2009 SmithAmundsen Excellence in Legal Writing Award

Elizabeth Tempel

For the past three years, the Chicago law firm SmithAmundsen has generously sponsored the SmithAmundsen Excellence in Legal Writing Award. The Award goes to a first-year student whose personal, family background, or experience contributes to a more diverse environment here at Chicago-Kent and in the legal community.

In the spring, first-year students were encouraged to submit their rewritten appellate briefs together with resume and personal statement. Over 40 briefs were submitted this past May; six finalists were chosen by a faculty committee and sent to SmithAmundsen for a final decision. We are delighted to announce that Elizabeth Tempel is the winner of the SmithAmundsen Excellence in Legal Writing Award for 2009. Before coming to Chicago-Kent, Elizabeth, who is a native of Alaska, worked as a legal assistant in a law firm defending and furthering Native American and Alaskan Native rights and interests, including a project that involved the codification of 60 years of tribal resolutions and ordinances. Congratulations to Ms. Tempel!