2011 American Inns of Court Warren E. Burger Prize

The Warren E. Burger Prize is a writing competition designed to encourage outstanding scholarship that “promotes the ideals of excellence, civility, ethics and professionalism within the legal profession,” the core msision of the American Inns of Court.

Interested authors are asked to submit an original, unpublished essay of 10,000 to 25,000 words on a topic that addresses issues of excellence in legal skills, civility, ethics and professionalism.

The author of the winning essay will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and the essay will be published in the South Carolina Law Review.

The submission deadline is June 1, 2011.

Rules for the contest are available at the American Inns of Court website.

International Association of Defense Counsel Legal Writing Contest

All J.D. candidates currently enrolled in accredited law schools are eligible to participate in the IADC Legal Writing Contest. Entrants must write on subjects in the fields of tort law, insurance law, civil procedure, evidence or other areas of the law of practical concern to lawyers engaged in the defense or management of the defense of civil litigation. The contest is judged by a committee of the IADC.

Prizes:

First Place:  $2,000 and a plaque

Second Place:  $1,000 and a plaque

Third Place:  $500 and a plaque

Honorable Mention:  Plaque

Winning and honorable mention entries are considered for publication in the IADC’s quarterly academic publication, the Defense Counsel Journal. The judges also may award honorable mentions. All entrants receive a one-year subscription to the Defense Counsel Journal.

Past experience has shown that teachers of litigation-related subjects are in an ideal position to stimulate student interest in legal writing and to encourage participation in the IADC Legal Writing Contest. Each year a number of the entries appear to have been prepared initially for various courses or seminars, and the caliber of the papers has been high. These faculty members are in an excellent position to encourage their students to enter the IADC contest.

More information and the entry form are available on the IADC website.

This Week at the CDO (Week of February 21, 2011)

Happy Presidents’ Day!

Monday, February 21

Bidding deadline for employers participating in Spring Recruiting 2011 Session #4 is 11:00 p.m. EST.

Thursday, February 24

Judicial Clerkship Alumni Panel12:30 p.m. in room F209.  Get “insider information” regarding judicial clerkships from four UM Law alums who will share their experiences and perspectives regarding post-graduate judicial clerkships.   Open to all students and lunch will be served!

Bidding deadline for employers participating in Spring Recruiting 2011 Sessions #2 and #3 is 11:00 p.m. EST.

Next Week:  The CDO welcomes Monica Elliot, a representative of the Florida Bar Small Firm and Solo Practice Section to speak about the benefits of this type of practice on Monday, February 28th.  Pizza and drinks will be served.

Judicial Clerkship Alumni Panel

Want “insider information” regarding judicial clerkships?  Have questions regarding what it’s like to clerk for a judge?  Then please join us for a panel discussion with four UM Law alums who will share their experiences and perspectives regarding post-graduate judicial clerkships!

The panel will take place on Thursday, February 24th at 12:30 p.m. in F209 and is open to all students!

Lunch will be served!

More on Summer Housing

Earlier this semester, we posted an entry about options for summer housing, particularly for those looking to spend their summer outside of Miami.  If you plan to be away this summer and are looking to sublet your apartment in Miami, read on.

A law student from another law school will be in Miami this summer and is looking to sublet a fully furnished studio or one bedroom apartment from June 5th-August 14th in either downtown or the coral gables/campus area.   If you would like to be put in touch with this law student, please email the CDO.

This Week at the CDO (Week of February 14, 2011)

Monday, February 14

University of Miami School of Law Externship Program Information Session for students interested in obtaining academic credit for qualified unpaid internships this summer.   12:30 p.m., room F309.  Lunch will be served.

Thursday, February 17

Backpack to Briefcase Professional Development Series.  Learn how to be an effective networker at 12:30 p.m. in room 108.  Chicken Kitchen will be served.

Coming Up Next Week:  Deadline to apply for a summer judicial internship with the Florida Supreme Court.

Backpack to Briefcase Professional Development Series

From Lunch Interviews to Cocktail Parties:  What You MUST Know about Etiquette and Networking to get HIRED!

Presented by Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams, Director of Professional Development for Foley & Lardner, LLP

and Co-Sponsored with the Effective Firm Management Society

Thursday, February 17th @ 12:30 pm in Room F108

Please join us for a lively and interactive program led by Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams, an expert in lawyer training and development.

Beyond why networking is important, this program will teach you how to do so effectively!

Chicken Kitchen will be served.  All students are welcome.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Equal Justice Works Summer Corps Program – Money for the Summer

Looking for funding for the summer?   The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps Program will grant $1,132 to 700 law students working in a qualified public interest organization this summer.

More information is available here:  http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-school/summercorps.

Palm Beach County Bar Association Law Student Forum & Networking Event

The Palm Beach County Bar Association would like to invite diverse law students to attend a conference on diversity, followed by a reception.  The conference is attended by approximately 1200 judges, lawyers and staff and is a signature event for the Palm Beach County legal community.  Please visit www.palmbeachbar.org for more information and to register for the event.  Law students attend both the conference and reception at no cost.  Deadline to register is February 25, 2011.

Warren E. Burger Prize Writing Competition

The Warren E. Burger Prize is a writing competition designed to encourage outstanding scholarship that “promotes the ideals of excellence, civility, ethics and professionalism within the legal profession,” the core mission of the American Inns of Court. The American Inns of Court invites judges, lawyers, professors, students, scholars and other authors to participate in the competition by submitting an original, unpublished essay of 10,000 to 25,000 words on a topic of their choice addressing issues of legal excellence, civility, ethics and professionalism.

The judges for the competition are Professor Stephen Gillers, Chair, Emily Kempin Professor of Law at the New York University School of Law; Professor Geoffrey C. Hazard, Jr., Trustee Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School; Professor Nancy J. Moore, Nancy Barton Scholar and Professor of Law at the Boston University School of Law; and, Professor Robert M. Wilcox, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

The author of the winning essay will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and the essay will be published in the South Carolina Law Review. The Warren E. Burger Prize is presented annually as part of the American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence at the Supreme Court of the United States in October.

The 2011 Warren E. Burger Prize Cover Page and Rules are now available in the “Related Links” panel at http://www.innsofcourt.org/Content/Default.aspx?Id=309.

Send a completed cover page with the required materials no later than June 1, 2011 to the American Inns of Court national office. Submissions should be addressed to:

Cindy Dennis

American Inns of Court

1229 King Street

Second Floor

Alexandria, VA 22314

For additional information, click on http://www.innsofcourt.org/Content/SendEmail.aspx?ImisId=92473 to email Cindy. The winning essay will be selected by September 1.