2016 Gerrymander Standard Writing Competition

The Supreme Court has long suggested there is a limit for what is acceptable partisan gerrymandering, but like obscenity, so far the line is undefined and left to courts to know it when they see it. The Court has said that it is willing to hear constitutional challenges to partisan gerrymandering, but existing legal theories have been insufficient to empower citizens and advocates with the tools they need to overturn partisan gerrymanders in court. 

Common Cause’s 2016 “Gerrymander Standard” Writing Competition is your chance to change that.

For the second year, we invite legal and social science practitioners, scholars, and students to submit papers proposing a new definition of partisan gerrymandering or further developing an existing standard and pairing that definition with an effective legal theory to challenge unfair redistricting plans in court.

Winning authors receive:
1st Place: $5,000, 2nd place: $3,000, 3rd place: $2,000. Along with a publication in a leading academic journal. Payment of travel expenses to present papers at a national redistricting reform symposium.


Deadline: March 27, 2016.

For further information visit: http://www.commoncause.org/issues/voting-and-elections/redistricting/gerrymander-standard-writing-competition.html.

Queens Catholic Lawyers Guild Law Student Scholarship

The Catholic Lawyers Guild will be awarding:

•  three (3)  $1,500 scholarships to full-time 2nd or 3rd year law students who demonstrate financial need, academic performance, and who reside in Queens County.  Awards will be based on academic performance, financial need and extra-curricular activities in the applicant's parish or community.  

Application Deadline: December 7, 2015.

The Queens CatholicLawyers Guild Scholarship application should be returned to the following address:

Law Office of Donna Furey

21-83 Steinway Street

Astoria, NY 11105

For further information please visit: http://www.catholiclawyerguilds.org.

The Annual Kenneth P. Carp Scholarship

The Law Offices of Kenneth P. Carp is pleased to offer an existing or incoming college student a $1,000 scholarship to meet their educational costs.

Scholarship Essay Contest Topic and Eligibility 

The Kenneth P. Carp college scholarship is open to individuals who are planning to attend or currently enrolled in an accredited United States college or university. In order to participate, applicants must submit a 500-word essay answering the following question:

The economic downturn of 2007-2008 resulted in a significant increase in the unemployment rate in the United States. According to some statistics, people who are unemployed tend to stay unemployed for longer than they have done in the past. In response to this issue, Congress has passed legislation in the past to extend the amount of time that unemployed people can receive benefits. Critics of unemployment benefits extensions argue that they do not work and actually incentivize people to remain unemployed, while supporters argue that they are necessary to ensure social stability and actually promotes economic recovery. What do you believe about the issue of extending unemployment benefits, and why?

Deadline

To apply, interested applicants should submit their response to the above question via email to carpscholarship@gmail.com by 12/15/15.

For more information please visit: http://www.kcarplaw.com/scholarship/.

Call for Posters- 2016 ACLM Annual Meeting

Call for Posters

The 2016 ACLM Annual Meeting is February 26 - 28 in Austin, Texas.  

Posters have been well received in the past, and we would love to see you and, if you teach, your students contribute again this year. Abstracts are due 15 December 2015.  

Your abstract should be in the form of a Word document that can be manipulated in case the format needs to modified or other minor changes made. Please leave us a little space should that be necessary.  Do not submit a PDF; it will not be accepted. 

Basanta Poster Award Winner

The ACLM Foundation is offering a $350 prize for the best poster
1) authored by a student alone or with others, and
2) presented at the annual meeting in February by that student. 

The Basanta Award Winner will also receive a complimentary one-year membership in the American College of Legal Medicine.

Specific Information: 
Submit your abstract as soon as possible to info@aclm.org. 

