Contest open to St. Johns County students, deadline Oct. 7
The lawyers and judges of the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, and the members of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association recently announced the 2019 High School Essay Contest.
In its second year, the contest is open to students currently in grades 10 through 12 in counties in the Jacksonville Division of the Middle District of Florida ― Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, and Union. Winners of the 2018 Essay Contest came from Nassau, Duval and Baker Counties.
This year, students entering the contest are asked to reflect on the concepts of balance of powers and checks and balances. The contest requires students to respond to the following prompt.
The Founding Fathers created a “divided government” by separating important powers among each of the three branches — executive, legislative and judicial. To prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful, the Framers established a system of checks and balances. Some argue, however, the concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances undermine the government’s ability to swiftly and decisively respond to problems facing the nation.
Identify a historical or current event that exemplifies the concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances. Drawing on primary sources, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a “divided government.”
Student Essays must be submitted no later than noon, Monday, Oct. 7. The essays will be judged by Jacksonville lawyers who will submit the top-10 essays to the judges of the Jacksonville Division for selection of the first, second and third place winners.
Prizes to the winners of the Essay Contest are made possible by the lawyers and judges of the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida through the Middle District Bench Bar Fund.
The prizes are: First place - $2,000, second place - $1,000, third place - $500 and fourth through tenth place winners - $50.
In addition to the prize awards, a $500 Classroom Grant will be awarded to the teachers of the top three winners.
Winners and their teachers will be recognized at a special ceremony in the Ceremonial Courtroom of the Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse in Jacksonville on Nov. 20. The top three winners will also be recognized in December at the Spirit of Giving Luncheon, an annual event of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Additionally, the first place winner will be given the opportunity to shadow a federal judge for a day.
For additional information about the Essay Contest and how to enter, visit www.flmd.uscourts.gov.
