The Federal Bar Association’s Honorable Constance Baker Motley Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Young Professional Essay Competition (“Competition”) is created to celebrate the life of the Honorable Constance Baker Motley (September 14, 1921 – September 28, 2005) and promote her legacy by encouraging law students and younger federal practitioners to promote, achieve, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.

The Competition is named after Judge Baker Motley, the first African American woman appointed to the United States federal judiciary and the first woman judge in the Southern District of New York.  She was a key leader of the African American civil rights movement, a lawyer, judge, state senator, and Borough President of Manhattan, New York City.

Before law school, Judge Baker Motley worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund where she continued her work as a staff attorney after law school and served with the organization for more than twenty years.  As an attorney, Judge Baker Motley argued 12 landmark civil rights cases before the United States Supreme Court, winning nine. She was a law clerk to the Honorable Thurgood Marshall, Associate United States Supreme Court Justice, during Brown v. Board of Education and was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to the role of United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on January 26, 1966.  Despite fierce opposition based, in part, on her record of championing civil rights, including allegations she was a communist, Judge Baker Motley received her commission to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on August 30, 1966. Judge Baker Motley was elevated to Chief Judge in 1982 where she presided until 1986 before assuming Senior Status.

1. ELIGIBILITY AND STRUCTURE

The Competition is open to all full or part-time law students seeking a juris doctor (JD) or a Master of Laws (LLM), any federal practitioner or professionals under the age of 40-years-old, or have been practicing ten years or less, whether a current member of the Federal Bar Association or a prospective member.

2. SUBJECT MATTER AND LENGTH OF SUBMISSIONS

The submissions will address strategies to promote, achieve, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal practice and be no longer than 500 words. The author’s name and other identifying information, such as law school or professional institution, must be included on the first and any subsequent pages. This identifying information will be redacted in the judging portion of the Competition.

For 2024 entries, please respond to the following:
Recent Supreme Court decisions such as Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina are changing how academic institutions are able to consider race while building diverse student bodies. There are concerns that the implications of these SCOTUS decisions will slope beyond law higher education admissions and impact society, including employers, and beyond. In light of decisions such as these, how can we work to promote, achieve, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal practice?

3. AUTHORSHIP, ORIGINALITY, AND PRIOR PUBLICATION

Each entry shall be the original work of a single individual. The ideas and work reflected by each entry must be the author’s own. Co-authored submissions will not be accepted. Previously published submissions are not eligible.

4. ENTRY PROCEDURES

The submissions must be entered through the form below. Submissions must be sent in an MS Word or compatible format (“.doc” or “.docx”). The Competition will confirm receipt of all submissions. Submissions must be received by May 10, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST.

5. JUDGING

The Competition is intended to stimulate creativity of thought and research to promote, achieve, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal practice.

Entries will be judged based on the following criteria:

(1) thought leadership;

(2) originality and creativity; and

(3) technical quality of writing, including organization, grammar, syntax, and form.

*Entries will be judged anonymously.

**While we value the rich and varied lived experiences of our contestants (experiences which may inform a contestant’s decision to pursue a career in federal practice or to enact substantive change in the legal field), we ask that the core of the submission focuses on the actual strategies one would suggest in order to promote, achieve, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal practice.

6. AWARDS

A panel assembled by the FBA Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Younger Lawyers Division will select (1) a National First Prize Winner to receive a cash award of $1,000 and publication in The Federal Lawyer; (2) Second-Place Winner to receive a $500 cash prize; (3) Third-Place Winner to receive $250, and, (4)  Honorable Mention to receive $100.

The Competition reserves the right not to award any prize if it determines that no entries are of sufficient quality to merit selection.

The Hon. Constance Baker Motley Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Young Member Essay Writing Competition
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