Our criminal defense law firm is excited to be able to give back to the community and students with dreams of practicing law. Robert M. Helfend is offering a $500 scholarship open to any law school student or undergraduate student pursing a career in criminal defense.

Robert M. Helfend understands the hard work and dedication involved in attending law school. While attending law school, Robert was committed to academic excellence and is excited to have the opportunity to assist other law students achieve their academic goals. He received his law degree from the Pepperdine University Law School and has dedicated his career to working in criminal defense. Robert has been advocate for a wide variety of clients since 1984. He truly has a sense of the commitment, responsibility and dedication it takes to excel academically and begin pursuing a career in the challenging landscape of the legal industry.

The scholarship will be completed in essay form.

Scholarship Requirements

Applicants will only be considered if they meet the following requirements:

  • Applicants must be currently enrolled in law school or undergraduate with plans to continue to law school.
  • Applicants must be enrolled full-time.
  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

The scholarship deadline is April 30, 2018.  The award recipient will be notified by email no later than May 31, 2018.

Please Forward All Questions Regarding the Scholarship to scholarship@criminaldefenselawventura.com – Do Not Contact the Law Firm Directly.

Apply For The Scholarship

Submit via email to scholarship@criminaldefenselawventura.com. Please send your email with attachment to a Word document or link to a Google Doc.

Your email subject line must read: “Your Name – Law School Scholarship Application”

1) Cover Letter (w/Name and contact information)

  • Name, background and enrollment information
  • Area of law you plan to practice after graduation
  • Expected graduation date

2) Proof of Enrollment 

  • Unofficial transcript

3) A 400-600 Word Essay – MS Word or Google Doc Format

– Choose one from the following topics below:

  • Discuss the role of confidentiality in legal practice
  • Discuss a case study in either criminal law or business law
  • Discuss the procedures regarding the disclosure of evidence in criminal cases
  • Discuss challenges in representing low-income or minority communities

Selection Process:

Applications will be reviewed after the April 30, 2018 deadline by 3 members of our scholarship selection committee.  Each member will vote on the winner. Once each scholarship committee member has cast their vote, they will have time to discuss their favorite entry with the rest of the committee. Committee members are forbidden to show favoritism based on personal relationships, law school of choice or legal practice of choice.  The top 3 entries will be forwarded to Robert M. Helfend. From there, the winning entry will then be reviewed by Robert M. Helfend. Robert M. Helfend will choose between the top 3 entries to declare a scholarship award recipient.