American Bar Association Section of Family Law: Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest

Description

The ABA Section of Family Law holds the Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay contest each year to encourage interest in the field of Family Law and provide an opportunity for recognition and publication in the scholarly journal Family Law Quarterly.

Applicants may submit an essay on any aspect of family law and entrants are encouraged to write on subjects of national interest. However, if the law in one state reflects a significant development or trend, that too could be an appropriate subject for an entry. The primary focus of each essay should be an issue of law, although some interdisciplinary material may be useful in addressing a legal issue.

Family Law includes dissolution of marriage and other intimate relationships, relationships of persons of the same sex, parentage, custody, child support, division of property, alimony (maintenance), attorney’s fees, adoption, dependency, parental rights, rights pertaining to procreation, and alternative dispute resolution of Family Law issues. Family Law generally does not include Juvenile Justice, Probate, Labor, Immigration Law, and sociology topics unless those topics are related to more traditional Family Law subjects.

The first place winner will receive a certificate of recognition, consideration of his or her essay’s publication in Family Law Quarterly, consideration of his or her essay’s publication on the ABA Section of Family Law website, a letter to his or her Law School Dean, and a one-year ABA Section of Family Law membership.

Law students interested in entering the contest must download the Schwab Entry Form and fill it out by April 12, 2013.

All entries must be postmarked on or before April 26, 2013.

For additional information on submission guidelines and contest rules, please see the ABA Section of Family Law’s website.