Legal Writing Award Founder and Award Judge Jason Miller: We wanted encourage law students who are passionate about pro-life issues to write about and publish about those issues with the hope that these students will create high-quality legal scholarship on pro-life topics.
MPL: What do you hope to accomplish?
JM: We hoped that this contest would produce good legal scholarship and reward students for their efforts.
MPL: What can this kind of pro-life legal writing accomplish?
JM: This kind of writing can influence the law in subtle ways. It can spark academic debate, influence judges, and slowly nudge the legal direction in a way of protecting innocent life.
MPL: Do you think this award encourages more legal writing?
JM: Absolutely. It might be the idea of writing and publishing a note in a student's head who might not otherwise put in the effort. More importantly, it might cause a pro-life student who already has to write a seminar paper or law review note to choose to write it about a pro-life topic, instead of something like Title IX.
Jason Miller, one of the founders of the National Pro-Life Legal Writing Award
Pro-Life Legal Awards Prize: $750
Deadline: Received by November 30, 2012, midnight EST
Contest Rules: http://massprolife.com/events/...
Submit your application to: legalcontest@masscitizensforlife.org
Legal scholarship has a large impact. Papers published in law reviews are frequently cited by courts when resolving new and undecided issues. For example, Roe v. Wade cited numerous law review articles. The majority opinion cited five different law review notes written by students. There is a significant shortage of pro-life legal scholarship, especially by students.
Entries are currently being accepted for the 2012 year, submit yours today to legalcontest@masscitizensforlife.org and also be sure to check out the contest's rules before submitting.
MCFL was proud to begin the National Pro-Life Legal Writing Award in 2011. Accepting submissions from those who have published in a law review or journal, we are giving a $750 award in 2011, and now again in 2012, to the best submitted piece of pro-life legal writing.
This year's winner is Michael Fragoso, a student at the University of Notre Dame law school, who published this article about the conscience clause for medical professionals.
Congrats Michael!
We are also proud to announce Amy Pedagno as the first runner-up, from Ave Maria law school, for her article on young women in foster care, entitled "Who are the Parents? In Loco Parentis, Parens Patriae, and Abortion Decision-Making for Pregnant Girls in Foster Care" to be published in the January or February 2012 Ave Maria Law Review.
"MASSACHUSETTS CITIZENS FOR LIFE
TRIES TO SHUT DOWN SAFE-SEX SITE FOR TEENS
There are so many bad actors in the saga of Maria Talks, a safe-sex-education Web site that came under fire this past spring, that it's hard to know where to begin. The 63 state legislators who demanded that Governor Deval Patrick eliminate the $100,000 in state funding the site receives? Check. The state's four Catholic bishops, led by Cardinal Seán O'Malley, who jumped on the defunding bandwagon? Check. The Boston Herald, for endangering a vital program by flogging this story above and beyond the call of journalistic duty? Check. The state's public-health commissioner, John Auerbach, who partly caved in to the pressure and ordered that the site be toned down? Check.
The coveted Muzzle, though, goes to the anti-abortion-rights group MASSACHUSETTS CITIZENS FOR LIFE (MCFL). According to the Herald, which broke the story on April 20, it was MCFL that initially 'took aim at the site'".
The Phoenix claims we helped this very sensible, needed web site by letting more people know about it. No doubt The Phoenix will be glad to hear that we are investigating the Planned Parenthood connection - which looks like conflict of interest . I'm sure The Phoenix will also be thrilled to learn that we are training speaking teams to go into the areas targeted to have Maria Talks integrated into the school curricula. These pro-life speakers will talk directly to the young people with the facts about life, abortion, relations with their parents, etc.
In receiving this award, as they say, I must thank all those who made it possible, blah, blah... Seriously, thanks to all of you who made the calls, sent the emails, and talked to countless people. I know I can count on you for the next phase of the battle. Anne
Submit your application to: legalcontest@masscitizensforlife.org
Legal scholarship-papers published in law reviews-has a large impact. Courts frequently cite these papers when resolving new and undecided issues. For example, Roe v. Wade cited numerous law review articles. The majority opinion cited five different law review notes written by students. There is a significant shortage of pro-life legal scholarship, especially by students.
Entries are currently being accepted for the 2011 year, submit yours today to legalcontest@masscitizensforlife.org and also be sure to check out the contest's rules before submitting.
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