2026 Mediation & Conversations Scholarship

Congratulations to our 2025 scholarship recipient, William Mar! Find out more about our previous winners here! 

At Dolan Divorce Lawyers, we understand how complicated it can be to navigate any sort of familial issue. We pride ourselves on our approachability, ability to listen intently to our clients, and capability to deliver desired results with as little stress as possible. It’s not always easy to have the necessary conversations when a problem arises, especially if you find yourself needing to mediate a tough situation you’ve been put in the middle of. We feel that those who are able to approach these challenges with a calm and organized mindset are deserving of recognition. That is why we are excited to offer our annual Mediation & Conversations Scholarship once again in 2026!

This $1,000 scholarship was created to promote mindfulness and maturity in the communicative sphere, whether between family members, friends, workplace, or simply through daily life. In 750-1,000 words, please write about a time when they had to mediate between people in their lives, the communication tools they used, and what they learned from the experience. We are looking for examples of why mindful communication is vital to building and maintaining healthy relationships. Be sure to submit your application before September 30th, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST!

Award Amount: $1,000

Eligibility

• The scholarship is open to any current high school senior, vocational student, college student or graduate student who is a legal resident of the United States residing in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and who is enrolled in a vocational program or two to four year post-secondary institution.
• Employees of Dolan Divorce Lawyers, PLLC, their immediate families (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), and persons living in the same households of such individuals (whether related or not), are not eligible to participate in the competition. 
• Candidates for this scholarship should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good overall academic standing.

Application Requirements

• The candidate must fill out the form below with all necessary information
• The candidate must submit a 750-1,000-word essay response to the prompt: Describe a time when you had to mediate between people in your life, the communication tools you used, and what you learned from the experience.
  • Please note that all essays will be checked for AI writing. If AI writing is deemed present in the essay, the application will be denied.
• The candidate must submit a professional resumé that lists their experience, both professional and academic.
• The candidate must submit a transcript from their current school. First-year college students, graduate students, or individuals who have recently transferred schools may submit an unofficial transcript from their current school and the most recent official transcript from their prior school. High school students can submit proof of acceptance to their college or university.
• Preference will be given to students either from or attending secondary school in the state, but all are welcome to apply.

The recipient of the 2026 Mediation & Conversations Scholarship will be chosen during the month following the scholarship deadline. 

We will not be available to answer scholarship-related questions by phone. Please send any scholarship questions to reception@dolanfamilylaw.com with the subject line “2026 Mediation & Conversations Scholarship ”