Mordecai Scholars
The Duke Law Blueprint encourages students to develop a broad range of skills that will enhance their careers as lawyers, urging them to engage intellectually, build relationships, and lead effectively. Incoming students who exemplify these ideals to the highest degree are named Mordecai Scholars and receive Duke Law's prestigious full-tuition scholarship.
Initiated in 1997, the Mordecai Scholars program is named for Samuel Fox Mordecai, the founding dean of the Law School who was a noted practitioner, scholar, and leader in legal education. Mordecai Scholars are individuals who possess a record of extraordinary leadership and scholarly achievement prior to law school, along with the personal qualities that are likely to result in community involvement and leadership at Duke, and in the years after graduation.
All admitted students are considered for the Mordecai scholarship. Those who possess particularly notable records of leadership and academic accomplishment will be invited to visit campus at their convenience and participate in interviews which will select the next Mordecai Scholars. Students who are named Mordecai Scholars will receive merit scholarships that cover the full cost of tuition. In most years, 4-8 students enroll with the Mordecai Scholarship.
Dual Degree Mordecai Scholars
Duke Law School has long recognized the importance of interdisciplinary education to successful legal practice and leadership. Nearly a quarter of graduates pursue dual degrees, developing expertise in multiple fields that allows them to draw on varied perspectives and speak with authority to a wider audience.
To foster the development of this broad base of knowledge for future leadership, Duke Law selects students who apply for the summer-starting dual degree programs (JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law, JD/MA, and JD/MS) to receive Dual Degree Mordecai Scholarships. The Dual Degree Mordecai covers the cost of all summer courses and additional coursework required to complete the second degree, in addition to whatever merit- and need-based scholarships these students may receive for the JD. Dual Degree Mordecai Scholars thus obtain the breadth of knowledge from the second degree at no additional tuition cost.
Example One: A student is admitted to the JD/MA in Political Science program. She receives a $60,000 scholarship for the JD ($20,000 distributed evenly over three years). In addition, she is awarded a Dual Degree Mordecai scholarship in the amount of $14,475 to cover the additional tuition costs of the MA, for a total scholarship award of $74,475.
Example Two: A student is admitted to the JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law program. He receives a $48,000 scholarship for the JD ($16,000 distributed evenly over three years). In addition, he is awarded a Dual Degree Mordecai scholarship in the amount of $18,385 to cover the tuition costs of the initial summer term and the summer institute, for a total scholarship award of $66,385.
These examples use 2008-2009 tuition figures.
