U.S. Court of Federal Claims Bar Association 2015-2016 Law Student Writing Competition

January 11, 2016 cdaniel

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims Bar Association announces its 2015-2016 Law Student Writing Competition. The Court of Federal Claims Bar Association (CFCBA) is a voluntary bar association made up of nationwide members who practice law in the areas that lie within the specialized jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The goal of this competition is to promote interest in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and its distinctive role in American jurisprudence, and to encourage law student scholarship on current topics that lie within its jurisdiction.

The United States Court of Federal Claims, which hears claims against the United States, has existed in its current and predecessor forms for more than 150 years. The current court was created, as the United States Claims Court, pursuant to Article I of the United States Constitution in October 1982. The name was changed to the United States Court of Federal Claims in 1992. Its predecessor, the United States Court of Claims, was created in 1855 when Congress established a court to hear private suits against the sovereign. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims is authorized to hear primarily money claims founded upon the Constitution, federal statutes, executive regulations, or contracts, express or implied-in-fact, with the United States.

The cases before the Court are diverse. They include (but are not limited to) disputes concerning tax refunds, contracts with the government, Fifth Amendment takings (which frequently raise environmental and natural resource issues), federal civilian and military pay, intellectual property (including use by the government or its contractors of technology protected by patents or copyrights), Native American rights, federal procurement “bid protests,” and the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation program.

Entries to the contest may discuss any topic that lies within the procedure, substance, or scope of the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The rules of the contest are posted here.

Entry deadline for the 2015-16 academic year is 11:59 PM ET July 15, 2016.