The Ninth Circuit’s annual civics contest for high school students begins Feb. 1 and is open to all high school students in the Ninth Circuit.
Students can submit an essay and/or a video expressing their thoughts and ideas on this year’s topic, “Not to be Forgotten: Legal Lessons from the Japanese Internment.” The deadline is April 16. Essays should be between 500 and 1,000 words. Students are asked to consider and describe the relevance of the Japanese internment today as our nation combats terrorism. Individuals or teams of up to three students can produce a 3- to 5-minute video on the theme. A student may submit both an essay and video.
The entries should 1.) demonstrate an understanding of the history of the internment and its aftermath; 2.) explain what constitutional powers and rights were brought into conflict by the Hirabayashi v. United States, 1943, and Korematsu v. United states, 1944; and 3.) discuss the important role of the judicial branch, then and now in resolving constitutional conflicts involving national security and individual rights.
Students who submit winning entries, will receive cash prizes: $2,000 for first, $1,000 for second and $500 for third, plus travel and accommodations to attend the 2017 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference in San Francisco in July.
Call (415) 355-8973 or email civicscontest@ce9.uscourts.gov or visit ca9.uscourts.gov/civicscontest for more information.
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