The 2015 Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition

The 2015 Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition

ACS's National Student Writing Competition bears Constance Baker Motley's name in honor of her legacy as a civil rights leader, elected official, and the first African-American woman appointed to the federal bench. Papers will be judged on their effective use, analysis and/or expansion of legal scholarship. The judging committee will include federal judges and leading academics.

The student authors of the top three papers will receive special recognition at the ACS National Convention in the summer of 2015 and a cash prize for their work. The winner will be awarded $3,000 and each of the two runners-up will receive $1,000. The top paper will also receive an offer of publication in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law. 

Examples of topics include but are not limited to: Civil legal aid, civil liberties, education, freedom of speech, LGBT rights, human rights, immigration, labor law, money in politics, privacy, racial equality, religion, the second amendment and voting.

The deadline to apply is February 13, 2015. 

Click here for more details about the 2015 competition. 

The 2015 
Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition
on Regulatory and Administrative Law

The Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition on Regulatory and Administrative Law is open to a wide array of participants. Practicing lawyers, policymakers, academics, and law students all are encouraged to take part. The judging committee will include federal judges and leading academics. A winner will be selected in both the lawyer and student categories. The author of the winning paper in each category will receive a cash prize of $1,500. The winning papers will receive special recognition at the ACS National Convention, on the ACS website, and potentially through other means agreed upon by the authors and ACS.

We encourage participants to view this topic broadly and welcome submissions on a variety of substantive areas.

Submissions must be emailed by Friday, February 6, 2015, 11:59pm EST. Papers emailed after this date will not be considered. Papers must be emailed to cudahy@acslaw.org in Word format. 

Click here for more details about the 2015 competition.

Thomas Jefferson School Of Law Announces 

The First Annual Jameson Crane III Disability and the Law Writing Competition

Thomas Jefferson School of Law announces the First Annual Jameson Crane Ill Disability and the law Writing Competition. The Crane Writing Competition is designed to encourage outstanding student scholarship at the intersection of law and medicine or law and the social sciences that promotes an understanding, furthers the development of legal rights and protections,and improves the lives of those with disabilities.
The Crane Writing Competition is open to currently enrolled law students (J.D., Ll.M., and
J.S.D.), medical students, and doctoral candidates in related fields who attend an accredited graduate program of study in the United States.

Submitted papers may be on any topic relating to disability law including, legal issues arising with respect to employment,government services and programs, public accommodations, education,higher education, housing, and health care.

The winner of the competition will receive a $1,500 cash prize. Two second place winners will each receive a  $1,000 cash  prize. Submissions will be considered for publication in the Thomas Jefferson Law Review.

For more information , please visit:
www.tjsl.edu/Cranewritingcompetition

All submissions must be submitted electronically to cranewritingcompetition@tjsl.edu. All entries must be received by midnight, Pacific Standard Time, January, 15, 2015. Winning submissions will be announced by April 15, 2015. Questions should be directed to Professor Susan Bisom-Rapp at susanb@tjsl.edu.

Additional Information below:

Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni

Securities Law Writing Competition -- 2014

1st Place $5,000

2°d Place $3,000

3rd Place $2,000

TOPIC: Any subject in the field of securities law

ELIGIBILITY: Students enrolled at any accredited law school in the United States for the fall semester of 2014. Unpublished papers, papers published in any law journal or other publication during calendar year 2014, and papers scheduled for publication in 2014 or 2015 are eligible for submission. Co-authored papers are not eligible.

DEADLINE:  November 15, 2014

MAIL TWO COPIES OF SUBMISSIONS TO:

ASECA

P. 0. Box 5767

Washington, DC 20016

All submissions must include author's name and contact information,  including  e-mail, postal address, telephone number, law school, and year of anticipated graduation. For submissions which have been published or are scheduled to be published, the name and date of publication should be included. Receipt of submissions will be acknowledged by e­ mail.

Submissions must be received by November 15, 2014. E-mail submissions will not be accepted. See ASECA website (www.sccalumni.org) for additional information. Questions may be directed to Mitzi Moore, ASECA Executive Director, at info@secalumni. org or 202-462-1211.

