBA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In the selection of scholarship recipients, HisBA does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.
Judge James DeAnda 2L Scholarship
Judge James DeAnda was a former Chief Judge of the United States District Courts for South Texas District and a long-time champion of civil rights. Judge DeAnda was born on August 21, 1925 in Houston to Mexican immigrants. In 1950, Judge DeAnda graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1950, at a time when there were only a handful of Hispanic law students. Judge DeAnda became a renowned criminal and civil litigator, and a driving force in a host of cases brought to promote social justice for Mexican-Americans in law, politics, and education.
In 1954, as a lawyer in a small practice in Houston, Judge DeAnda played a crucial role and wrote most of the briefs in Hernandez v. Texas—a case in which a migrant worker appealed his murder conviction by an all-white jury. Judge DeAnda’s research found that even though Mexican-Americans comprised 14 percent of the population in Jackson County, Texas, not one person with a Spanish surname had been on a jury in 25 years. On May 3, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in that Hispanics deserved the same constitutional protections as other minorities.
Judge DeAnda went on to fight segregation of Hispanics within Texas schools. In 1957, Judge DeAnda served as lead counsel in Hernandez v. Driscoll Independent School District, in which a federal court ordered the desegregation of a school district near Corpus Christi. In the late 1960s, after many years defending Hispanics in private practice, Judge DeAnda helped organize the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Texas Rural Legal Assistance Organization (now called Texas RioGrande Legal Aid), which provides legal services to migrant workers.
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter appointed Judge DeAnda to federal bench, becoming only the second Hispanic federal judge in the United States. Judge DeAnda retired in 1992, after serving his last four years as chief judge.
In Judge DeAnda’s memory, the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston will award one $1,500 scholarship to a deserving 2L law student at each of the three Houston area law schools (total of three scholarships, one student from each law school). This scholarship is designed to assist students in fulfilling professional aspirations and is awarded to students based on such factors as academic excellence, financial need, demonstrated leadership, commitment to the advancement of Hispanics in the legal profession , extracurricular activities, and potential for successful study in law school.
Your law school may jointly sponsor the Judge James DeAnda Scholarship to provide a scholarship that may total $3,000.00.
Eligibility & Instructions:
In order to be eligible to receive the scholarship, applicants must be: (1) a 2nd year law student; (2) a paid member of the Hispanic Law Student Association (HLSA) at your law school and (3) a current member of the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston.
To apply, you must submit all of the following:
- Your completed application (online form below);
- A copy of your résumé;
- A current law school transcript (official or unofficial);
- A personal statement (not to exceed 500 words) discussing your past and future commitment to serving the Hispanic community;
- A brief description of your financial need (not to exceed 500 words);
- Confirmation that you are a member of HisBA. (If you are not yet a member, you may submit a HisBA Membership Application via the following link: https://www.hisbahouston.com/Join-HisBA (Membership is free for law school students).
If you meet the eligibility criteria and would like to be considered for the scholarship, please submit your completed application before the deadline of Friday, March 13, 2026. If you have any questions, please e-mail info@hisbahouston.com with the subject line “HISBA 2L Scholarship Application.”
Scholarship recipients will be notified by e-mail.
*The Hispanic Bar Association of Houston (HisBA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In the selection of scholarship recipients, HisBA does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.
HisBA 3L Bar Review Scholarship
The Hispanic Bar Association of Houston will award one $3,200 scholarship to a deserving third-year law student at each of the three Houston area law schools. The scholarships are designed to assist law students in fulfilling their professional aspirations by paying for costs associated with a bar review study course.
The scholarships will be awarded based on academic excellence, financial need, demonstrated leadership, extracurricular activities, and commitment toward the advancement of Hispanics in the legal profession and/or the community. To be eligible for the scholarship, you must be (1) a paid member of your law school’s Hispanic law students association, (2) a current member of the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston, and (3) a third-year law student graduating in either May or December 2026.
To apply, you must submit all of the following:
- Your completed application (online form below);
- A copy of your résumé;
- A current law school transcript (official or unofficial);
- A personal statement (not to exceed 500 words) discussing your past and future commitment to serving the Hispanic community;
- A brief description of your financial need (not to exceed 500 words);
- Confirmation that you are a member of HisBA. (If you are not yet a member, you may submit a HisBA Membership Application via the following link: https://www.hisbahouston.com/Join-HisBA (Membership is free for law school students).
If you meet the eligibility criteria and would like to be considered for the scholarship, please submit your completed application before the deadline of Friday, March 13, 2026. If you have any questions, please e-mail info@hisbahouston.com with the subject line “HISBA 3L Bar Review Scholarship Application.”
Scholarship recipients will be notified by e-mail.
*The Hispanic Bar Association of Houston (HisBA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In the selection of scholarship recipients, HisBA does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.