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SULC CIVIL RIGHTS LEGAL WRITING COMPETITION

A Project of the Louis A. Berry Civil Rights and Justice Institute

RULES GOVERNING THE COMPETITION

1. Eligible Students:

Only students enrolled at Southern University Law Center are eligible to enter this competition. Each student may enter only one paper in the competition.

2. Subject Matter:

The 1960 lunch counter sit-ins in Baton Rouge sparked legal and social changes that made substantial contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. The students who participated in the sit-ins paid a great personal cost to act on the courage of their convictions, as their acts of civil disobedience were prosecuted as crimes. The consequences followed them for the rest of their lives.

In the context of the above, address the following questions in essay form:

1) Was their suffering worth the result? Explain.

2) In light of these sacrifices, how can your work as an attorney contribute to their goals? Be

precise.

3. Determination of Awards:

The prizes will be awarded to the eligible students who, in the sole judgment of the Chancellor, or such other person or committee as the Chancellor may designate, prepare the three best papers. The Chancellor may, in his discretion, withhold the awards entirely, if in his opinion no worthy paper is submitted, or may award only the first or second prize. All prizes will be awarded on March 29, 2010.

4. Amounts of Awards:

A first prize of $1,500, a second prize of $1,000, and a third prize of $750 will be paid through the Chancellor.

5. Requirements as to the Length and Form of Manuscript:

Papers must strictly comply with the following requirements; failure to do so will disqualify a paper from receiving any award:

(a) The manuscript must be e-mailed in Microsoft Word format to writingcontest@sulc.edu by 5:00 p.m. C.S.T. on March 17, 2010.

(b) Citations must be in ALWD form.

(d) The Chicago Manual of Style should be used to answer any questions regarding style.

(d) The manuscript must not exceed 2,500 words, including endnotes and the title pages.

(e) The manuscript must contain two title pages:

(i) The top title page, which will be removed by an administrative assistant before judging, shall contain (1) the title of the manuscript; (2) the full name of the author; (3) the author’s e-mail address; (4) the author’s phone number; and (5) the following certificate: “I HEREBY CERTIFY that I have received no assistance on the attached essay, that the content is my original work, and that I have read the rules governing this Competition and agree to abide by them.” and

(ii) The second title page, which shall contain only the title of the article.

6. Copyright/License to Publish

Each student-author shall retain the copyright in his or her paper.

Each student-author shall, by entering the Competition and agreeing to comply with these Rules, grant to Southern University Law Center a nonexclusive license to publish his or her paper in any form (including by electronic means).

7. Individual Work:

Papers must represent individual work. Collaboration with or assistance from others, including but not limited to law professors and fellow students, is not permitted. Violation of this rule shall result in disqualification.

8. Questions/Contact Information:

E-mail Professor Gail Stephenson, Director of Legal Analysis & Writing, gstephenson@sulc.edu.