Dr. John J. Schumacher founded Southwestern University School of Law in 1911. Schumacher intended the university to be an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian institution.^{[1][failed verification]}

Schumacher intended Southwestern to provide legal education opportunities for qualified students that might not otherwise have an opportunity to pursue such a degree. For this reason, the university actively encouraged the enrollment of minorities and women.

The John J. Schumacher Minority Leadership scholarship program was created to provide up to full-tuition scholarships for entering minority students with exceptional academic and leadership potential. EBC | Scholarship Directory Scholarship Directorypage1 | Santa Barbara Cal-SOAP Consortium Schumacher Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of undergraduate performance (typically at least a B average) and extracurricular activities, work experience, evidence of leadership abilities, and LSAT score, as well as other factors. Prospective students must apply with Southwestern’s Office of Admissions.