Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition

ACS is pleased to announce the winner and runners-up of the 2012 Constance Baker Motley National Writing Competition:

The winner is Sam Simon, a 3L at Harvard Law School. The runners-up are Carolyn Homer, a 3L at the George Washington University Law School and Evan Barret Smith, a 3L at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Congratulations to our winners and all of our entrants.

Our distinguished judges for the final round were:

• Chief Judge Susan Oki Mollway (D. Haw.)
• Judge Lynn S. Adelman (E.D. Wis.)
• Judge Karen Schreier (D.S.D)
• Prof. Kermit Roosevelt, University of Pennsylvania Law School
• Prof. Fred Schauer, University of Virginia School of Law
• Prof. David Franklin, DePaul University College of Law

The American Constitution Society (ACS) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School ACS Chapter are pleased to announce the eighth annual national student writing competition! In honor of Constance Baker Motley's legacy, the competition now bears her name. As a civil rights attorney, first woman elected President of the Borough of Manhattan, and the first African-American woman appointed to the federal bench, Motley’s life-long commitment to equality for all aligns with ACS's mission to ensure that law is a force to improve the lives of all people.  

ACS welcomes all student papers furthering and promoting a progressive vision of the Constitution, law, and public policy. Entrants are encouraged to view this topic broadly, and we welcome submissions on a variety of substantive areas. Examples of possible topics include:

Papers will be judged on the quality of their analysis and writing. The judging committee will include federal judges and leading academics. The student authors of the top three papers will receive special recognition at the ACS National Convention in the summer of 2012 and a cash prize for their work. The winner will be awarded $3,000. Each of the two runners-up will receive $1,000.             The top paper will also receive an offer of publication in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law.

The deadline for submissions was Friday, February 17, 2012.