JAMES BAKER HUGHES WRITING COMPETITION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER [DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2014]
The Houston Journal of International Law invites our FIU College of Law students at all levels to compete for the James Baker Hughes Prize, awarded to the best unpublished student-written manuscript on the subject of international economic law. “International economic law” is a broad term that the Houston Journal of International Law considers to include all legal aspects of economic relations, from private business matters to international trade conflicts. This $500 cash award is funded by a grant from Judge Lynn N. Hughes, and the winning submission will be published as the “James Baker Hughes Prize” article in an upcoming issue of the Houston Journal of International Law.
Those students already in the process of preparing Law Review or Journal articles or comments are encouraged to submit appropriate topics for our consideration.
Any article submitted to the Houston Journal of International Law in this competition shall become the property of the Houston Journal of International Law. No article so submitted may be published in any journal or periodical other than the Houston Journal of International Law until after announcement of the winner of this competition. After such announcement, any non-winning article submitted for consideration in this competition may be published in any other journal or periodical.
Our objective is to continue developing a national competition of some prestige and to increase the number of articles published in the Houston Journal of International Law, which has a worldwide subscription base. The Journal is published three times annually, and contains articles, comments, casenotes and book reviews written by both professional and student authors.
Submission deadline details:
MAILED entries: Manuscripts must be received by the Houston Journal of International Law office by April 15, 2014
Manuscript guidelines:
- Typewritten
- Double-spaced
- On 8.5 x 11 inch paper
- No longer than 25 pages in length, exclusive of footnotes
- 12-point Times New Roman font
Send to:
Megan Davis
Head Casenotes & Comments Editor
Houston Journal of International Law
University of Houston Law Center
100 Law Center
Houston, Texas 77204-6060 USA
THE LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION COUNCIL (LSAC) DIVERSITY COMMITTEE WRITING COMPETITION ON BEST PRACTICES FOR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF STUDENTS OF COLOR AND STUDENTS FROM OTHER UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN LAW SCHOOLS TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY IN LAW SCHOOLS AND IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION [DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2014 BY 5:00 P.M. EST]
The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is committed to fostering diversity in law schools and the legal profession. Currently, through its Diversity Committee, LSAC is operating at least eight diversity initiatives. These initiatives include organizing national and regional pipeline workshops that promote the development of outreach and early educational programs for students from diverse backgrounds; offering grants to support diversity initiatives at LSAC member law schools; maintaining databases and websites such as DiscoverLaw.org with information, resources and programs that encourage students of color, students living with a disability, and LGBTQ students to pursue a legal career and to equip them with the tools for successful admission and graduation from law school; and engaging in ongoing collaborative programs and projects with prelaw advisors and students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACUs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).
For decades, studies consistently have shown that students of color, students living with a disability, and LGBTQ students are underrepresented in most law schools. As a consequence, smaller percentages of persons who represent these groups are graduating from law school and entering the legal profession. This writing competition is designed to reinvigorate the dialogue about the recruitment and retention strategies that law schools should deploy to yield a more diverse class of graduates that will enter the legal profession.
Eligibility: Current J.D. candidates who are in good standing at accredited LSAC-member law schools (1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls)
Topic: What techniques, resources and strategies should law schools utilize to recruit and retain students of color and other students who are from groups underrepresented in law schools and the legal profession?
Submission deadline details:
Deadline: All papers must be uploaded no later than 5:00 P.M. EST on Thursday, May 1, 2014. No extensions will be granted. Papers submitted after the deadline will not be eligible for an award. All submissions become the property of LSAC.
Guidelines:
- Up to 20 pages (5000 words or less)
- 8.5 x 11 inch paper
- Double spaced
- 1 inch margins
- Word format
- 12-point font
- Endnotes written in “A Uniform System of Citation” (The Blue Book) format
Entry procedures:
- Include a cover page with your submission. The cover should only contain: (1.) The author’s name, (2.) title of the paper, (3.) mailing address, (4.) law school affiliation, (5.) law school status (lL, 2L, 3L), (6.) a telephone number where the author may easily be reached, and (7.) an email address.
- To allow anonymous valuations, please do not put your name on the actual paper. The title on the paper must precisely match the title on the cover page that contains the identifying information described above.
- Upload entries @ DiversityOffice@LSAC.org (only electronic flies (PDF or Word) will be accepted).
Judging: A panel of legal writing instructors and LSAC staff will evaluate each submission and select the winning papers. If no paper meets standards set forth in this announcement, the panel may decide not to issue an award or to publish a paper. The panel’s decision will be final.
Evaluation Criteria: Essays will be judged according to:
- Research and use of relevant sources and authorities (cases, law review articles; other secondary sources, including, but not limited to, books, newspapers, and magazines; and empirical and sociological studies)
- Quality and clarity of legal analysis, persuasion, and writing
- Understanding, interpretations and conclusions regarding diversity and the implications of diversity in this context
- Full compliance with all competition procedures
Awards: One winning paper will be selected from each of the three qualifying categories of eligible students (1L, 2L, 3L). Each winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and the winning essays will be posted at DiscoverLaw.org. In addition, one winning paper will be published in the Journal of Legal Education, pending the Journal’s final review and approval.
Contact: Please send your inquiries to the LSAC Diversity Initiatives Office @ DiversityOffice@LSAC.org