Knox College and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law are embarking on a new initiative -- the Knox College Law Scholars Program -- to help talented Knox graduates pursue an affordable legal education at one of the country's top law schools.

Individuals who are selected for the program will receive a scholarship that reduces the cost of tuition at the Maurer School of Law by about 50%. Scholarship awards will range from $45,000 to $75,000 over three years, depending on the student's residency and other factors. Students also will participate in a mentorship program and other opportunities through the law school.

Each year, Knox College will nominate at least two current Knox students or alumni for the Knox College Law Scholars Program at the Maurer School of Law. The nominees must meet the law school's criteria for admission, including its minimum LSAT and cumulative grade point requirements.

"A career in law draws on the strengths of a Knox liberal arts education -- critical thinking, analytical skills, persuasive speaking and writing. Knox graduates have gone on to become some of the nation's leading legal experts, arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court, advising presidents, and leading national and international law firms," said Laura Behling, vice president for academic affairs and dean of Knox College. "We are excited to enter into this agreement with the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and look forward to providing Knox students and alumni with this opportunity to attend one of the nation's leading law schools."

Knox College Pre-Law Advisor Lane Sunderland said the Law Scholars program "is particularly welcome at a time when law students face substantial financial pressures. The mentoring program will undoubtedly help the Knox law scholars face the changing environment in the legal profession."

Austen L. Parrish, dean and James H. Rudy professor of law at the Maurer School of Law, said, "Knox College is known for its thriving academics and intellectual student body, which means Knox students are well-prepared to pursue graduate legal education."

The agreement between Knox and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law takes effect immediately and will be in place through June 2017. The Maurer School of Law has similar scholarship and mentoring programs with three other undergraduate institutions: Georgia Institute of Technology, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Wabash College.

"Knox has launched scores of students who have attended law school," added Sunderland, Chancie Ferris Booth Professor of Political Science. In recent years, Knox graduates have been admitted to law schools at Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Northwestern, and Indiana universities, among others.

"Knox alumni have been extremely successful in the study and practice of law," said Sunderland, who has served as a United States Supreme Court Fellow.

For example:

• Edward Novak ‘69 led the Arizona legal team that won freedom in 2013 for a man who, despite his steadfast claims of innocence, was convicted of arson and imprisoned more than 40 years ago. Novak is a shareholder and managing partner in the Phoenix, Arizona, office of Polsinelli PC, and he has extensive experience in criminal defense and complex litigation.

• Stephanie Armagost Haedt '00, lawyer and shareholder at Peterson, Savelkoul, Kolker, Haedt & Benda Ltd. in Minnesota, primarily practices employment law and has collected numerous professional honors, including being named a 2013 Rising Star by Super Lawyers, a rating service of outstanding lawyers.

• David Schulz '74 has represented news organizations that include The New York Times, the Associated Press, and other media outlets in cases involving access, Freedom of Information, libel, privacy, and copyright. In 2011, he was ranked one of the Top 10 First Amendment Litigators in the country by Chambers USA. He is an attorney and partner at Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz, LLP in New York.

• Susan Deller Ross '64 represented Anita Hill, then a law professor at the University of Oklahoma, during the 1991 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Hill's allegations of sexual harassment by then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Ross, a professor of law at Georgetown University, has been at the forefront of women's rights issues throughout her career.