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2008 George Hutchinson Writing Competition

DEADLINE: Submissions must be postmarked no later than June 30, 2008.

2008 George Hutchinson Writing Competition

The Federal Circuit Bar Association is pleased to announce the 2008 George Hutchinson Writing Competition, named in honor of the First Chief Clerk of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals was established in 1982 by Congress as the first Article III appellate court to have exclusive jurisdiction over certain defined subject areas. Specifically, the Court's jurisdiction includes appeals from all patent litigation (nationwide). Patent and Trademark Office decisions, government contract claims, International Trade Commission, Merit Systems Appeals, and Veterans Appeals.

Entries to the contest may discuss any topic that lies within the procedure, substance, or scope of the jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

The competition is open to all law students enrolled in ABA accredited law schools. We permit and encourage students to base their entries on papers that they prepared for law school courses and seminars during the 2007/2008 school year. The competition is kept open for the entire school year so that papers prepared during the present Fall or Spring semester can be eligible.

Three thousand dollars ($3,000) will be awarded to the entry deemed by the judges to be the best entry and to merit the award. Second and third place cash prizes may also be awarded at the discretion of the judges. In addition, the winner will receive significant favorable publicity to the over 2,500 nationwide members of FCBA.

Submissions must be postmarked no later than June 30, 2008.

Rules For Year 2008 George Hutchinson Writing Competition

  1. Students enrolled for the 2007/2008 school year in any law school accredited by the American Bar Association are eligible to enter. Pre-registration is not necessary. Submission of a paper in accord with these rules constitutes registration.
  2. All papers shall be prepared during the 2007/2008 school year. Papers shall be the sole work product of the student. Normal comment and guidance by law school faculty is permitted.
  3. Papers are typically about 20 pages in length. Papers shall not exceed 50 pages, including footnotes. They must be typed, double-spaced, on 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper. All citations and footnotes should be in accord with the current edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. An original and three copies of each entry must be submitted.
  4. Papers must deal with a topic that lies within the substance, procedure, or scope of the specialized jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.
  5. The writing competition is judged by selected members of the Federal Circuit Bar Association. The papers will be judged generally on their substance, clarity, timeliness, and quality of argument, although details of form will not be ignored.
  6. Papers are judged anonymously. The entrant's name and school should not appear on either the original or copies of the paper. A separate cover letter listing the name, address, telephone number, law school, and graduation year must be submitted with each entry. Because judging takes place during the summer, applicants must inform the chairman of any change in address and phone number.
  7. Submissions must be postmarked no later than June 30, 2008. Entries and any questions regarding the competition should be addresses to:
    Alexandra Manolas
    Administrative Coordinator
    George Hutchinson Writing Competition
    BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE
    NBC Tower - Suite 3600
    Chicago, Illinois 60611-5599
    amanolas@brinkshofer.com.
  8. A cash prize of at least three thousand dollars ($3,000) will be awarded for the entry deemed by the judges to be the best entry and to merit the award. Second and third place cash prizes may also be awarded in the judges' discretion. Winners will be publicly announced at FCBA's Year 2008 Annual Reception and Dinner in Washington, D.C. It is contemplated that the prize-winning paper will be published in the Federal Circuit Bar Journal. All decisions of the judges are final.
  9. Submissions will not be returned to the authors. Submissions of a paper grants the Federal Circuit Bar Association the right to publish the paper in the Federal Circuit Bar Journal. Previously published submissions will not be accepted. FCBA reserves the right to publish the paper first, at which point the author may proceed with publication elsewhere. Failure of the student to preserve this grant may result in disqualification.
  10. FCBA reserves the right to screen entries and to limit the number of papers submitted to the judges for final decision. The association also reserves the right to not award a prize, should there be no entry that, in the discretion of the Federal Circuit Bar Association merits the award.