Oh yeah, you read that correctly. I’m hosting a contest for law and paralegal students at taxgirl.com.
And here’s what you can win:
- a pound of organic coffee (to help keep you awake during your study sessions)
- a taxgirl mug (to drink the aforementioned coffee)
- your post on my site (cool mention on the resume)
- bragging rights
and
- I’ll write your law professor in any tax course and tell them to give you an A.
So here’s my disclaimer: I can’t really make your law professor give you an A. You and I both know this. But sometimes, a little push from the outside just to let your professor know that you’re really interested can go a long way. It could also serve as the basis for a tax policy paper for a writing course or a law review article.
As for those bragging rights? A lot of tax folks read my site. Really. And some of those tax folks are in the position to, oh, say, hire students. And winning the contest would certainly make for interesting conversation during job interviews (ahem) and get you a little bit of exposure.
Interested? Of course you are!
So… what’s involved? Easy. Write a guest post for taxgirl.com about any hot tax policy issue. And I don’t mean news or legal summary. I want a policy post – tell me what the issue is and why it matters. In other words, pick a topic and take a position. Tell me why the law is right or wrong, or just make me think about things in a different way. The kind word here is policy.
Some recent examples on my site:
We Don’t Care If You Kill Anybody, Just Don’t Cheat on Your Taxes
Fund children’s insurance on the backs of smokers?
Go Directly To Jail. Do Not Pass Go.
I’m not asking for a treatise or a law review article. You don’t have to cite like crazy (though clearly, you need to credit any sources or quotes). I’m looking for thought-provoking, well-written posts. Oh, and relatively short ones, at that. This is a blog, after all. Posts must weigh in, for purposes of the contest, at between 250 and 1000 words. I’ll tell you what a professor once told me: extra words don’t mean extra credit, they just mean extra words.
Here are the rules:
- Entries must be sent via email with “Law Student Submission” in the subject line to lawstudentposts@mac.com by 11:59 p.m. EST on December 4, 2007.
- Posts must be between 250 and 1000 words – in English. And in case you think like my little brother and assume that writing in all caps or italics will get you noticed – you’re only half right. It will get you noticed in that I won’t read it.
- Format: Plain Text (either as a text file or just typed directly in the body of the email) or PDF Only. No other attachments or formats will be accepted.
- You must be a part-time or full-time law student at an accredited US law school or a part-time or full-time paralegal student participating in an ABA-accredited paralegal program.
- You must include your full name, your law school or paralegal program, the name of your tax professor and your email address with your entry. I won’t publish your email address, but I do need contact information for the winning entry. I respect your privacy, and I will not send you anything unrelated to your entry in this contest.
- By entering the contest, you agree that b5media may post any part or all of your submission including your name and school, as a part of the contest announcements or promotions, with the exception of your email address.
- And like one of the most famous judges of our time, no, not Judge Learned Hand, but Judge Judy, my decision is in my sole discretion and is final.
I’ll post the winning entry – and maybe some standouts – in mid-December.
So what are you waiting for? Enter today. The clock is ticking.
Clever idea. Looking forward to seeing the submissions.