In what some might jokingly describe as a case of crooks wanting to help crooks become lawyers, a Minnesota law firm is offering a law school scholarship exclusively for people who have been in trouble with the law.
The Appelman Law Firm Criminal Defense Scholarship is designed to
reward those who’ve made better choices after a conviction – those who
have managed to turn their lives around and intend to pursue a career in
criminal defense.
“There’s a real need for passionate attorneys in
criminal defense,” said Avery Appelman, the firm’s founder. “Nothing
instills a great passion for justice quite like having suffered through
the process yourself.”
“There are just too many ways to run afoul of
the law for anyone to think they are immune. A mistake can easily lead
to an arrest or jail,” he said.
Appelman believes that with all the laws out there that avoiding a criminal
record has become more a matter of luck than being a good citizen. He claims that an estimate from the
U.S. government in the 1980′s put the number of federal
criminal statutes at about 3,000 and that shortly afterward, a study by the American Bar Association said that was
too low, but it couldn’t come up with a better number. Adding in state
crimes only makes the situation worse, a press release from the firm declared.
“When a simple marijuana possession charge can ban someone from federal
aid, there’s something wrong with the system,” said Appelman. “As a
society, we need to rethink what it means when we slap on the label of
criminal, how it adversely affects someone’s life.”
To apply for the scholarship, applicants have to write a short essay
about their experience with the law and submit proof of a police record. Applications for the 2014 scholarship will be taken until May 31
st, and the award decision will be made in August.
Click
here for more information.
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