2014 Tannenwald Writing Competition

The 2014 Tannenwald Writing Competition is sponsored by the Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship and The American College of Tax Counsel.

Named for the late Tax Court Judge Theodore Tannenwald, Jr., and designed to perpetuate his dedication to legal scholarship of the highest quality, the Tannenwald Writing Competition is open to all full- or part-time law school students, undergraduate or graduate.  Papers on any federal or state tax-related topic may be submitted in accordance with the Competition Rules are viewable at

http://www.tannenwald.org  or http://www.tannenwald.org/Competition-Rules.

PRIZES

Cash prizes for the top three papers are:

·         1^st prize $5,000

·         2^nd prize $2,500

·         3^rd prize $1,500

DEADLINE

Deadline for submitting papers:  9:00 p.m. DST, July 1, 2014.

MAIL PAPERS TO:

Tannenwald Foundation

700 Sixth Street, NW, Suite 700

Washington, DC 20001-3980

Attn:  Karen Jezierski

INFORMATION

For more information contact: Nancy Abramowitz at 202.274.4164 or email, nabramo@wcl.american.edu. 

Epstein Becker & Green Health Law Writing Competition

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., a national firm engaged in the practice of health care and life sciences law, is pleased to announce its Sixteenth Annual Health Law Writing Competition. The competition is designed to encourage the preparation of scholarly papers on current topics of interest relating to health law. Cash prizes will be awarded as follows for the three best papers:

• First Place             $4,000
• Second Place         $2,000
• Third Place            $500

Entrants should take advantage of the fact that health law is a very broad and diverse field, encompassing aspects of almost every area of law. Papers may address any traditional area of the law as applied to health care (e.g., antitrust, tax, corporate) or areas of law unique to health care (e.g., fraud and abuse, managed care, Medicare/Medicaid, clinical trials). Entries in the top 20 percent will be considered for publication in the Annals of Health Law, which is published by the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

All entries for the Sixteenth Annual Health Law Writing Competition are due by January 24, 2014. Go to http://www.ebglaw.com/healthentryform.aspx for the entry form.

If you have questions about the competition, please contact Serra Schlanger in Epstein Becker Green's Washington, DC, office at (202) 861-0900 or by e-mail at ebgcompetition@ebglaw.com. 

2014 Law School Diversity Scholarship

Buckfire & Buckfire, a Michigan firm, has created a scholarship as part of the firm’s commitment to build on the promise of diversity within the workplace, community and society.

The Law School Diversity Scholarship is $2,000.00 and will be awarded to a student who is currently attending an accredited law school, who is either a member of an ethnic or racial minority or demonstrates commitment to issues of diversity within their academic career. The second annual award will be awarded in 2014. 

All information can be found by visiting http://www.buckfirelaw.com/library/2014-buckfire-buckfire-p-c-law-school-diversity-scholarship-and-application.cfm

Winter Break 2013 Homework

During the winter break, take the time to consider where you are in your professional development. Begin preparing for the spring semester by doing the following:

Update Your Resume

It's important to frequently update your resume. This can include editing format, adding new content such as jobs, awards, and accomplishments, and making corrections to mistakes. Take some time over your break to review your current resume and make edits. Proofread carefully. 

After the break send a copy to or schedule an appointment with Assistant Dean Beem for a thorough review.

Perform a Social Media Audit

The winter break is a great time to work on a social media audit. Review your online profiles to ensure that each reflects you professionally. 

• Linked In
• Linked In is an excellent professional tool to create an appropriate online brand. It's professional. It's used by other professionals. It's increasingly the go-to resource for hiring managers and head hunters.
• To maximize your Linked In profile, use the Job Search Checklist.
• Facebook
• Facebook can be lots of fun. It can also be career damaging. Be sure to review your pictures, your friends, your privacy settings, and your comments and usage. Purge accordingly.
• Twitter
• If you have a Twitter account, take a look at who is following you and who you are following. Be sure to adjust your settings to reflect your professional brand.
• Google
• If you have never Googled yourself, do so! What comes up? Look at the images associated with your name. Try variations on your name. Doing such a search alerts you to issues associated with your name that you do have control over (i.e., someone with the same name). 

Market Research

If you're not familiar with the legal community, and therefore the legal market, begin to review resources that provide you with helpful information about the profession. Consider:

• Blogs
• Adam Smith, Esq (Law Firm Economics)
• Legal Profession Blog (What's New in the Profession)
• Lawyerist (Law Practice Management)
• For other resources, see the ABA's Blawg 100.
• Publications
• National Law Journal
• Columbus Business First
• Daily Reporter
• Bar Associations
• Columbus Bar Association
• Ohio State Bar Association
• American Bar Association

Build Your Network

Building your professional network is critical. Two resources are great for finding biographical information about attorneys:

• Martindale-Hubbell
• Linked In

Both resources allow you to search by topics (i.e., practice areas), by law school attended, by location, and by employer. These resources can help you identify key people in your city/state of destination.

Once you identify attorneys you want to meet, an easy way to connect is to schedule informational interviews. Informational interviews are a great way to learn about people, practice areas, the market, as well as to gather advice and guidance from experienced professionals. For many students, such interviewing is rewarding and productive. For more information on informational interviews, check out the brochure located outside of the OPDs office.