Award winners will be invited to attend SECA's annual dinner in Washington, DC on February 20, 2015. Travel and lodging expenses for the  first place award winner will be reimbursed by ASECA up to $1,000 in actual expenses.

2015 Consumer Financial Services Writing Competition

The American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers is pleased to announce awards to be presented for:

1. The best book
2. The best publishable article, book chapter, or substantial book review
3. The best student note or comment on a topic dealing with consumer financial services law

The awards include cash payments of $2,500, $2,000 and 1,000, respectively, a Certificate of Recognition from the College, and travel expenses to attend the Spring 2015 meeting of the College. In any given year, depending on submissions, all three awards, or fewer, maybe made.    
Eligible entries will address a topic on consumer financial services, but not securities regulation, insurance, or the safety-and-soundness aspects of banking regulation.  Works on subjects with these (or other) areas, however, will be considered if they bear directly on consumer financial services.  

Entries much have been written or published between November 15, 2013 and December 1, 2014. Unpublished entries should be typed, double spaced, and in law review format.
The winners will be honored at the annual meeting of the college held in conjunction with the Spring Meeting of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, to be held in San Francisco in April 2015.  


The American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers is a nonprofit association of attorneys who have made significant contributions to consumer financial services law over an extended period of time.  Its members include academics, present and former federal and state regulatory and enforcement officers,  authors in the field, private practitioners, counsel for financial institutions an other service providers and representatives of consumer protection and advocacy orgnaizations.
Entries must be submitted in electronic format and should be sent to:  


L. Jean Noonan, EsquireWriting Competition ChairHudson Cook, LLP1020 19th St., NW7th FloorWashington, DC 20036Tel (202) 327-9700Fax (202) 223-6935jnoonan@hudco.com  

More information can be found at:  http://www.accfsl.org  

16th Annual Law Student Closing Argument Competition

The Landskroner Foundation for Children's
16th Annual Law Student Closing Argument Competition

Open to 2nd and 3rd Year law students for Ohio law schools who will give a 15 minute closing argument in a civil case for the plaintiff, a catastrophically injured child. 

Argument will be on damages only.

Fact Pattern, exhibits and demonstrative evidence will be furnished.

National and local team of judges, including experience trial lawyers with over 20 years experience, media personalities, judicial officials, and child advocates.

The top three students will receive cash scholarship awards of $750 for 1st place, $500 for second place and $200 for third place. All participants are invited to attend a reception to follow at the law offices to Landskroner, Grieco, Merriman, LLC located in Cleveland's warehouse district.

Although all participants are invited to attend the entire evening of competition, it is only necessary to be present 30 minutes in advance of the pre-assigned time for argument.

To Apply please contact:
Landskroner, Grieco, Merriman, LLC @ (216) 522-9000
Ask for Anathea or email anathea@lgmlegal.com
Deadline for applications is September 22, 2014

Competition limited to 12 contestants --Apply today!

Sponsored By: The Landskroner Foundation for Children and the Landskroner, Grieco, Merriman Law Firm

Anathea Brynak

Landskroner Grieco Merriman

The Landskroner Foundation for Children

1360 W 9^th Street,Suite 200

Cleveland, Ohio 44113

216-522-9000

Fax 216-522-9007

National Academy of Social Insurance - 1st Annual Writing Competition

LAW STUDENT WRITING AWARD COMPETITION

The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), with its sponsoring partner, The Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging, is pleased to announce competition for its first annual law student writing award for an outstanding paper on social insurance

NASI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization devoted to furthering knowledge and understanding of social insurance. NASI’s scope covers social insurance such as Social Security, Medicare, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, related public assistance, and private employee benefits. The Outstanding Law Student Paper Award sponsored by the Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging is designed to recognize and promote outstanding research and analysis by law students addressing the impact of the law on social insurance policy questions, especially those that address aging. 

