Results of the Third Annual Jameson Crane III Disability and the Law Writing Competition

SAN DIEGO, CA, 4/28/17 – Thomas Jefferson School of Law is pleased to announce the results of the Third Annual Jameson Crane III Disability and the Law Writing Competition.

The competition, directed by Associate Dean and Professor of Law Susan Bisom-Rapp, received 19 submissions this year. The quality of the writing was high, which meant the competition was keen. Papers were judged in two rounds by three experts in disability law: Brad Areheart (Tennessee), Nicole Porter (Toledo), and Kathe Klare (formerly at Albany).

There are three cash prizes for the competition. First prize receives $1500. The two second prize winners each receive $1000. This year's winners are: 1) First Prize: Jessica Den Houter, "Making State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies Work for Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities" (Georgetown University Law Center); 2) Second Prize: Lydia Brown, "Addressing Ableism: Developing Tort Law & Policy Alternatives to Wrongful Birth & Wrongful Life Claims" (Northeastern University School of Law); 3) Second Prize: Elizabeth Flanagan, "Speaking for the Silenced: Legal Advocacy for People with Disabilities Experiencing Domestic Violence" (Villanova University School of Law).

The article manuscripts have been forwarded to the Thomas Jefferson Law Review for possible publication.

Made possible by the generous gift of Thomas Jefferson School of Law alumnus Jim Crane '13 and his family, this national competition aims to encourage outstanding student scholarship at the intersection of law and medicine, or law and the social sciences.

"By honoring such work," said Associate Dean Bisom-Rapp, "it is our hope that the Crane competition will provide a forum for changing attitudes and assumptions about the disabled, promote understanding of the legal issues related to disability, and ultimately improve the lives of those with disabilities."

The mission of Thomas Jefferson School of Law is to provide an outstanding legal education for a nationally-based, diverse student body in a collegial and supportive environment with attention to newly emerging areas of law, particularly those related to technological development, globalization and the quest for social justice. Located in Downtown San Diego, Thomas Jefferson School of Law has evolved into an innovative, cutting-edge law school, devoted to the individual needs and success of its students. More information is available at www.tjsl.edu.

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CONTACT: Thomas Jefferson School of Law Director of Marketing and Communications Edgar Hopida, 619-961-4314 or 619-913-0719, ehopida@tjsl.edu