About the Award
The Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance Section (“SAGDA”) Article Competition aims to provide law students in Ontario with an opportunity to develop their profile within the legal community, connect with members of the Ontario Bar Association (“OBA”) and Canadian Bar Association (“CBA”) who share similar legal interests, and hone their research and/ or writing skills. Clear and effective writing is the cornerstone of an exceptional lawyer and a vital area of education for aspiring legal advocates. The internet provides legal professionals with a powerful medium of communication. A published article on SAGDA’s website is an excellent way for law students to begin participating in a broader legal discourse with their peers on issues relevant to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity law.
-
remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline
Criteria for Article Submissions
- Article entries should address a contemporary issue, either in the practice of law or in substantive law (i.e. jurisprudence), relevant to the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Submissions may advocate a position, educate the reader, or analyze one or more cases or legislation. The decision as to whether a particular essay qualifies as relevant subject matter is entirely within the discretion of the SAGDA executive committee.
- Entrants are limited to one article submission.
- The article submitted must be the entrant’s sole, original, work.
- A co-authored article by no more than two students is acceptable provided the paper submitted is the original work of the co-authors.
- The article submitted must not have been previously published.
- Articles must be between 1,100 and 1500 words, excluding references. All articles must have a headline. Additionally, references to authorities should be included in the body of the article. Footnotes will not be accepted.
- Articles should be submitted in Microsoft Word format, in size 12 Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
-
remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline
Eligibility
The competition is open to students currently enrolled in an Ontario Law School.
-
remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline
Judging & Criteria
- Article submissions will be judged by a committee of select members of the SOGIC Executive.
- Two winners will be selected for publication.
- Articles will be judged on the following measures:
- Composition, structure and style: Is the article easy to read, clearly written, and logically organized? Do the ideas and paragraphs flow smoothly?
- Originality: Does the article demonstrate original and critical thought about the issue being discussed?
- Engagement: Is the headline compelling and does the content of the article engage the reader?
- The committee is at liberty not to award in the case of too few submissions and/ or where submissions do not meet the requisite standard of quality for publication. Here are some Tips for Writing an Effective Article.
-
remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline
Publication and Prizes
Publication
- Prize-winning articles will be published on the SOGIC Section Website and the OBA’s JUST. Magazine, together with a profile and photograph of the student author. All articles will be published in accordance with the OBA Section Editors Guidelines.
- In addition, the winning articles may be shared across other OBA properties, e.g. JUST. magazine, other OBA Sections, the MyCBA Dashboard, OBA social media, and OBA emails.
- Upon publication, articles will be accessible to the public for three months, after which full access is restricted to Section members only. Non-members will still be able to view a list of articles posted, along with a brief descriptive blurb for each, and may request access to the article in its entirety from the OBA.
Prizes
- The winner will also receive a certificate and complimentary admission to an OBA half-day CPD event.
-
remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline
Topics
Articles may be on any legal topic that a student feels is relevant to the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Suggested topics include:
- Jordan Peterson v College of Psychologists of Ontario - how do professional obligations and hate speech interact? What are the powers of regulatory colleges regarding their members?
- International attacks on 2SLGBTQ+ rights - what can international law do? How does international law and Canadian law intersect?
- UR Pride Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity v. Government of Saskatchewan et al. - what are the legal rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people, and how to preserve those rights under the Canadian constitution?
- Future areas of concern for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals - where should lawyers be looking next?
- Section 15 - how it works and why it matters for 2SLGBTQ+ students
- Access 2 Justice Issues and Transgender/Gender Non Conforming people, a framework for removing barriers to access.
- Access 2 Justice Issues for 2SLGBTQ+: how these issues change for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals living at the intersections of other margins such as disability and race.