The First Annual Law Student Writing Award will be given to the best paper or article in the social insurance field completed between January 1, 2013, and September 14, 2014.  The award will be presented at NASI’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., in January 28-29, 2015.  The winner will receive a $2,500 honorarium and the opportunity to participate in the conference with expenses paid.

TOPICS:

Relevant topics might include analysis of legal and policy issues relating any social insurance program. These issues include but are not limited to long-term care, Social Security, Social Security Disability, health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, related public assistance and private employee benefits. Nominations of comparative and interdisciplinary work relating to social insurance protections and policies are encouraged.

ELIGIBILITY:

Any substantial written work addressing topics relevant to the legal and policy issues creating, modifying, planning, and implementing social insurance programs are eligible for nomination. Papers prepared by any person(s) studying for a J.D. degree at an ABA-accredited law school. Eligible papers may not exceed 10,000 words in length, plus appropriate footnotes. Papers should observe the style specifications of and should be presented in double-spaced format on letter-size pages. All papers or articles completed before January 1, 2013 and September 14, 2014 will be considered.

NOMINATION PROCEDURES:

Nominations for the award can be made by a supervisor of the law student’s research paper, by an active member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, or any full-time faculty member at an ABA-accredited law school. Complete applications must include: 1) Nominator Form, 2) Nominator Letter, 3) Nominee Form, 4) Copy of the paper emailed to:  dcowens@nasi.org, or mailed to National Academy of Social Insurance, Attention: Devin Cowens, 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036. Application forms are available by visiting the Law Student Paper Award page at www.nasi.org, or by calling NASI at (202) 452-8097.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

A committee comprised of members of NASI who teach at ABA-accredited law schools will assess each nominated paper. The committee may consult with outside scholars when expertise not represented on the committee is required for appropriate consideration of a nominated paper. The criteria for assessing each paper: originality of the contribution to the body of knowledge on the law relating to social insurance, policy relevance of the findings, quality of the legal analysis, and clarity and felicity of the exposition. In cases of jointly-authored components, the related contribution of the co-authors must be explained fully.

AWARD COMMITTEE:

Renée Landers, Suffolk Law School, Chair
Richard Kaplan, University of Illinois Law School
Lance Liebman, Columbia Law School
Sallyanne Payton, University of Michigan
Emily Spieler, Northeastern Law School

Edward Spurgeon (Committee Adviser), Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging

www.nasi.org

How to Get Called for an Interview at a Law Firm

Troy Doucet, a 2010 Capital University Law School graduate, is the principal of Doucet & Associates Co., L.P.A. Troy hires students and lawyers for various roles within his firm. As an OPDBlog guest blogger, he offers the following advice and guidance:

Associate candidates are usually asked to submit a resume, cover letter, transcript, and writing sample in response to one of my firm’s posted attorney positions.  The resume and cover letter are the most important of the four when it comes to getting an interview.  The transcript allows me to see where your interests lie during the interview.  Finally, the writing sample is something that I usually review after the interview to seal the deal, or indicate the search needs to continue.

These four documents are submitted via email to my firm, and I the first thing I open is the resume or cover letter.  I do not have a particular preference for one or the other, but rather open whichever catches my eye first, and I almost always look at both.  For this reason, pay close attention to these two documents, as they will dictate whether you get a call for an interview. 

Your resume mainly demonstrates your competence, and your cover letter demonstrates your interest.  Your resume is the tool that shows an employer whether you will be able to understand and work with the law, and especially the area of the law practiced by your employer.  Since we litigate civil consumer matters, it will show me whether you have had experience in litigation, consumer protection, and the extent of that experience.  Even if you have not had this kind of experience, your resume is where you concisely convey your qualifications for being hired for the job.

When I review a resume, the first area that I look for is your education.  I am looking for a few things, and grade point average or class ranking in law school is one of them, as well as specific class honors.  While I am not going to disregard a resume that does not state GPA or rank (stating a great 3L GPA next to your cumulative GPA is completely acceptable), I will assume your grades were not as strong as you would have liked.  I may look at your transcript if it is not listed on your resume.  I will then look to other information in your resume or cover letter to determine whether to bring you in for an interview.  While I will talk about a cover letter shortly, you can overcome challenging grades with relevant experience and an excellent cover letter that is specifically tailored to my firm.  You can also mitigate against not listing a GPA if you did well during your undergraduate studies and say so on your resume.  However, the total educational part of your resume remains very important.

