Help Send Donnell Jones to Law School

My name is Donnell Jones. I am a first generation college graduate and incoming law student that will begin my legal education this fall at USC Gould School of Law.

Disabled, formerly homeless, and a high school drop-out, my academic trajectory has been non-traditional in nearly every sense. Despite staggering odds, I managed to earn my Associate’s degree with a 3.55 GPA, win two consecutive elected terms as Student Trustee of the Long Beach City College District representing over 24,000 students, and transfer to the University of California, Berkeley.

At Berkeley, I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies with a 3.42 GPA while simultaneously tutoring and mentoring incarcerated youth through the Incarceration to College Program. I also began serving as an appointed Commissioner, later elected Chair, to the City of Berkeley’s Homeless Services Panel of Experts, where I advised the City Council on homeless policy and funding for homeless services.

In February 2025, the Daily Californian covered my election as Chair of the Homeless Services Panel of Experts. You can read that article here: UC Berkeley student Donnell Jones appointed chair

Why Law

My interest in law school is more than academic, it is deeply personal. I watched in horror as my older brother, a decorated Air Force veteran, was dragged from his home in the middle of the night and held on a million-dollar bail for a crime he did not commit. He nearly lost his life in Los Angeles’ Men’s Central Jail before a judge finally asked the right questions and properly dismissed the case.

Years later, I sat at my own defense table, facing fabricated evidence and a public defender who urged me to plead guilty “so as not to waste anyone’s time.” A jury exonerated me in under fifteen minutes.

What those experiences taught me is that justice in our legal system is too often determined by who holds power rather than who holds the truth. I am going to law school because I intend to do something about that. I strive to be the advocate that neither my brother nor I had--and one day be the Judge that asks the right questions.

Why I’m Asking — The Real Numbers

USC Gould awarded me a $30,000 merit scholarship and a $2,500 need-based grant. Despite taking the maximum allowable federal loans I still face a gap of more than $37,000 per year. Private lenders require a co-signer, and I unfortunately have no family with the financial standing to fill that role.

Full annual cost of attendance (off-campus, 2026–27): $119,784

USC Gould merit scholarship: –$30,000

USC Gould need-based grant: –$2,500

Federal loans (maximum allowed): –$50,000

Annual gap: $37,284*

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025 and taking effect July 1, 2026, eliminated the Graduate PLUS loan program and capped federal lending for professional students at $50,000 per year. My entering class will be the first law school cohort to begin under these new rules. Previously, law students could borrow up to the full cost of attendance in federal loans.

I am not asking you to cover this gap in its entirety, rather this campaign is one essential piece of a larger strategy. This summer I will be working as a law clerk for the Law Offices of B.C. McComas as well as a Research Assistant in USC Gould's Policing, Law and Education lab to both further develop the skills needed to succeed at a top ranked law school and to earn money to cover some of these costs myself. I am also applying to bar association scholarships, affinity organization grants, and alumni foundation awards in parallel.

How You Can Help

Any amount matters. What helps campaigns like this succeed is not just a few large donors but many everyday people deciding that my work is worth supporting. A heart-felt donation from someone who believes in me is every bit as meaningful as a larger gift from someone with more to give.

If you are not in a position to give financially right now, sharing this page with one person who might be is genuinely valuable. The right person seeing this story at the right moment can change the trajectory of this campaign entirely.

Thank you for reading this far. Thank you for your consideration. And thank you for the belief you have shown in me.

With gratitude,

Donnell M. Jones

Incoming 1L • USC Gould School of Law, Class of 2029

*GoFundMe adjusts the displayed goal incrementally as donations come in — my full campaign target is $18,000