• Paper must be standard US size, 8 1/2" x 11"; margins must be top 1.25, sides and bottom 1.3; font, Arial 12 point.
• Each author's name should be followed by degrees, etc.; position; institution; city and state; and e-mail, if you wish that included. If multiple authors are from the same institution, those names should follow one another with the other information following the last named author. Second and additional lines here should be indented 5 spaces. If the authors are from different institutions, please list each and his or her identifying information separately with one space between each.
• The title, in bold, should be centered on the fourth line down (leave 3 blank) from the information about the author or authors. This should be followed by two blank lines.
• The body of your abstract should be no more than two pages long, spaced as you see fit --single, 1.5, or double, and with justified margins,  i.e. straight margins. Please begin major headings on the left margin and underline them; minor headings should begin 1/2" in from the left margin and be underlined also.
• The poster itself should be unitary (appearing as one document) and with dimensions not to exceed 42" vertically and 90" horizontally; if you will use only half a board, 21" x 45," please tell us.
• No more than 5 posters will be accepted from a single, first author.
• Please consider whether a handout would enhance your presentation. 
• You will be expected to stand by your poster(s) and discuss it/them with interested individuals during the poster sessions.
• Abstracts will be accepted on a rolling/as received basis. The earlier you submit, the earlier you will know if your abstract was accepted. All will be reviewed by 1 February.
• One author, who may be a faculty member, must be present at the meeting.  We encourage student participation. Please note the special price of $50 as an early bird rate for student registration.
• If you are not a member of the College, you must include a letter or email from a member who has agreed to sponsor you. If you require a referral to a member, please contact the ACLM office at info@aclm.org.
• Questions about posters themselves should be directed to Karin Zucker at ameddja@att.net. 

More information, such as the specific time of the poster session will follow. 

Queens Catholic Lawyers Guild Law Student Scholarship

The Catholic Lawyers Guild will be awarding:

•  three (3)  $1,500 scholarships to full-time 2nd or 3rd year law students who demonstrate financial need, academic performance, and who reside in Queens County.  Awards will be based on academic performance, financial need and extra-curricular activities in the applicant's parish or community.  

Application Deadline: December 7, 2015.

The Queens CatholicLawyers Guild Scholarship application should be returned to the following address:

Law Office of Donna Furey

21-83 Steinway Street

Astoria, NY 11105

For further information please visit: http://www.catholiclawyerguilds.org.

2016 Summer Legal Internship- Community Development Project

The Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center is seeking several legal interest for Summer 2016. CDP supports community based organizations as they organize low- income New Yorkers in the areas of workers rights, housing, and consumer protections, as well as helping non- profits and cooperatives to form.

Eligibility
Second- year law students are encouraged to apply. Summer 2016 internships begin in late May. Interns will be expected to work 40 hours per week for a minimum of ten weeks. Positions are not paid however we are willing to work with interns to try to help them find external summer funding for their positions.

Deadline
January 11, 2016. However, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Applications will be accepted by email only, directed to Sean McMahon at cdp@urbanjustice.org, and should include a cover letter and resume.

For further information please visit: http://cdp.urbanjustice.org.

Consumer Financial Services Writing Competition

Each year The American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers seeks to recognize written contributions to the field of consumer financial services law. Eligible papers include publishable articles, substantial book reviews, or book chapters; books; and student case note or comment. In any year, depending on the quality of the submissions, awards may be made in all or some of these three categories.

Prize: The awards include a cash payment ($2,500 for books, $2,000 for articles, reviews, or book chapters; and $1,000 for student work), a certificate or other token of recognition, and travel expenses to attend the College's annual dinner held in conjunction with the Spring Meeting of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association.

Topic: Eligible entries must discuss some aspect of consumer financial services law. Topics that relate principally to securities regulation, insurance, or the safety and soundness aspects of banking regulation are not eligible, but works on subjects within these (or other) areas will be considered if they bear directly on consumer financial services.

Deadline: The deadline for entry is December 1, 2015.

For more information, please visit: http://www.accfsl.org/writing-competition/.

