Apr 12, 2020 3 min read

Washington County students in grades two through 12 – and adults – are invited to submit entries for this year’s Law Day Contests sponsored by the Washington County Bar Association, the Washington County Bar Foundation, and the Observer-Reporter. The entry deadline has been extended to May 6. This year’s theme is “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.”

The Law Day contests are a perfect “stay-at-home” educational activity for the whole family. Typically, awards for the contests are presented at the Bar Association’s annual Public Law Day Celebration. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration has been indefinitely postponed. In the meantime, lesson plans regarding this year’s Law Day theme are available at www.lawday.org and the Washington County Bar Association’s contest brochure with entry guidelines is available at www.washcobar.org/public-eduction.

The bookmark contest for grades two through five has cash prizes ranging from $50 to $15, and both the editorial essay contest and the creative arts contest for grades six through 12 have cash prizes ranging from $100 to $225.

The entry guidelines for the box diorama contest have been slightly modified, allowing entrants to use objects in addition to “Peeps” marshmallow treats. Dolls, block toy “minifigures,” stuffed animals, or whatever may be readily available at home may be used as characters in the box dioramas. This contest also has a prize for adults who enter a box diorama. Winning students in grades six through 12 receive cash prizes from $100 to $225 and adults $200 for the charity of their choice.

The Law Day committee is also seeking submissions of Citizenship Projects that have had an impact on the Washington County community at some point over the past 24 months. Washington County residents or an organization with its primary office address in Washington County are eligible to apply for the $250 prize, which will be donated to the winner’s charity of choice.

All place winners and honorable mentions for all contests will receive a certificate and winners will be featured in a special Observer-Reporter supplement to be published May 26.

Any entry that can be emailed should be done so to kathy@washcobar.org, including essays, photographs of box dioramas, and, if possible, creative arts submissions such as films or videos. Bookmarks and other “mailable” entries should be sent to the bar association office at 119 South College St., Washington, PA 15301. Email kathy@washcobar.org to schedule a drop-off time for submission of three-dimensional artwork and other non-mailable and non-emailable entries. All entries must be received no later than 4 p.m. May 6.

This year’s theme commemorates the centennial of the transformative constitutional amendment that guaranteed that the right of citizens to vote would not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex. The women’s suffrage movement forever changed America, expanding representative democracy and inspiring other popular movements for constitutional change and reform.

For more information about Law Day or other programs offered by the Washington County Bar Association and Washington County Bar Foundation, contact Executive Director Kathy Sabol at kathy@washcobar.org or 724-225-6710.