2020-2021 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry was born in Miami, Florida in 1923. For approximately 22 years, she taught in the Dade County (now Miami-Dade) Public Schools. She became a pioneer of the State of Florida's legal profession. She received her undergraduate degree from Florida Agricultural Mechanical University (“FAMU”). She later returned to FAMU to obtain her Juris Doctorate degree and serve as a professor at its law school. She was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1965. She was the first Black woman to practice law in Dade County, Florida. She was one of the first nine attorneys who initially served at Legal Services of Greater Miami in 1966. In 1970, Ms. Cherry was elected as a state representative, becoming the first Black woman to serve as a legislator for the State of Florida.

The Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association (GSCBWLA), formerly the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division Dade County Chapter, was formed in 1985. The association's mission is to address the concerns of women lawyers as they relate to the social, economic, political and moral needs of the community.

The Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association is committed to investing in the future of the legal profession. This year we have scholarships available to current law students that will assist them in buying books for class or for bar review.

The 2020-2021 Scholarship Application is now available for law students attending law school throughout Florida.

Requirements:

1. Must be enrolled in a law school within the state of Florida.

2. Must complete the scholarship application and essay.

Winners of the GSCBWLA Book Awards will be notified in writing no later than Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

Applications MUST be postmarked by Friday, September 25, 2020 to Sheena Benjamin-Wise, Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association at 6750 N. Andrews Avenue, Ste. 200, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309 or sent via email at info@gscbwla.org.