Santa Clara University Law Homepage Santa Clara University
School of Law

ABA Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest Section of Family Law

January 19, 2017 cdaniel  

ABA Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest Section of Family Law

Each year, the American Bar Association Section of Family Law conducts an essay contest to encourage law students to think about current issues in family law, and to encourage participation in the Section of Family Law. Students may write on any aspect of family law. The contest is open to second and third-year full-time J.D. students (and second through fourth-year part-time J.D. students) of all ABA-approved law schools, and to first year J.D. students where family law is taught as part of the first year curriculum.

Subject Matter of Essays

The subject may be any aspect of family law. The primary focus of each essay should be an issue of law, although some interdisciplinary material may be useful in addressing a legal issue. Family law includes dissolution of marriage and other intimate relationships, relationships of persons of the same sex, parentage, custody, child support, division of property, alimony (maintenance), attorney’s fees, adoption, dependency, termination of parental rights, rights pertaining to procreation, and alternative dispute resolution of Family Law issues. Family Law generally does not include Juvenile Justice, Probate, Labor, Immigration Law, and sociology topics unless those topics are related to more traditional Family Law subjects. Since winning entries may be published in Family Law Quarterly, entrants are encouraged to write on subjects of national interest. Essays on such subjects usually include citations to the law of several jurisdictions. However, if the law in one state reflects a significant development or trend, that too could be an appropriate subject for an entry.

Essays should be limited to approximately 5,000 words (25 double-spaced, typewritten pages including footnotes). Longer essays will be judged unfavorably, and those longer than 28 pages will be disqualified. Essays scheduled to be published, and essays that have previously been published, are ineligible for consideration.

The essay format was selected to stimulate creativity of thought. Entries will be judged on the basis of originality, quality of analysis, quality of research, style and organization, and practicality and timeliness of subject.

Authorship

Each entry shall be the original work of a single individual. The ideas and work reflected by each essay must be the
author’s own. The author must perform all of the key tasks of identifying the topic, researching it, analyzing it, formulating positions and arguments, and writing and revising the paper. The author may accept a reasonable amount of advice from others. For example, the author may obtain a professor’s opinion that a proposed topic is a good choice, that a detailed outline should be reorganized, or that a first draft omits a significant subtopic. The author must limit the amount of such advice sought or received, so that the final essay truly reflects the author’s own ideas and work, not another’s.

Authors may submit only one (1) entry per contest-year; we do not accept multiple submissions.

Eligibility of Contestants

Contestants must be J.D. students at ABA-approved law schools who are:

  • second or third-year full-time students;
  • second through fourth-year part-time students; or
  • first-year students enrolled in schools where the subject of family law is part of the first-year curriculum;
  • Citizens or legal permanent residents of the U.S.

Employees of the ABA, and its respective affiliates and immediate family or household members of such employees are not eligible.

Awards

First Place

  • $1,500.00
  • Certificate of Recognition as First-Place Winner
  • Consideration of essay’s publication in Family Law Quarterly
  • Consideration of essay’s publication on the ABA Section of Family Law website
  • Letter to Law School Dean
  • One-year complimentary ABA Section of Family Law membership

Second Place

  • $750.00
  • Certificate of Recognition as Second-Place Winner
  • Consideration of essay’s publication in Family Law Quarterly
  • Consideration of essay’s publication on the ABA Section of Family Law website
  • Letter to Law School Dean
  • One-year complimentary ABA Section of Family Law membership

Third Place

  • $350.00
  • Certificate of Recognition as Third-Place Winner
  • Consideration of essay’s publication in Family Law Quarterly
  • Consideration of essay’s publication on the ABA Section of Family Law website
  • Letter to Law School Dean
  • One-year complimentary ABA Section of Family Law membership

Winners will be notified by email before the ABA Annual Meeting in early August. Winners must be a member of the ABA to receive a free Section of Family Law membership. (Law students enrolled in ABA-approved law schools may join the ABA for free.)

DEADLINE: All entries must be e-mailed on or before April 28, 2017. Remember, in order to be assigned a number, you must send us your entry form by April 14, 2017. These dates must be strictly adhered to.

The ABA will confirm receipt of entries via e-mail.

Questions regarding the contest should be directed to the ABA Section of Family Law at 312-988-5145.

For my information visit: http://www.americanbar.org/groups/family_law/resources/essay_contest/rules_and_entry_information.html