A scholarship fund for University of Missouri law students is making a comeback.
The firm has partnered with the law school’s foundation to bring back an annual scholarship program for first-year law students under a new name and new criteria. The first recipients were announced effective with the fall 2026 semester: first-year law students Maggie Borgard and Hannah Rowland.
The LSF Thompson Coburn Leadership Scholarship will now be awarded annually to one or more first-year law students who demonstrate strong leadership and academic achievement, prioritizing those with high school or college connections to the St. Louis area. The law school’s dean determines the recipient and annual scholarship amount each year.
Guided by the leadership and generosity of former firm Chair Jack Musgrave, the original endowment agreement with the School of Law in 1992 established the Coburn & Croft Scholarship Fund, named for one of Thompson Coburn’s predecessor firms before its 1996 merger with Thompson & Mitchell. Originally intended for outstanding first-year moot court participants, the scholarship program eventually went dormant amid changes at the School of Law. During that dormancy, the original funds donated by Coburn & Croft continued to grow based on investment returns. Now, the interest and investment returns can sustain one or more scholarships annually to deserving law school students.
When the opportunity arose to return this program to the firm’s mix of support for law students across the country, Thompson Coburn Chair Chris Hohn and Employment Committee leadership worked with the law school to create a new agreement suited to today’s priorities. Along with the scholarship funds, the recipient will be paired with a TC partner and provided meaningful mentorship opportunities. The firm intends for this scholarship to enhance its strong recruiting momentum with the law school.
The scholarship continues the firm’s tradition of supporting and providing opportunities for a diverse and talented pipeline of law students, including through its Thomas F. Eagleton Scholarship and summer associate program.
“I am honored and grateful for the generous support of the Thompson Coburn Scholarship,” Borgard, one of the two 2026 scholarship recipients, said in the law school’s announcement. “This scholarship makes it possible for me to look forward to my career as an attorney without the stress of financial burden.”
Fellow 1L Hannah Rowland said the scholarship has allowed her to focus more fully on her education and involvement at Mizzou Law.
“The opportunity to pursue a legal education is a dream come true,” Rowland said. “I hope to make the absolute most of my time here, and I cannot wait for what’s to come.”
Maggie Borgard
Hannah Rowland