Another law student essay competition to consider (for bigger bucks but no extra credit )

Via this post last month, I strongly urged all students to consider submitting an essay (after exams!) on an important topic selected by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for a law student writing competition.  As exam season winds down, I continue to encourage students to consider submitting an essay for this NACDL before the Dec. 31 deadline and I continue to be willing to give students extra class participation credit if/when they send me a copy of the essay they submit.

Excitingly, if writing an essay on a topic chosen by others during the cold winter days after exam does not thrill you, I have another law student essay competition for your consideration.  Specifically, as detailed at this link, the William W. Greenhalgh Student Writing Competition sponsored by the ABA's Criminal Justice Section is seeking essays on "any timely and important issue of American criminal constitutional procedure of interest to practitioners of criminal law."  The entry cannot be more than 4000 words and is not due until April.

I think that any topic that piqued your interest from the research assignment (or from some of our blog discussions) would be a great fit for this competition.  Also, the broad topic and the strict word limit for this competition ensures that any essay produced for it could serve as a useful writing sample for all sorts of purposes.  And here is the best part: "The winner will receive a $2,000 cash prize and free airfare and accommodations to attend a Section meeting at which the award will be presented. In addition, the winner’s law school will receive a plaque from the ABA’s Criminal Justice Section."

I really want one of my students to win a cool plaque for the law school, which I can then use to make all future 1L Crim Law classes feel inferior if they do not win anything for the College.  Also, if we get a winner, I will be expecting to be treated to a drink from the winnings.

Prior posts with links to writing competitions:

• An essay competition to consider (perhaps for extra credit)