The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law is pleased to announce the winners and finalists in the Fourth Annual CSL Prize in Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing competition held in conjunction with the Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference (JCOW) which was held February 22-24, 2024.

The competition was open to all conferees, which consisted of rising clerks from around the country who will serve in federal or state appellate court chambers in the coming year. Subsequent to two days of writing instruction from distinguished jurists who served as faculty, each entrant drafted a short judicial opinion based on a First Amendment problem written by the Columbus School of Law. The entrants were then submitted for judging in a blind competition to the JCOW faculty who also served as the judges of the competition. The competition was based solely on writing criteria.

The 2024 winners and finalists are as follows:

Eleanor “Ellie” Ritter of Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law earned first place. In a statement to Catholic Law, Ritter shared her views on JCOW:

“Judicial opinion writing demands a specific set of writing skills—a skill set so different from writing briefs, memos, or scholarly articles. The Judicial Clerkship Writing Conference provides an unmatched opportunity for students to learn those skills by immersing themselves in incredible judicial writing from some of our nation’s best judges, who provide a peek behind the curtain at what makes their opinions so strong.”

John “Jack” Ring of George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School tied for second place. In a statement to Catholic Law, Ring emphasized the unparalleled opportunities which JCOW offers its participants:

“The conference provided such a unique opportunity to discuss legal writing and receive direct feedback on my writing from the faculty judges that I was able to incorporate immediately into my writing,” he wrote. “In addition to writing, the conference helped me better understand how I can be the best clerk for my judge and, eventually, how to be the most persuasive advocate for my clients.”

Olivia J. Schoffstall of Baylor University School of Law also placed second. In a statement to Catholic Law, Schoffstall highlighted JCOW’s practical benefits:

“The Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference offers high-quality, practical preparation for clerking,” she wrote. “Attendees get the unique opportunity to learn from federal judges about opinion writing and receive personalized feedback on their work. The insights gained from judges and interactions with fellow law clerks are invaluable.

“The Judicial Clerkship Writing Conference sharpened my writing skills, equipping me to better serve my judge and constitutes as a law clerk.”

Click here to learn more about the Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference.