2017-2018 WSBA Construction Law Section Legal Writing Competition

The Construction Law Section of the Washington State Bar Association is pleased to announce its 2017-2018 legal writing competition for Washington law students.

AWARD DETAILS

1. First prize is $2,500
2. Second prize is $1,000
3. Awards will be paid to the law students directly
4. Submissions will be judged anonymously
5. Up to a maximum of five finalist submissions may be published in the section e-newsletter

ELIGIBILITY

1. 2L or 3L (in good standing as of October 15, 2017) at Seattle University School of Law, Gonzaga University School of Law, or University of Washington School of Law

Written submissions must address one of the two prompts below:

In 2015, the Appellate Court of Illinois in The Chicago Housing Authority v. Destefano and Partners, Ltd., 45 N.E. 3d 767, determined that indemnity, breach of contract and negligence claims against a design professional for damages arising out of violations of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and Americans with Disability Act (ADA) were pre-empted and thus barred by federal law. Take a position on whether this decision is a correct statement of federal pre-emption against design professionals (or others involved in the construction industry) and how a court in Washington might respond to the questions raised in this case.

Or

Take a position on whether City of Seattle Ordinances No. 124690 and No. 125368, Chapter 20.37 Seattle Municipal Code, mandating hiring from historically disadvantaged zip codes, are a legal means of spending public money.

And must be:

• No more than 2,200 words
• Double-spaced
• Times New Roman, 12-point font
• Clear, concise, cogent, and interesting in substance and style
• The original work of the submitter, and shall not have been previously published
• The submitter may consult with law school faculty and librarians to aid in the preparation of the submission, but the legal assessment and writing must be that of the submitter
• Cover letters will not be accepted; identifying information shall only include the student’s name, prospective graduation date, mailing address, email address, and phone number

Submissions must be received by March 16, 2018 at noon via email, mail, or hand delivery:

Email: tom.wolfendale@klgates.com
Mail: Thomas H. Wolfendale, 925 Fourth Ave., Ste. 2900, Seattle, WA 98104