For Nina Rodriguez, receiving one of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation's (NJSBF) $10,000 Justice Marie L. Garibaldi Scholarships last August came at the right time. About to enter her third year at Rutgers Law School in Camden, and elected the first Latina editor of the Rutgers Law Review, her schedule was full.

Rodriguez, who had worked as a summer associate at a law firm and as a nanny, had to stop working so she could focus on her studies, especially after taking on additional leadership positions.

"With what I had on my plate, I wasn't able to take on a part-time position. I was really nervous because I didn't have an income, and receiving the scholarship was the biggest blessing I could receive," she said.