Scholarship Committee
Immediate Past President Scott Konopka, Chair
The Martin County Bar Association awarded over $4,500 in scholarships this year. Winners were selected from a pool of more than 25 applicants, based on a written application and essay, community involvement, need, grade point average, and a desire to work in the legal field or law enforcement. Each of our four local high schools were well represented. This year's scholarship recipients are:
It is exciting to see so many people come together for a morning of golf, fun, fund-raising, and a bit of friendly competition, all for the benefit of local graduates. I was grateful to be chosen as a scholarship recipient, and now I am proud to be a member of a group that brings excitement, inspiration, and support to students in our community.

MARTIN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION (MCBA) – 2012 SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••CRITERIA: Graduating high school senior from Martin County High School, South Fork High School, Jensen Beach High School, Spectrum and Clark Advanced Learning Center pursuing a career as a lawyer, paralegal/legal secretary, police officer, forensic scientist, private detective, clinical social worker, court reporter, social service, youth counseling, parole/probation officer or other law related field; minimum 3.0 GPA; Include your intended career and a 1,000-2,500 word essay on one of the following topics: (1) Discuss the presumption of innocence in the U.S. given to a person charged with a crime (“Innocent until proven guilty”) and give at least two specific examples and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this presumption – OR - (2) Compare and contrast the United States’ three branches of government and their balance of powers with that of another country that does not have this structure – OR - (3) Should a minor student be given his or her rights, including a “Miranda” warning and the right to have a parent present, before being questioned by police on school grounds? NOTE: Plagiarism will be grounds for immediate disqualification. One candidate from each school, who has met the criteria for the scholarship, will receive an award; if no qualified candidate applies for any given school, no scholarship will be awarded at that school. For more information or for questions, see Scholarship link at www.martincountybar.org)
AWARDS: $5,000 to be distributed among selected winners - One-time
DEADLINE: December 1, 2011
FORM: Standard School Application, essay as noted above and description of career ambitions
REGION: Martin County (see criteria)
MARTIN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY CONTEST
Information, Rules and Guidelines
A. CONTEST INFORMATION
The Martin County Bar Association (“MCBA”) created this contest several years ago for the purpose of affording high school students the opportunity to explore events that shaped American History, and learn more about the third and co-equal branch of government, the Judiciary.
B. CONTEST RULES
1The MCBA reserves the right to edit the list of participating schools.