The 19th annual (2024) Law Day Essay Contest is Closed. The 2025 Contest will go live in January.:

The theme for Law Day in 2024 is Voices of Democracy. 2024 is an election year with many National, State, and Local offices on the ballot. It is a time for the public to choose their leaders for the next term- to drive the government in the direction set by the people, for the people, based on the voices of the people. We want all Americans to participate in the 2024 elections, deepen their understanding of the electoral process, discuss issues in honest and civil ways, and turn out to vote in free and fair elections. The deepening of our understanding cannot start too early, nor can it end too late. This year we will ask students to pick which of the races on the ballot is the most important- and to describe the duties of that office.

Our Law Day Essay Contest is designed to encourage young people to think about the role of law in society and how law affects their everyday lives, even at a young age. Local Juvenile Court Judge Warren Caswell has sponsored this contest each year since opening his practice in Madison County and has continued the tradition throughout his service on the bench. Law Day, May 1st of each year, was first proclaimed by President Eisenhower in 1958. Law Day is a day of national dedication to the principle of government under law so that we all can strengthen our American heritage of liberty, justice and equality under the law.

The 2024 Northern Judical Circuit Juvenile Court Law Day Essay Contest is open to students in the 9th-12th grades who reside in the Northern Judicial Circuit (Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Madison & Oglethorpe Counties). The contest is also open to students who are under the supervision of the Northern Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court regardless of where they are currently placed. Essays will be judged primarily on how well the student supports his/her arguments. Additionally, essays will be judged based upon format, clarity, style, creativity and overall effort. As always, essays will not be judged based upon the ultimate answer or position taken.

Background Information for Essay:

Of the offices on the 2024 Ballot in the Northern Judicial Circuit which will affect you and your family the most? Why is it the most important office to you and your family? What are the duties of that office? When answering this question please keep in mind that many of the duties of your chosen office might be found in the Constitution- either of the United States or the State of Georgia. Also, a quick email, visit to a website, or phone call to a condidate will likely give you a quick outline of what the duties of that office are.

To help you get started a list of offices is below:

List of Offices

We offer a special thanks to Tracy Dean and the Madison County Board of Elections for helping to compile this list of offices!

Question:

Considering the above background information, compose an essay answering the following three part question:

1) Of the offices on the 2024 Ballot in the Northern Judicial Circuit, which will affect you and your family the most?

2) What are the duties of that office? and;

3) Which office on the ballot is most important, why?

Entrants should choose a definite position pertaining to the topic and write a persuasive essay for their chosen position. The essay should attempt to balance their desired goal with the direction of our law and Constitution. A complete answer will examine the rights of citizens and the need of government to exercise its power for the good of both society and the individual, and will address all of the posed questions.

First Prize is a $350.00 cash scholarship. Essays must be postmarked by April 15, 2024 to be eligible for consideration. The winners will be announced on May 1, 2024. The winning essay will be published on our website and the manuscript will be submitted to the student's local newspaper, in addition to the cash prize.

All entries must be accompanied by a completed and signed entry form available here.
Entry Form

Rules:

All essays become the property of the Law Offices of Warren C. Caswell, may be published on this website and/or the client newsletter and cannot be returned.
Winners may be photographed and have their photograph published online or released to reputable local news sources.
Entrant may consult any reference or person for help in researching or writing the essay, but the essay itself must be an original, unpublished document created wholly by the entrant.
Only individual entries are accepted, no co-written entries will be considered.
All entries must be post-marked by April 15, 2023 to be eligible to win.
Essays may be either typed or written longhand. Online submissions will not be accepted.

The purpose of the Law Day Essay Contest is to encourage students to think about the role of law in American Government and how they interact with law on a daily basis- even as youths. The winning entries are posted below in Adobe pdf format.