Writing Contests:
Information provided by Dean Sowle's Office
2000-2001 Academic Year

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New listings added for the current week, if any, are indicated in italics.  Print copies of the rules and regulations governing the writing contests listed here are available from Denise Lang in Suite 320.

Four new entries this week.

The Computer Law Association announces its annual information technology legal writing contest.  The first place prize is $750, and the second place prize is $375. Entries must be postmarked by April 16, 2001.

The Alliance Defense Fund announces the fourth annual William Pew Religious Freedom Scholarship Competition, on the topic: Sexual Identity: Objective Reality or Sexual Illusion. The author of the winning paper will receive a $7,500 scholarship.  Submissions must be postmarked no later than April 16, 2001.

The International Association of Defense Counsel announces its 2001 Legal Writing Contest. Submissions should be on a subject of practical concern to lawyers engaged in the defense or management of the defense of civil litigation, e.g., relevant aspects of tort law, insurance law, civil procedure, evidence, damages, alternative dispute resolution procedures, and professional ethics. Awards will be given as follows: first place, $2,000; second place, $1,000; third place, $500. Entries must be postmarked on or before April 18, 2001

The Judge John R. Brown Scholarship Foundation announces its eighth annual Brown Award competition to recognize excellence in legal writing.  There are no restrictions on the topic, except that submissions must address a legal subject. Submissions must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation by a law school faculty member or other legal professional. The first-place winner will receive a stipend of $5,000. Entries must be postmarked no later than April 27, 2001.

TPRC, Inc. announces a writing contest for graduate or law students. Submissions should address an issue related to telecommunications or information policy. Submissions are due via the TPRC web site by April 29, 2001.

The Notre Dame Law School announces the Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition. Entries should address any issue within the general category of legal ethics. The author of the winning entry will receive a $1,000 cash prize. Entries must be received by April 30, 2001.

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility announces an essay contest addressing the social implications of today's information technology. CPSR is looking for papers that will advance its work within its Working Groups and interests: community networks, cyber-rights, DNS/Internet governance, computers in education, intellectual property/UCITA/UETA, broadband technologies, computers and the environment, ethics, privacy, women in computing, and working in the industry. Up to 36 papers will be selected as winners. For each topic, a Working Group may select a student to be awarded a $100 prize. Up to two writers will be selected to present their papers at the CPSR Annual Meeting and receive $500. The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2001.

The Customs and International Trade Bar Association and the Brooklyn Law School announce the 2000-2001 Anrew P. Vance Memorial Writing Competition. Submissions should present an in-depth analysis of a current issue relevant to customs and international trade law. Two prizes will be awarded: first prize, $750; second prize, $250. Submissions must be received no later than May 1, 2001.

The Attorney-CPA Foundation announces its 2000-2001 Essay Contest. The topic for the graduate/professional division is:  "Is independence impaired when an attorney-CPA who is a member of an accounting firm that audits a client renders ANY type of legal services to that client? Are there some legal services that could be rendered and others that could not be rendered? Are the rules different for publicly traded client corporations vs. closely held companies? Do the rules apply throughout the United States or are there different rules for different states? Are there different rules for international clients?" The grand prize winner will receive $1,500, and the the runner up will receive $1,000. In addition, there will be five regional prizes of $250 each. Essays must be received by May 11, 2001.

Foley & Lardner announces its second annual Intellectual Property Writing Competition. Acceptable topics include, but are not limited to: focus on metrics or other measurements of intellectual asset management performance; protecting intellectual property rights to maximize competitive opportunities; extracting untapped value from intellectual property; auditing patents to determine whether they should be enforced, licensed, donated or terminated; identifying prospective intellectual property licenses. First prize awards of $5,000 each will be given to a first year student, second year student, and third year student. Submissions must be postmarked no later than May 15, 2001.

The Food and Drug Law Institute announces its 2000-2001 H. Thomas Austern Memorial Writing Competition. Submissions should provide an in-depth analysis of a current issue relevant to the food and drug field. First place will receive $1,500; second place, $1,000; third place, $500. Submissions must be received no later than May 18, 2001.

The Santa Clara University Computer and High Technology Law Journal announces its 2001 Comment Contest, sponsored by the law firm Skjerven, Morrill & Macpherson LLP. Submissions must address one of the following topics: patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, biotechnology, telecommunications, technology licensing, venture capital, antitrust, electronic commerce, computer law, cyberspace law, privacy, or any other current topic in high technology law. The first place winner will be awarded $2,000; second place, $1,500; and third place, $1,000. Submissions must be postmarked by June 1, 2001.

The Federal Circuit Bar Association announces its 2001 George Hutchinson Writing Competition. Submissions may discuss any topic that lies within the procedure, substance, or scope of the jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. The author of the winning entry will receive a cash prize of at least $3,000. Submissions must be postmarked no later than June 1, 2001.

The National Lesbian and Gay Law Association announces its annual Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition.  Entries must address a cutting edge legal issue affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexaul, and/or transgendered community.  The first place winner will receive a $1,000 cash award and publication of his or her essay.  Submissions must be received by June 15, 2001.

The ABA Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law announces the creation of a new writing contest.  Submissions should be on a current topic dealing with real property, probate, or trust law.  The first place winner will receive a $2,000 cach prize; second place, $500; and third place, $250. Submissions must be received no later than June 15, 2001.

The Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association announces its 15th Annual Entertainment Law Writing Competition. Articles may concentrate on any area of enterntainment law.  First Prize is $1,000 and publication of the article. Second prize is $500.  Third prize is $250.  Articles must be submitted to Dean Sowle no later than June 15, 2001. The law school will then select up to two articles to be forwarded to the Los Angeles County Bar Association no later than July 1, 2001.

The Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship and the American College of Tax Counsel announce the first annual Tannenwald Writing Competition. Submissions may address any topic in the field of taxation.  Prizes will be awarded as follows:  First prize, $3,000; second prize, $2,000; third prize, $1,000. The deadline for submissions has been extended to June 30, 2001.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announces its annual Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition for third-year law students (or, with permission, second-year students).  Submissions may be on any aspect of copyright law.  A first prize of $600 and a second prize of $250 will be awarded at each participating law school.  Each school will be responsible for selecting the winning papers. Any Chicago-Kent student interested in submitting a paper should contact Dean Sowle. Winning papers must be certified to ASCAP no later than June 30, 2001.

The American Judges Association announces its thirteenth annual Law Student Essay Competition. Awards will be given as follows: first place, $3,000; second place, $1,250; third place, $1,000. Entries must be postmarked no later than June 30, 2001.

The Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum and the California Bankruptcy Journal announce the Joseph Bernfeld Essay Competition.  Submissions should focus on an issue of bankruptcy, insolvency law, or related matters, such as debtor-creditor relations, receiverships, assignments for the benefit of creditors, or out-of-court workouts.  Awards will be given as follows:  first place, $2,500; second place, $1,500, third place, $1,000. Submissions must be postmarked by July 1, 2001.

The journal Animal Law announces its fourth annual writing competition to encourage legal scholarship regarding animal law.  The first place winner will receive $500.  The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2001.


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