2017 Law Day – High School Essay Contest

The Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York and the New York Law Journal have partnered with the New York City Dept. of Education to sponsor the Sixteenth annual essay contest for 10th, 11th and 12th grade high school students.  Ten students will win the opportunity to intern for one week with a Justice of the Supreme Court and earn a $100.00 gift card.  A maximum of ten entries from each school will be considered. One of the winning essays will be published in the New York Law Journal, a legal periodical published by ALM.

The Law Day theme for 2017, is “The 14th Amendment:  Transforming American Democracy.”

The 2017 theme provides the opportunity to explore the many ways that the Fourteenth Amendment has reshaped American law and society.  Ratified during Reconstruction a century and a half ago, the Fourteenth Amendment serves as the cornerstone of landmark civil rights legislation, the foundation for numerous court decisions protecting fundamental rights, and an inspiration for all those who advocate for equal justice under law.

Students should write a 500 word essay presenting a compelling discussion on the topic with special focus on the importance and impact of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The following websites may assist your students in their research – other resources may be used.  All sources should be credited.

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1332.pdf

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/08-1332.25.html

Law Day Topic

  1.   http://www.Lawday.org

General Legal Resources

  1. New York State Courts Legal Research Portal

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/research.htm

  1. Free Online Law Review/Journal Articles

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/legal_technology_resources/resources/free_journal_search.html

  1. New York Law Journal

http://www.newyorklawjournal.com

  1. The United States Constitution with Commentary

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/overview

Statutes

  1. New York State Consolidated Laws

http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/MENUGETF.cgi?COMMONQUERY=LAWS+&TARGET=VIEW

  1. Law Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/law/ 

  1. New York Courts Law Libraries

http://www.nycourts.gov/lawlibraries/

Case Law

  1. New York State Court Case Law

http://www.nycourts.gov/decisions/

  1. Federal Court Case Law

http://www.law.cornell.edu/federal/opinions

The Following Rules Apply:

The essays should be evaluated at each participating school. Each school may submit a maximum of ten (10) essays. Each submitted essay must include a completed cover sheet.  The winning essays from each school should be mailed to:

HON. ROBERT J. MILLER

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK,

APPELLATE DIVISION, SECOND JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT

320 JAY STREET

BROOKLYN, NY 11201

 

DEADLINE: April 10, 2017

Questions regarding this opportunity should be directed to
(1) Debra Lesser, Justice Resource Center at 212.580.5905, dlesser@schools.nyc.gov or
(2) Paulina Ellis at 347.296.1836 Pellis@nycourts.gov

The prizes will be awarded at a ceremony.  The date and location of the ceremony will be announced.

Internship opportunities include: Attendance at trials, research with the law clerk, instruction in the use of a law library,education regarding legal terminology in a real world environment, exposure to law-related careers – e.g. court clerk, court officer, court reporter, law clerk, and judge.

The dates of the internship will be arranged according to the needs of each winning student subject to the schedule of each participating court. Internship dates will be made available during summer vacation.