Because the educational part of your resume is important, I suggest you place it at the top of your resume.  The only thing above it should be any bar admissions, so I understand immediately whether I can hire you for an associate position (versus law clerk until you are licensed).  Under your school name, you should indicate any graduating honors you received, GPA and rank (if they are strong), and then any awards for the highest grade in a class.  Call the award “Highest Grade” if you are not local, and then state the course name, rather than using a long title that requires me to hunt down the actual class.  For example, I do not recommend calling your award the, “Deans Special Certificate for the Most Outstanding Grade of the Semester in this Course Award.”  Even if that is what you school calls it, just write, “Highest Grade” next to the course name so I can see what course you obtained that highest grade in. 

Writing Competition in Medical-Legal Interprofessional Collaboration

Mollie and Paul Hill Student Writing Competition
in Medical-Legal Interprofessional Collaboration

Beginning in 2014, the Florida State University Center for Innovative Collaboration in Medicine and Law, based in both the FSU College of Medicine and the FSU College of Law, will present awards for the outstanding original papers submitted by a law student and a medical student or medical resident in response to a question pertaining to collaboration between the medical and legal professions. This writing competition is made possible by a generous gift from Mollie and Paul Hill.

Outstanding Paper by a Law Student -- $250
Outstanding Paper by a Medical Student or Medical Resident -- $250

2014 Contest Question

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted into law in 2010 attempts to improve the access of Americans to improved quality health care, while controlling the nation’s escalating health care expenditures. As the ACA gets further implemented in 2014, discuss opportunities and challenges this law presents for constructive, innovative collaboration between the legal and medical professions in contributing to the quest for a more affordable and accessible high quality health care system. 

Deadline and Submission
1. All papers must be submitted in the proper format by midnight (EST) on January 2, 2014.
2. Papers must be submitted electronically to marshall.kapp@med.fsu.edu. 
3. Direct questions to: Mollie and Paul Hill Student Writing Competition, Florida State University Center for Innovative Collaboration in Medicine and Law, 1115 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300
Phone: 850-645-9473 
Web: http://med.fsu.edu/?fuseaction=news.viewArticle&usemenu=innovativeCollaboration&newsID=493
Email: marshall.kapp@med.fsu.edu
4. Winners will be announced on or before April 1, 2014.

Applicant and Paper Criteria
1. All authors must be enrolled, at the time of paper submission, in an accredited law school or medical school (M.D. or D.O.) or participating in an accredited medical residency program in the United States.
2. No paper that has been previously published in any form will be considered; however, papers written for course credit are allowed as long as they have not been published. An applicant may submit a paper for publication consideration after the winner of this writing competition has been announced. 
3. Each submitted paper must be the original work of a single author.

National Essay Contest

The Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) is now accepting entries for its Seventh Annual Essay Contest.

The CAP Essay Contest is intended to foster debate, analysis and examination of state alcohol regulation and its implications for citizens across the United States.

The topic for this year’s contest is: “As states contemplate the legalization of prohibited products, like marijuana, what are some lessons policymakers and regulators can learn from the movement to end alcohol Prohibition in the 1930s?”

DEADLINE:  The deadline for entries is November 17, 2014.  Winners will be announced in early 2015.

AWARDS:  Cash prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners in the amounts of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 respectively.

WHO CAN ENTER:  The contest is open to all persons who are over the age of 18 as of November 2014. Students, academics, practicing attorneys, policymakers and members of the general public are encouraged to submit essays.

HOW TO ENTER:  Essays may be emailed to essay@centerforalcoholpolicy.org or mailed as a hard copy to: Center for Alcohol Policy; Attn: Essay Contest; 1101 King St., Suite 600-A; Alexandria, VA 22314. Essays must be accompanied by an entry form.