The 2026 competition is now OPEN.
The Federal Bar Association’s Honorable Constance Baker Motley 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
The Competition is open to all full or part-time law students seeking a Juris Doctor (JD) or a Master of Laws (LLM) and to those who have been practicing law for ten years or less or are under 40 years of age. Applicants must also be a current member of the Federal Bar Association.
2. SUBJECT MATTER AND LENGTH OF SUBMISSIONS
Submissions must address strategies to promote, achieve, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal practice, be responsive to the 2026 Submission Question, 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 each page of the submission. This identifying information will be redacted for the judging portion of the Competition.
Judge Constance Baker Motley’s career as a civil rights attorney, advocate, and jurist, demonstrated that representation broadens perspectives in decision-making, strengthens the legitimacy of the courts, and promotes public confidence in the rule of law. Judge Motley’s legacy reflects a deep and enduring commitment to opening doors, mentoring future generations, and ensuring that the justice system is accessible to all.
In light of Her Honor’s trailblazing service and lasting impact on the federal judiciary, we invite participants to reflect on how her legacy can be sustained and advanced today:
How can we sustain Judge Motley’s legacy in today’s legal profession? How can lawyers and judges remove barriers to entry and advancement? And how can these efforts translate into more equitable outcomes in the justice system, particularly for historically underrepresented or marginalized communities? In your response, identify concrete and actionable strategies to increase representation, expand mentorship opportunities, and foster meaningful inclusion within 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 and not generated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI). . Co-authored submissions will not be accepted. Previously published submissions are not eligible. Please note that prior contestants who have not placed in a previous Competition are eligible for participation in future competitions, but contestants must submit a novel writing in order to be considered. Prior contestants who have placed in a previous competition are not eligible to participate.
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”). Submissions must be received by June 8, 2026, 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.
6. AWARDS
A panel assembled by the FBA Committee on Advancing the Legal Profession 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 magazine; (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 Second, Third, and Honorable Mention essays will be featured in the FBA Blog on Fedbar.org
The Competition reserves the right not to award any prize if it determines that no entries are of sufficient quality to merit selection.
7. COPYRIGHT RELEASE:
Please note: By participating in this competition, you transfer all publishing rights for your essay contest entry to the Federal Bar Association and grant the association the right to copyright the material in its name and to reprint it in any FBA publication/media as it sees fit. Participants verify that this work is original and unpublished, and is the original work of the author without the use of AI to draft the essay. Additionally, the participants hereby authorize the Federal Bar Association to grant permission to reprint the work for use in any of the following: scholarly journals, educational course materials, and electronic reference services (including, but not limited to, microfiche and online computer research/indexing services). Those who are selected as finalists/winners of the Essay Contest agree to provide additional media to the Federal Bar Association (photo, video, etc.) and grant the association the right to use such media in its publications, on the website, and in social media.