The 2012 Public Law Section Student Writing Competition
The Public Law Section 2012 Student Writing Competition
Win a $2,000 cash prize, get published in the Public Law Journal, and win a trip to the 2012 State Bar Annual Meeting!
Deadline May 18, 2012
The California State Bar Public Law Section seeks entries for its annual Student Writing Competition. The competition is open to students at all California-accredited law schools, and the winner receives a $2,000 cash prize; transportation and hotel expenses for two nights at the State Bar Annual Meeting in October where the winner will be recognized at an awards reception; and publication in the Public Law Journal.
What Articles are Eligible?
Articles must be 2,000-3,000 words (not including endnotes) and may be on any topic related to public law, a wide field that covers areas such as administrative law, constitutional law, municipal law, open meetings/open records law, political/election law, education law, state and federal legislation, public employment and labor law, government contracts, government tort liability and regulations, land use/environmental issues, public law ethics, public finance, and water law. Articles should be written in a style suitable for publication in the Public Law Journal and should include citations in either Bluebook or California Style Manual format, with citations included in endnotes, not footnotes. Articles should be the original work of the submitting students without substantial editorial input from others.
Who Can Enter?
Eligible students include those who, at the time of the entry deadline, are enrolled in good standing at a California law school’s Juris Doctor program that is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. Students do not have to be Public Law Section members to enter the competition.
Deadline/Method of Submission
Articles must be received by midnight (PST) on May 18, 2012. Articles must be submitted, by email, in Microsoft Word documents in Times New Roman 12-point font, single-spaced. Citations must be included in endnotes, not footnotes. Articles may include headings and subheads, but excessive headings are discouraged. Email articles to cfowler@srcity.org or Douglas.Haubert@longbeach.gov (PST) by May 18, 2011.
By submitting an article as part of this contest, the author grants the Public Law Section the right to edit (as necessary) and publish any article in the Public Law Journal.
Questions
Please direct any questions about the contest to Caroline Fowler at (707) 543-3040 or Doug Haubert at (562) 570-5614.
Award
The winner will receive a $2,000 cash prize from the Public Law Section and will have his or her article published in the Public Law Journal. The winner also will be recognized at the Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year Award reception sponsored by the Public Law Section at the State Bar’s Annual Meeting in October 2012. The Public Law Section will pay the winner’s reasonable transportation and hotel accommodation expenses for two nights to attend the award reception.
Judging
Articles will be judged by the Executive Committee of the Public Law Section based on the following criteria, though not necessarily in this order:
- Quality of writing
- Complexity of topic
- Relevancy to one or more areas of public law
- Timeliness of topic to current developments in public law
- Originality
- Compliance with contest rules
A member of the Public Law Section's Executive Committee will notify the winner by May 18, 2012.
About the Public Law Section
The Public Law Section seeks to ensure that laws relating to the function and operation of public agencies are clear, effective and serve the public interest; to advance public service through public law practice; and to enhance the effectiveness of public law practitioners. With more than 1,300 members, including law students, the Public Law Section focuses on addressing issues related to all areas of public law – including administrative law, constitutional law, municipal and county law, open meetings/open records laws, political/ election law, education law, water law, state and federal legislation, public employment, government contracts, government tort liability, agency regulations, land use/environmental issues, public lawyer ethics, and public finance.
The Public Law Section provides educational programs, seminars and resource materials; presents the annual “Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year Award” to public law practitioners who have made significant contributions to the profession; sponsors the annual Student Writing Competition; and publishes the quarterly Public Law Journal.
Last Year's Winner
Public Law Section Student Writing Competition Winner Announced Please join the Public Law Section in congratulating this year's winner, Ms. Katy A. McNeil, author of the article entitled, “Bring Back Build America Bonds” Ms. McNeil is a 2011 graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law and earned her undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2001. Prior to attending law school, Ms. McNeil worked as a paralegal in the field of public finance, gaining experience by working on a variety of municipal debt transactions. During law school, she interned with the State of California Franchise Tax Board, Ord & Norman (a boutique tax law firm) and the Office of the City Attorney for the City of Palo Alto. In her spare time, Ms. McNeil enjoys hiking outdoors with her three dogs. Ms. McNeil is currently preparing to sit for the July 2011 California Bar Exam and looks forward to a fulfilling career in public finance or municipal law, with an emphasis on tax, energy and utilities.As this year's winner, Ms. McNeil received a $1000 cash prize and has been invited to attend the Ronald M. George 2011 Public Lawyer of the Year Award reception sponsored by the Public Law Section at the State Bar's Annual Meeting in Long Beach.