NCBA 2026 Scholarship Winner: Sofia Pallares
NCBA 2026 Scholarship Winner: Sofia Pallares
We're excited to announce that Sofia Pallares has been selected as the 2026 NCBA Scholarship recipient, generously sponsored by Barron & Newburger Foundation.
Sofia will be attending the University of Michigan and has graciously granted permission for us to share her winning essay on this year's topic: 
Artificial intelligence tools are increasingly being used by individuals facing debt collection litigation to understand legal rights, draft legal documents, and navigate disputes without attorneys. How might AI change access to justice in the United States? Do you believe these tools will help close the justice gap or create new risks and costs for consumers, creditors, courts, and the legal system in general?
A personal reflection from Sofia:
“As a first step toward my future, receiving this scholarship is both an honor and a motivation to keep pushing myself at the University of Michigan. I’m looking forward to continuing my studies in financial services and learning from people who challenge me to grow further.”
We extend our sincere appreciation to our judges - Rachel VanHorn, Maria Lewis, Crystal Duplay, Ellie Tami and Tom Canary for the time and care they spent evaluating this year’s submissions.
We also thank the Barron & Newburger Foundation for their generous sponsorship and continued support of the NCBA scholarship program.