USA Scholarships
Sam's Legacy Drunk Driving Scholarship 2027 - $1,000
Sam''s Legacy: Fighting to End Drunk Driving Scholarship is a $1,000 annual award from personal injury attorney John H. Fisher and The New York Injury & Malpractice Law Firm, P.C. Fisher created the scholarship after Ensign Samuel Cleghorn, a US Navy officer Fisher had known since childhood, was killed by an impaired driver in October 2020. The firm invites students nationwide to propose education, legislative, and enforcement ideas that could prevent drunk driving tragedies. Eligible applicants include high school seniors, vocational students, and students enrolled in two- to four-year colleges or graduate programs who are legal US residents in any state or the District of Columbia, maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, and are in good academic standing. You submit a professional resume, school transcript (or acceptance letter if you recently transferred), and a 500-750-word essay responding to the published prompt. The firm checks essays for AI-generated text and rejects those submissions. Preference is given, but not limited, to students from or attending secondary school in New York. Applications are due September 1, 2027, with selection during the following month.
What is Sam''s Legacy: Fighting to End Drunk Driving Scholarship?
John Fisher built this scholarship around a person, not a marketing slogan. Sam Cleghorn was a Naval officer with a future ahead of him until an impaired driver ended that future in 2020. Fisher had watched Sam grow up, and the loss pushed him to fund students who think seriously about stopping the roughly ten thousand alcohol-related highway deaths that repeat every year in federal statistics.
The application is smaller than a Gates or Coca-Cola competition, but the rules are strict. One thousand dollars, one winner, and an essay that must sound like you actually wrote it because the firm runs AI detection on every file. That filter matters: generic policy language copied from chat tools will get your packet tossed even if your GPA is perfect.
You do not need to live in New York to win, though the firm admits it gives weight to applicants tied to the state where Fisher practices medical malpractice and injury law. What you do need is a credible blend of education campaigns, legislative ideas, and enforcement tools. Talk about ignition interlocks, ride-share partnerships, campus peer education, or sentencing reforms if you understand them. Avoid vague promises to raise awareness without saying who will act.
Mark September 1 on your calendar and submit early. Fisher''s team selects the recipient during the following month and posts winners on the same page that hosts the form. If drunk driving advocacy already shows up in your resume, this scholarship lets you fund next semester while keeping Sam''s name attached to solutions rather than statistics.
Eligibility
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✓Legal US residency in any state or DCYou must reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and be a legal US resident. The scholarship is nationwide even though the sponsoring firm is based in New York.
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✓Enrolled or enrolling in qualifying educationOpen to current high school seniors, vocational students, and students in two- to four-year post-secondary programs or graduate school. First-year college students may pair an unofficial current transcript with the most recent official transcript from their prior school.
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✓Minimum 3.0 GPACandidates need a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and good overall academic standing when they apply.
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✓No firm employee or household conflictsEmployees of John Fisher or The New York Injury & Malpractice Law Firm, their immediate family members, and people living in the same household are ineligible.
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✓Original human-written essayEssays must be your own work between 500 and 750 words. The firm scans for AI writing and denies applications that fail the check.
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✓Complete submission through the official formAll materials upload through the scholarship page form. The firm asks applicants to use the dedicated contact form for scholarship questions rather than general office phone lines.
Benefits
- Award amount $1,000 one-time payment
- Number of awards One per annual cycle
- Eligible expenses Educational costs at your institution
- Geographic scope Nationwide US residents
- Renewable multi-year funding Not offered
- Automatic preference outside essay quality NY ties are a preference, not a guarantee
Document checklist
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✓500-750-word essay on drunk driving preventionAddress innovative educational, legislative, and enforcement strategies that could reduce impaired driving. Stay within the word count and write in your own voice.
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✓Professional resumeSummarize academic achievements, jobs, volunteer work, leadership roles, and any advocacy or safety projects related to traffic safety or community service.
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✓Current school transcriptSubmit a transcript from your present school. Transfer students, first-year undergraduates, and new graduate students may also supply the latest official transcript from their previous institution.
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✓College acceptance letter if applicableHigh school seniors and others not yet enrolled may submit proof of acceptance to a vocational program, two-year, four-year, or graduate institution.
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✓Online application form submissionComplete every field on protectingpatientrights.com/sams-legacy-fighting-to-end-drunk-driving/ and attach required files before the deadline.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is Sam's Legacy: Fighting to End Drunk Driving Scholarship?
It is a $1,000 scholarship from attorney John H. Fisher honoring Ensign Samuel Cleghorn, a Navy officer killed by a drunk driver. Students submit essays proposing ways to reduce impaired driving through education, laws, and enforcement.
Who can apply for Sam's Legacy scholarship?
US legal residents in any state or DC who are high school seniors, vocational students, or enrolled in college or graduate programs with at least a 3.0 GPA may apply, except firm employees and their household relatives.
When is the Sam's Legacy scholarship deadline?
The firm lists September 1, 2026 for the current cycle on its website. For planning ahead, expect the next annual deadline around September 1, 2027 unless the firm publishes a different date.
How much is Sam's Legacy scholarship worth?
One student receives $1,000 per year. The award honors Sam Cleghorn and supports a student whose essay best addresses drunk driving prevention.
Does Sam's Legacy scholarship require a specific essay topic?
Yes. You write 500-750 words describing innovative educational, legislative, and enforcement strategies that could reduce drunk driving. Follow the prompt exactly and stay within the word limit.
Can I use ChatGPT or other AI to write my Sam's Legacy essay?
No. The official page states that essays are checked for AI-generated writing and applications with detected AI content are denied.
Do New York residents have an advantage for Sam's Legacy?
Preference goes to students from or attending secondary school in New York, but the eligibility list is nationwide. Strong essays from other states still win.
Where do I apply for Sam's Legacy scholarship?
Apply only through the submission form at protectingpatientrights.com/sams-legacy-fighting-to-end-drunk-driving/. Use the scholarship contact form on that page for questions.
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