About the Scholarship
Established in 1981 by the Dallas Bar Foundation, the Judge Sarah T. Hughes Scholarship was established to expand access to the legal profession in Dallas and better reflect the socio-economic backgrounds of the community it serves. The scholarship was originally awarded to students accepted to the SMU Dedman School of Law. These law students, upon graduation, planned to practice law and serve the community in Dallas. In 2015, the scholarships were expanded to include students attending the other two, recently opened, law schools in the DFW metroplex: UNT Dallas College of Law and Texas A&M University School of Law.
The Hughes scholarships help to create a cycle of success in our community. Many of the recipients are the first in their families to graduate from college. The scholarship program has allowed outstanding law students to complete a legal education many would have previously thought beyond reach. To date, the Dallas Bar Foundation has awarded almost $3 million dollars in Hughes scholarships.
The original name of the scholarship was changed in 1982 to honor Judge Hughes' outstanding contribution and support of the Dallas Bar Foundation, both monetarily and as a Dallas Bar Foundation trustee. The suggestion for the name change was met with enthusiastic approval and unanimous consent at the DBF Board of Trustees meeting held in February 1982. In 2025, the Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to the Sarah T. Hughes Scholarship and to honoring Judge Sarah T. Hughes’ legacy by emphasizing determination, resilience, and a strong sense of purpose as key selection criteria.
Judge Sarah T. Hughes often remarked upon a formula she used to live her life - "Pick out your goal, and then use determination and courage to reach it." As Sarah Tilghman Hughes believed, she lived. Past Hughes Scholars have included many accomplished law students and lawyers practicing in Dallas. The Hughes Scholars have distinguished themselves in many ways including being named valedictorian in law school, serving as members of the federal and state judiciary, volunteering for the local and state bar associations, donating their time to serve area nonprofit organizations, and mentoring others. One of the scholars commented, "This scholarship is a source of empowerment because it places responsibility in the hands of those who have been traditionally under-represented in the legal community."
2025 Hughes Scholars
Class of 2027
Daisy Hernandez
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UNT Dallas College of Law, 2L
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UT Arlington, B.A. Criminology and Criminal Justice, summa cum laude, 2021
First in family to graduate college
First in family to serve in the military
U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserves: Sergeant / Team Leader
“I witnessed firsthand the challenges that underserved communities face in navigating complex systems. My desire to purse a legal career is a response to these experiences and a desire to create meaningful change for others who have struggled to be seen, heard and treated equally.”
Class of 2027
Hannah Mascetti
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Texas A&M University School of Law, 2L
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The University of Arizona, B.A, Law And Psychology, summa cum laude, 2024
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Baker Botts summer associate, 2025
“I came to realize the cyclical nature of poverty and the havoc it wreaks on families, generation after generation. Despite moving to five different cities and attending fifteen different schools, education became my golden ticket to breaking the cycle of poverty. Most importantly, the support of the scholarship affirms that despite the challenges I have faced, I am not alone in this journey and that others believe and are willing to invest in my potential.”
Class of 2027
Amaya Smith
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UNT Dallas College of Law, 2L
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Texas A&M University, B.S. Psychology, cum laude, 2024
SBA 1L representative, 2024-2025
“Getting accepted into law school at 19 years old was not an easy journey.
As a freshman in high school, I made the decision to join a collegiate program that would allow me to get my associate's degree at the same time as my high school diploma at eighteen years old. Making this decision not only helped me academically, but my mother financially; I was going to complete two years of college done at no cost.
Class of 2027
Isaac Torrez
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UNT Dallas College of Law, 2L
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Texas Tech University, BBA, Finance
CALI Award in Legal Writing I & II
Dean's List (Fall, 2024 & 2025)
President, UNT Hispanic Law Student Association
Managing Editor, Law Review,On The Cusp
“My parents’ belief that their children could build a better future and their tireless work became the foundation for everything I’ve achieved. My parents made countless sacrifices so I would have a different life. I remain committed to my studies. This scholarship is a powerful affirmation that the struggles my parent endured were not in vain."
Interested in the
Sarah T. Hughes Scholarship?
Application will be available through the Career Counseling offices at the law schools Listed Below:
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About Sarah T. Hughes
Sarah Tilghman Hughes (August 2, 1896 - April 23, 1985) was the United States District Court judge who swore Lyndon Johnson into the office of President on Air Force One, becoming the first - and, to date, the only - woman in U.S. history to swear in a U.S. President, a task usually executed by the Chief Justice of the United States. The photo of Judge Hughes administering the oath of office remains the most famous photo ever taken aboard Air Force One.
1919
1922-1930
1935-1960
1961-1962
Born Sarah Tilghman in Baltimore, Maryland, she was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Haughton Tilghman. After graduating from Goucher College, she taught science at Salem Academy in North Carolina for several years. In 1919 she moved to Washington, D.C., and returned to school to attend the George Washington University Law School. She attended night classes and worked as a police officer during the day.
She moved to Dallas, Texas in 1922 with her husband, George Hughes, whom she had met in law school. She practiced law for eight years in Dallas before becoming involved in politics, first being elected in 1930 to three terms in the Texas House of Representatives.
In 1935, she accepted an appointment as a state judge from Governor James Allred for the Fourteenth District Court in Dallas, allowing her to preside over trials in which women were not yet allowed to sit as jurors. Judge Hughes was re-elected and remained at that post until 1960.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed her to the federal bench in the Northern District of Texas. Two years later, on November 22, 1963, she was called upon to administer the oath of office to Lyndon B. Johnson after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
