The Program on Church, State & Society at Notre Dame Law School is pleased to announce the results of our first annual writing competition. Open to law students nationwide, as well as recent law graduates not yet practicing law, the competition seeks to encourage scholarship related to the intersection of church, state & society, and in particular how the law structures and governs that intersection. This year’s winners and honorees were selected from a pool of very impressive essays:
First place: Civics in Yiddish: State Regulation of Language Instruction in New York’s Private Schools
Author: Stephen Rutman
Institution: Fordham University School of Law
Second place: Qualified Immunity and Religious Liberty
Author: Jacob Tyler Young
Institution: University of Virginia School of Law
Third place: Catholic Social Thought and the Role of the Prosecutor
Author: Zachary B. Pohlman
Institution: Notre Dame Law School
Honorable Mention: The SBA; Saving Biblical Affiliates
Author: Roxanne Reinfeld
Institution: University of Saint Thomas
Honorable Mention: Can the Reasonable Person Be Religious?
Author: Jack Vallar
Institution: University of Virginia School of Law
Fordham University School of Law 2L, Stephen Rutman, was awarded first place for his essay, Civics in Yiddish: State Regulation of Language Instruction in New York’s Private Schools. “ I am honored by the selection of my paper by the Notre Dame Program on Church, State & Society. My paper evaluates the constitutionality of recently proposed rules to heighten enforcement of New York’s requirement that private and parochial schools provide instruction “substantially equivalent” to the instruction offered in surrounding public schools. This award reflects the importance of this issue, which could significantly affect religious parents’ rights to direct the education of their children. I am particularly grateful to the Fordham Urban Law Journal, which will be publishing this piece and to Professor Aaron Saiger, who advised me in the project,” said Rutman.
Professor Richard W. Garnett, the Paul J. Schierl/Fort Howard Corporation Professor of Law and Director of the Program on Church, State & Society judged the essays. "The Notre Dame Program on Church, State & Society is pleased and proud to be able to honor a group of student-scholars who have produced outstanding studies of timely and interesting religious-freedom topics. Dozens of strong papers were submitted for consideration, and we are confident that all who submitted will enrich the law-and-religion conversation," said Garnett.
The Program on Church, State & Society hopes to continue the writing competition, with details to be announced this coming fall. The primary goal of our Program is to enhance the law school experience for all Notre Dame law students interested in issues related to law & religion and religious liberty. Current and prospective students can learn more about Program offerings by contacting Jonathan Hannah, JD at hannah.7@nd.edu.