California Supreme Court Historical Society honors legal writing contest winners

The California Supreme Court Historical Society congratulated the 2020 winners of the annual Selma Moidel Smith Student Writing Competition in California Legal History.

In the society's first virtual meeting, the three winners presented summaries of their papers, which will appear in the upcoming volume of the California Legal History, the society's annual journal.

"All of us will benefit because of this inspired writing. I'm greatly excited and inspired by your minds," California Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye said during the Aug. 26 meeting.

Taylor Cozzens, a student at the University of Oklahoma, won first place for his paper "Ronald Reagan v. CRLA: Politics, Power, and Poverty Law" and received a $2,500 prize. Second place, with a $500 award, went to Gus Tupper, a 2020 graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law, for his paper "Breaking California's Cycle of Juvenile Transfer."

The third place prize of $250 was awarded to Brittney M. Welch, a student at The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law, for her paper "Stop! Turn the Car Around Right Now for Federalism's Sake! The One National Program Rule and How Courts Can Stop Its Impact."

Littler Mendelson PC Shareholder Richard H. Rahm is president of the California Supreme Court Historical Society

-- Kamila Knaudt