Congratulations to the Winners of the Essay Competition!

Law Students: Rianne Heffel of Los Angeles, CA	Read her essay
Young Lawyers: Susan E. Polk, Little Rock, AR	Read her essay

Gender Diversity: Have we solved the problem? If not, where do we go from here?

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession is now accepting video and essay entries from law students and young lawyers.

Eligibility

1. The contest is open to
(a) law students – all law students attending an ABA-accredited law school; and
(b) young lawyers – lawyers under 36 years old or admitted to practice for less than 5 years.

2. American Bar Association staff members and their immediate family* and Commissioners and their immediate family* are not eligible to participate. (* siblings, children, and parents)

Prizes

1. There will be one YouTube video winner and one essay winner in each category of law students and young lawyers.

2. Each winner will be presented with a $500 honorarium.

Rules

1. Subject: Each entry must address the following topic: Gender Diversity: Have we solved the problem? If not, where do we go from here?

2a. No joint entries: Joint entries submitted by a group of two or more people are not permitted and are void.
2b. Multiple entries: An individual may submit one entry in the video competition and one entry in the essay competition. Multiple entries in each competition by a single person are void.

3. Original work: Videos and essays must be original works created for purposes of this competition. Entries published elsewhere previously will not be accepted and are void.

4. Submissions:

4a. Videos: YouTube video entries are limited to three (3) minutes in length and must be uploaded to the YouTube contest submission site at www.youtube.com/group/GenderDiversity. Nothing in the videos shall identify the entrant. In addition to uploading the video to YouTube, the entrant must submit the online entry form below. A copy of the video also must be sent to: ABA Commission on Women in the Profession - YouTube; 321 N. Clark Street - 18th Floor; Chicago, IL 60654. Burn the video file onto a CD or DVD in WMV or RealMedia format. If you have any problem with the format, contact Barbara Leff at leffb@staff.abanet.org. Incomplete entries are void.

4b. Essays: Essay entries must be submitted online as a Microsoft Word document no more than 600 words (actual text) or six (6) pages in length, double spaced, Times New Roman font, 12 point, with 1-inch top, bottom, and side margins. Footnotes are prohibited. Essays must be uploaded below. In addition to uploading the essay, the entrant must submit the online entry form below. Incomplete entries are void.

4c. Electronic submission: All entries must be submitted electronically. No entry will be accepted if submitted by other means.

5. Award criteria: Entries will be judged on their originality, creativity, and overall quality. Essays also will be evaluated on writing style.

6. Deadline: Entries must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. Central Time on December 31, 2008. Entries submitted after that time will not be accepted.

7. Announcement of winners: The award-winning entries in each category will be announced during the 2009 American Bar Association Midyear Meeting in Boston, MA held from February 11-17, 2009.

8. Publication of winning entries: The award-winning entries will be published on the Commission’s web site following their announcement at the 2009 Midyear Meeting but no later than March 1, 2009.

9. By submitting an entry to the contest, each entrant gives the American Bar Association all rights, including copyright, to the entry and express permission to edit and publish the entry in all media without limitation and without any other notice.

10. Disputes: The Commission, as sponsor of the competition, will be the final arbiter of all questions regarding entries, judging, interpretation of the rules, and any other aspect of this contest. In the event that there is an insufficient number of qualified entries or if the judges determine in their absolute discretion that no or too few entries meet the quality standards established to award the prizes, the Commission reserves the right not to award the prizes. The Commission will not be responsible for typographical printing or other inadvertent errors in these rules or in other materials relating to the competition. The Commission will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, misdirected, or illegible entries or for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind.

Additional Terms and Conditions

1. All federal, state, local, and municipal laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited.

2. By entering, entrants acknowledge compliance with these rules, including all eligibility requirements.

3. Except where prohibited, participation in the competition constitutes entrant’s consent to the publication of his or her name and image in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation or further compensation.

4. For prizewinner list (available after March 1, 2009), contact Barbara Leff at leffb@staff.abanet.org.

5. Winners will be notified via e-mail and must respond within 7 days. In order to receive the prize, winners must submit a completed W-9 form and any additional ABA documentation that is required within 14 days of the date of notification. Failure to return this documentation within 14 days, or to comply with any term or condition of the rules or prize notification, may, in the sole discretion of the Commission, result in a winner’s disqualification, the forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize, and the award of the prize to an alternate winner.

6. Winners agree that the Commission and its employees and agents shall not be liable for injury, loss, or damage of any kind resulting from participating in this competition or from any acceptance or use of any prize awarded.

7. The prize is non-transferable.

Deadline for Submission

Your YouTube video or essay entry must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. Central Time on December 31, 2008. Entries submitted after that time will not be accepted.

Questions?

Please contact Barbara Leff at leffb@staff.abanet.org with any questions.

ABA Commission on Women in the Profession
321 N. Clark Street - 18th Floor
Chicago, IL 60654
312-988-5715 (phone)

Essay

Upload your essay in only Word or WordPerfect; file size limit is 2.5 MB.

Entry Form

All of the following are required fields except Fax.

Your Name

Category Student Young Lawyer

Submission (you may submit both) Video Essay

Age

If you are a young lawyer,
(a) in what year did you graduate from law school?
(b) in what jurisdiction(s) (U.S. state or country) are you licensed to practice?

If you are a law student, what law school are you attending?

Firm/Organization (type "none" if appropriate)

Address

Address

City

State

Zip

Day Phone

Fax

Email

All of the above are required fields except Fax.

By submitting this form and an entry to the contest, I give the American Bar Association all rights, including copyright, to my entry and grant permission to edit and publish my entry in all media without limitation and without any other notice.