Ross Essay Contest
Write an open letter to the new president and Congress describing the most important priority for improving the U.S. justice system.
We are now accepting entries from ABA members. Read the rules below, and then click the link at the bottom of the page to submit your entry.
Contest Rules
- Eligible. You are eligible to enter the Ross Essay Contest if you are an ABA member in good standing now and through Feb. 1, 2009.
- Not Eligible. The following ABA members are ineligible to enter the Ross Essay Contest: ABA staff members, relatives of ABA Journal staff members, members of the ABA Journal Board of Editors and their relatives, freelancers who have been paid by the ABA Journal for any work since Jan. 1, 2008.
- Prize. The winner of this contest will receive a prize of $5,000. The Ross Essay Contest requires that there be one winner. Joint submissions are not permitted.
- Submissions. All entries must be submitted electronically to the ABA Journal using the form and instructions available at ABAJournal.com from Sept. 23, 2008, to Dec. 15, 2008. Entries will not be accepted by any other means. Each entry must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document or a plain text document and include the entrant’s name, address, e-mail address and ABA member ID number. Once an essay is submitted, no changes may be made.
- Entry Deadline. The deadline for receipt of entries is 5 p.m. Central time on Dec. 15, 2008. Entries received later will not be accepted.
- Publication. The winning entry in the Ross Essay Contest will be published in the ABA Journal. Other entries may be considered for publication on ABAJournal.com. The decision whether to publish any entry is made by the editor and publisher. For purposes of publication, the ABA Journal may edit entries (the edited version will not be used for judging). By submitting an entry in this contest, each entrant gives the ABA all rights, including express permission to edit and publish the entry in all media without limitation and without any other notice.
- Topic. Each entry must address the following topic: Write an open letter to the new president and Congress describing the most important priority for improving the U.S. justice system.
- Length. Each entry must be 600 words or fewer. Entries that exceed 600 words will not be considered. The word count will encompass only the actual text of the essay. Entries should not contain footnotes.
- No Multiple Entries. Each eligible ABA member may submit only one entry to this contest.
- Disputes. The editor and publisher of the ABA Journal will be the final arbiter of all questions regarding entries, judging, interpretation of the rules and any other aspect of the Ross Essay Contest.