The Honorable Joel K. Asarch Elder Law and Special Needs Section Scholarship

The Scholarship will be awarded to a second year or third year law student who is enrolled in a law school in the State of New York during the 2015-2016 academic year and is actively participating in an Elder Law Clinic at the school during the 2015-2016 academic year or performs other substantial efforts which demonstrate interest in the legal rights of the elderly or those with disabilities. 

• A preference will be given to a student who demonstrates a present and permanent physical or mental disability that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of the individual. 
• A preference will be given to a student who demonstrates financial need.
• The student must have attained a 2.5 or equivalent GPA in law school. 

PRIZE: $2,500

Scholarship Application Requirements
The applicant must submit the following:

1. Acompletedapplication(applicationformbelow);
   
2. Cover letter of interest;
   
3. Unofficiallawschooltranscript;
   
4. CurrentRésumé
   
5. A letter of recommendation from the student’s Elder Law Clinic advisor or, if not participating in an Elder Law Clinic, from an individual who can substantiate the student’s efforts which demonstrate interest in the legal rights of the elderly, or disabled, or the practice of elder law;
   
6. A five-page double-spaced essay by the student demonstrating why he or she would like to practice in the areas of Elder Law or Special Needs Planning.
   

DEADLINE: All hard copy material submissions must be postmarked on or before Monday, November 30, 2015. 

FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT THE LINK BELOW:
http://www.tnybf.org/uploadedFiles/Foundation/PDFs/Asarch%20Elder%20Law%20Scholarship%20Application%202016%20FINAL.pdf

The Steven M. Sweat Annual College Scholarship Essay Competition

The Law Offices of Steven M. Sweat, APC is pleased to hold an annual college essay contest to help a current college student meet the costs associated with obtaining a degree.

ESSAY TOPIC: 

• The federal government reports that there were approximately 424,000 people injured in accidents involving distracted drivers during 2013. Smartphones and other personal electronic devices account for a significant percentage of driver distractions, and many states have enacted legislation prohibiting or limiting cell phones use in an effort to reduce the number of distracted drivers on the road. These measures have been met with varying degrees of success and are often very difficult to enforce. What steps could lawmakers take to strengthen current laws that are aimed at reducing distracted driving and what additional legal measures could be passed to make our roads safer? 

The winner of the contest will be notified by email on or around 12/15/15.

DEADLINE: Applicants should submit their essay as an attachment to an email to sweatlawscholarship@gmail.com by 12/01/15.

For more information visit: http://www.victimslawyer.com/scholarship/.

Pacific Legal Foundation Writing Scholarship

Pacific Legal Foundation's Program for Judicial Awareness promotes the publication of works of legal academic scholarship that advance an understanding of key constitutional issues before the nations courts.

Essays submitted to the writing competition should address one of three questions on areas of law within PLF's mission, incorporating pertinent case law, and applicable academic literature.

PRIZE: The competition awards up to $6,000 in three cash prizes for publishable essays by students currently enrolled in law school in the United States. The top winner will also be presented with an award at the annual PLF gala event. Competition winners will work with staff to have their winning entries published in law review.

DEADLINE: Articles must be received by 5:00 p.m. (PST) on January 15, 2016.

Please visit www.pacificlegal.org/pja/writingcomp for essay topic and rules.

Contact Timothy Sandefur at PJA@pacificlegal.org for further questions.

2016 Antitrust Section Law Student Fellowship

The New York Bar Foundation is pleased to announce the 2016 Antitrust Section Law Student Fellowship, which has been established by The Foundation through gifts from the Antitrust Section of the New York State Bar Association.

Eligibility
The Fellowship is open to all first-year and second-year students who are capable of fulfilling the requested work hours and responsibilities and meet the criteria under the heading "Judging."

Payment of Fellowship
Each Fellow will receive $3,000 at the start of the Fellowship with the remaining $3,000paid to each Fellow at the end of the Fellowship.

Deadline
All hard copy materials must be submitted by mail with a postmark on or before November 30, 2015.

For application and further information visit the link below.
http://www.tnybf.org/uploadedFiles/Foundation/PDFs/Antitrust%20Fellowship%202016FINAL.pdf.

