06/01/09 Milani Disability Law Writing Competition (for student briefs)

(hat tip: Suzianne D. Painter-Thorne; Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law)

The deadline for the Milani Writing Competition is five weeks away.

Mercer and the ABA host an annual writing competition in honor of Mercer’s former legal writing professor, Adam Milani. It is one of the few student competitions for briefs – not academic papers. Prizes can be as high as $1,000.

Here are this year’s topics:

-disability law;
-the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
-Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972;
-Age Discrimination in Employment Act;
-Family and Medical Leave Act;
-a state statute or municipal ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The deadline for submission is June 1. Further information is posted on the Mercer website at
http://www.law.mercer.edu/academics/legal_writing/writingcomp.cfm

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Image, found linked from the University of Idaho's "About Moscow" page.

Photographer:	Will Simpson
Location:	Monty's Woods

Architecture, Urban Planning, Land Use (the Burnham Plan 100), $3,000; $2,000, $1,000 -- September 1, 2009 deadline

This notice is drawn from the John Marshall Law School site. (with a hat tip to Brigette Gaucher, Publications Coordinator, The John Marshall Law School).

This competition solicits student articles responsive to the challenge to act "regionally, comprehensively, and boldly" and to address how law should (or has) advanced the implementation of the Burnham plan in areas including architecture, urban planning, land use policy, housing policy, water rights, parkland preservation, and historical preservation. The winning entry will be awarded a prize of $3,000. The competition will award a second prize of $2,000 and a third prize of $1,000. Winners will be invited to attend Burnham Centennial events at the law school.

Standards. Entries will be evaluated based on: (1) originality, (2) contribution to the understanding or development of the fields of planning and law, (3) quality of scholarship, and (4) quality and organization of writing.

Directions for Entries. Entries shall not exceed forty-five (45) pages including footnotes with a 1" margin on all sides. Text should be double-spaced in twelve point font. Manuscripts should follow generally accepted guidelines for academic writing.

Submission of Entries. To enter the competition, send five (5) copies of your entry, postmarked no later than September 1, 2009, to Professor Susan Marie Connor, The John Marshall Law School, 315 South Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60604. Please send an additional copy via email to 7Connor@jmls.edu.

The competition honors the Burnham Plan 100, which was born in 1909:

In 1909, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett collaborated with the Commercial Club of Chicago and others to create a new plan for the greater Chicago region. One hundred years later, now, the challenges of increased congestion and pollution, loss of public lands, and growing disparity of wealth, give added urgency to Burnham's call to act regionally, comprehensively, and boldly.

Just as Chicago's physical architecture defines the space in which we live, law provides a hidden "architecture" defining our social and economic space. Poor or outdated legal structures can restrict human growth, prosperity, and satisfaction, but well-designed ones can promote social, economic, and personal well-being.

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Image linked from Wikipedia Article on Daniel Burnham and provides an illustration of the Burnham Chicago Plan (1909)

Int'l Human Rights/Free Expression; Scholarship, Travel, Housing; J.D.'s eligible.; 02/01/10

The following notice is taken from the public announcement that appears at American University; the direct link to the American notice is: here.

HUMAN RIGHTS ESSAY AWARD

2010 TOPIC: The Rights of Freedom of Expression and International Human Rights Law

Deadline is February 1, 2010

About the Award

The Human Rights Essay Award is an annual competition sponsored by the Academy and seeks to stimulate the production of scholarly work in international human rights law. Participants have the flexibility to choose any subject related to the assigned topic.

The Honor Jury deciding the Award will be comprised of professionals with a recognized expertise in international human rights law. The best articles may be published in the American University International Law Review.

The Academy will grant two Awards, one for the best article in English and one for the best article in Spanish. The Award in each case will consist of:

• a scholarship to the Specialized Human Rights Program*
• travel expenses to Washington D.C.
• housing at the university dorms
• a per diem for living expenses

Eligibility and Requirements

• Hold a law degree and have demonstrated experience or interest in international human rights law.
• Submit only one unpublished legal article/paper written in English or Spanish, solely by the participant.
• Articles must not exceed 35 pages in length, including footnotes, and must be double spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font, in letter size paper (8.5 x11) with 1 inch margins all around..
• Articles can only be submitted via email to hracademy@wcl.american.edu in Microsoft Word format.
• The deadline to submit articles is February 1, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. E.S.T.
• Winners will be announced on April 1, 2010 through our Web site.
• Please visit our webpage for a comprehensive list of rules.

*Scholarship is not applicable to enroll for ABA Credit. All expenses are subject to limitations.

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For the 2009 English winner of the Human Rights Essay Award, see the University of Arkansas School of Law's press release about Professor Uche Ewelukwa's first place essay, here.

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Image: wikipedia, International Freedom of Expression Exchange logo.

Propery & Casualty Insurance; 02/01/10; $5,000 and offer of publication

Boston College Law School announces its annual competition for the Liberty Mutual Prize, awarded for an exceptional article written during the 2009-2010 submission season on the law of property and casualty insurance, its regulation and corporate governance.

Eligibility: Open to law graduates: holders of J.D. degree or overseas equivalent; articles focused on property and casualty insurance, its regulation and corporate governance.

Format: 25,000 words (50 law review pages) including text and footnotes. Abstract of 350 words. Conforming to the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed. 2005). Electronic submissions preferred; hard copies are acceptable.

Electronic submissions to LibertyMutualPrize@bc.edu

Hard copy mailed submissions: Boston College Law Review; Attn: Liberty Mutual Competition; 885 Centre Street; Newton Centre, MA 02459.

Papers may be submitted throughout the year, but by no later than February 1, 2010.

Winning entry announced by March 1, 2010.

Inquiries: John Gordon: gordonjo@bc.edu or 617/552-8557

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image: Wikipedia (Tornado damage, Illinois)

Land Use $2,500 and publication in ABA's Urban Lawyer; $1,000; $250 June 8, 2009

Sponsored by the Planning & Law Division of the American Planning Association

26th annual Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing competition

Open to law students and to graduate level planning students with a focus on land use, local government or environmental law.

First place: $2,500 and publication
Second place: $1,000
Honorable mention: $250 (up to two)

Deadline June 8, 2009 for submission of essays, of 45 pages or less.

See earlier Legal Writing Competitions blog entry here.

Sample winning essays from competitions of earlier years include (from the competition website):

Michael Kruse, "Constructing the Special Theater Subdistrict: Culture, Politics, and Economics in the Creation of Transferable Development Rights" New York University School of Law).

Adam Lovelady, "Broadened Notions of Historic Preservation and the Role of Neighborhood Conservation Districts"(University of Virginia School of Law).

Emily Stubbs, "Powerful Tool or Insurmountable Obstacle: The Relationship Between Eminent Domain and the Affordable Housing Crisis," (J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University).

Melaina Jobs, "Tax Incentives for Historic Preservation Easement Donations: A Review of New Reforms Under the Pension Protection Act of 2006," (University of Connecticut School of Law).

Additional winning titles appear: here.