SCHWEERS ESSAY CONTEST

In 1999, the Schweers family endowed the Academy of Trial Lawyers' William S. Schweers Sr. Essay Contest. Mr. Schweers was catastrophically injured in a bicycle accident in 1993. Before that time, however, he was a pillar of the legal and educational communities and served as President of the Academy.  Mr. Schweers passed away on January 11, 2007.  

The contest recognizes Mr. Schweers' passion for advocacy and education by providing an opportunity for high school students to advocate a position on a topical subject. The contest is open to Allegheny County high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Each fall, the Academy Essay Committee crafts a topic of general legal interest which will allow the students to demonstrate their advocacy abilities. Three top winners are rewarded monetarily and invited to an Awards Dinner where they will have an opportunity to discuss their views and explore the law with Academy members.

The topic for this year's contest is "Should the United States abandon its long-standing tradition of affording citizenship to all persons born within its borders, whether or not their parents are legal residents of this country? "  

The winners of the 2010 Essay Contest will be honored at an Awards Dinner on February 18, 2010at the Omni William Penn Hotel. For more information about the 2010 contest, please contact the Academy of Trial Lawyers at 412-343-9266 or academy@atlac.org

Click Here to Download the 2010 Schweers Essay Flyer