The Diversity Summer Fellowship in Health Law

The Diversity Summer Fellowship in Health Law is part of the New York State Bar Association’s Diversity Challenge to develop and execute initiatives to increase the diversity of its membership, leadership and programs. The primary goal of the Diversity Summer Fellowship in Health Law program is to increase representation of lawyers and students from a diverse range of backgrounds in health law. The Diversity Summer Fellowship in Health Law program will provide students from a diverse range of backgrounds an opportunity to experience health law practice. 

The Fellowship

The Diversity Summer Fellowship in Health Law plans to place 2 Diversity Law students in an 8-week summer fellowship with a healthcare attorney or facility in New York City. 

• $5,000 stipend
• Luncheon with healthcare leaders and attorneys

Eligibility

The Fellowship is open to all students as of fall 2015 semester who are enrolled in law school in the State of New York, who intend to practice law in New York State upon graduation, and who are capable of fulfilling the requested work hours and responsibilities. 

Fellowship Length

The Fellowship will take place during the summer of 2016 for a period pf eight weeks from June 8, 2016 to July 31, 2016.

Deadline

All hard copy material submissions must be postmarked on or before November 30, 2015. 

For application and further information visit the link below.

http://www.tnybf.org/uploadedFiles/Foundation/PDFs/2016%20HEALTH%20LAW%20SECTION%20APPLICATION%20FINAL(1).pdf

Gerrymander Standard Writing Competition

Legal and social science practitioners, scholars, and students are invited to submit papers proposing a new definition of partisan gerrymandering or further developing an existing standard and pairing that definition with an effective legal theory to challenge unfair redistricting plans in court. Winning papers are selected by a distinguished panel of democracy scholars.

Winning Authors Receive:

• Prize money: 1st place $5,ooo, 2nd place: $3,000, 3rd place: $2,000
• Publication in leading academic journal
• Payment of travel expenses to present papers at a national redistricting reform symposium.

Deadline:

• March 27, 2016

For further information visit: http://www.commoncause.org/issues/voting-and-elections/redistricting/gerrymander-standard-writing-competition.html.

Reproductive Justice Federal Fellow

Law Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ) seeks applications from current 3Ls and recent law school graduates to work for one year as a Reproductive Justice Federal Fellow at a selected placement organization in Washington, D.C. 

REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (RJFP) 
In 2010, LSRJ launched the Reproductive Justice Fellowship Program (RJFP) as a means to enhance the capacity of organizations working to influence law and policy as it relates to reproductive justice and to build a pipeline for future reproductive justice lawyers. The RJFP provides new lawyers with entry points and professional development opportunities in reproductive justice law and policy advocacy. LSRJ has now successfully selected and placed six classes of Reproductive Justice (RJ) fellows at non-profit organizations with offices in Washington D.C. For more information about the RJFP, visit: www.RJFP.lsrj.org.

ENVIRONMENT 
The RJ Fellow will receive a $51,000 stipend and be placed at a selected organization in Washington D.C. from the end of August 2016 through August 2017. As a law school graduate with an understanding of the reproductive justice framework, the RJ Fellow will assist in research, interpretation, and application of law to aid the placement organization’s organizing, publication, and policy pursuits. 

APPLICATION

Applicants must meet the necessary qualifications and must be in their final year of law school or a recent law school graduate. (post- 2010)

DEADLINE

All application material must be received by LSRJ by 5:00 pm PST on Tuesday, December 1, 2015. 

Questions by email ONLY to RJFP@lsrj.org.

The Federal Fellowship application can be downloaded here http://lsrj.org/documents/rjfp/16-17_LSRJ_Federal_Fellow_Application.pdf?utm_source=RJFP+Call+for+Fellowship+Applications&utm_campaign=16-17+RJFP+alert&utm_medium=email.

