Cubbon & Associates Legal Writing Competition

This is an announcement by theToledo Bar Association regarding the newly-established Cubbon & Associates Legal Writing Competition. Below is additional information provided by the TBA. TBA membership is not required to participate in the Competition.

Please direct all your inquiries per the the instructions in the announcement, which closes on September 10, 2024.

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By: Benjamin R. Syroka, Career Law Clerk to Judge Jack Zouhary and Mark Hanusz, Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office

Have you ever written such a great motion that you wished someone other than the judge and opposing counsel would actually see it? Wouldn’t it be nice to have your hard work and creativity recognized beyond the courtroom?

That’s exactly what the 2024 Kiroff Bench Bar Conference aims to achieve with the inaugural Cubbon & Associates Legal Writing Competition. The Competition aims to highlight exceptional legal writing from the newest members of our bar. If you’re an Ohio-licensed lawyer with less than five years of experience, this is your chance to showcase your skills.

The Competition includes both civil and criminal tracks. Eligible participants may submit any motion or brief filed in an Ohio court within five years of the submission deadline. Entries will be redacted for anonymity and reviewed by a distinguished panel of experienced attorneys, judges, and professors. Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• Novelty and Originality;

• Complexity and Relevance;

• Persuasiveness and Clarity of Argument;

• Depth and Understanding of Legal Research; and

• Writing Quality and Presentation.

The Committee understands that young attorneys may draft briefs and motions that will ultimately appear under another person’s name. And oftentimes, the writing process involves minor drafting or editing assistance from others, including supervisors, paralegals, or artificial-intelligence tools. However, we believe it’s crucial to recognize the hard work and talent of young attorneys, who often work behind the scenes without acknowledgment or accolades. Therefore, participants must simply certify that they have “substantially authored” the document—meaning that, as long as the core of the work is the participant’s own, the document is eligible for submission.

If you’re a young lawyer who has made it this far and is still reading, you may be asking: “What’s in it for me?” Several things! First, all entrants will receive complimentary access to the 2024 Toledo Bar Association Kiroff Bench Bar Conference on October 25, 2024, where the winners will be recognized. Winners will receive commemorative plaques and free unlimited-CLE TBA memberships, sponsored by Cubbon & Associates. Finalists will also be featured in the Toledo Bar Association newsletter and on the TBA website.