The State Fellowship application can be downloaded here http://lsrj.org/documents/rjfp/16-17_LSRJ_State_Fellow_Application.pdf?utm_source=RJFP+Call+for+Fellowship+Applications&utm_campaign=16-17+RJFP+alert&utm_medium=email.

The Real Property Law Section Melvyn Mitzner Scholarship

The New York Bar Foundation is pleased to announce the 2016 Real Property Law Section Melvyn Mitzner Scholarship, which has been established by The Foundation through a gift from the Real Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) and from Rosalyn Mitzner to honor the memory of Melvyn Mitzner, a former Chair of the Section. The $5,000.00 scholarship will be awarded to a second or third-year law student. To ensure geographic diversity, the Foundation will strive to select students attending New York State law schools in different counties each year, so that over time students from all areas of the State will be able to benefit from the scholarship.

• A preference will be given to students who demonstrate financial need.

The Real Property Law Section Melvyn Mitzner Scholarship:

1. The Scholarship, valued at $5,000.00 will be awarded to one student enrolled on a full time or part-time basis during academic year 2015-2016 in a law school in the State of New York.
2. The recipient will be a guest member of the Real Property Law Section during the 2016 calendar year.
3. The scholarship recipient will be invited to attend Executive Committee meetings of the NYSBA Real Property Law Section during the 2016 calendar year.
4. The scholarship recipient will be notified no later than February 15, 2016.

Eligibility:

1. The scholarship is open to second- and third-year full time students who are enrolled in a law school in the State of New York during the fall 2015 semester. If attending part-time, the scholarship is open to second, third and fourth-year students enrolled in a law school in the State of New York during the fall 2015 semester.
2. The student must have attained a minimum 3.5 or equivalent GPA in law school and must have attained a ranking in the top quarter of the class.
3. Preference will be given to students who demonstrate financial need.

Payment of Scholarship
The scholarship will be applied to the student’s 2015-2016 academic year tuition. A check, made payable to the law school and the student, will be sent to the appropriate office at the school.
Scholarship Application Requirements

1. The applicant must submit the following:
2. Completed application (form below).
3. Cover letter of interest in the practice of real property law.

4. A resume describing prior employment and other relevant qualifications and activities.
5. Unofficial law school transcript
6. Two letters of recommendation, at least one of which is from a law school professor
   unrelated to the applicant by blood or marriage.
7. Two page double-spaced essay written by the student demonstrating why he or she
   exemplifies Melvyn Mitzner’s core values of academic excellence, a demonstrated interest in public service, high integrity and, an interest in real property law.

Deadline
The application and supporting documents must be postmarked on or before Monday, November 30, 2015.

Judging
Criteria for judging will be:

1. Content and quality of application materials.
2. Demonstrated interest in real property law, especially related to legal research, writing, and
   lecturing.
3. Record of academic excellence.
4. Maturity, integrity, professionalism.
5. Leadership experience.
6. Work experience.
7. Any other relevant factors.

Submission
All materials must be submitted by mail with a postmark on or before Monday, November 30, 2015.
Mail to:
Melvyn Mitzner Scholarship The New York Bar Foundation One Elk Street
Albany, NY 12207 

2015 Bruning Legal College Scholarship Contest

Bruning Legal is St. Louis- based law firm that has been representing rights of people who have been victims from the negligence of others for 30 years.

Rules: In order to apply, applicants must submit a 500-word essay answering the following question by 12/01/2015:

Driverless vehicles are currently legal in California, Nevada, Florida, Michigan, and Washington D.C. In a recent Forbes Magazine, Ford CEO Mark Field indicated that he expects that fully autonomous cars will be available in 2020. While driverless vehicles will undoubtedly be highly regulated, car accidents involving autonomous cars occur. If a driverless vehicle causes an accident, who do you think should be held liable: the owner of the vehicle, manufacturer, or the developer of the software that controls the car's operation? Why?

The essay should be submitted as an attachment to bruningscholarship@gmail.com.

For further details visit http://www.bruninglegal.com/scholarship/