Fifty years ago, on March 22, 1972, Congress sent the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the states for ratification, but only 35 of the 38 required states voted to ratify by the deadline.
Is the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause sufficient to secure the rights of all citizens, or is the ERA necessary to promote gender equality?
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is pleased to announce the winners of its 2022 High School Essay Contest.
First Place--$2,000 Award: Mira Kisslinger, a recent graduate of Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda, Maryland.
Read the First Place Essay
Second Place--$1,500 Award: Ada Farmer, a rising Junior at R.J. Reynolds High School, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Read the Second Place Essay
Third Place--$1,000 Award: Lochlan Downard, a rising junior at R.J. Reynolds High School, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Read the Third Place Essay
The contest, which ran from February 8, 2022, to June 15, 2022, was open to current 9th through 12th graders in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The court received excellent essays from students in all five states.
Students were invited to consider and share their thoughts on the question: "Is the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause sufficient to secure the rights of all citizens, or is the ERA necessary to promote gender equality?
The winning essays will be read during a virtual Constitution Day program scheduled for September 14, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.
The court extends its appreciation to its distinguished panel of judges for their work in reviewing the essays and selecting the top three submissions:
- Wallace K. Lightsey, J.D., Attorney, Greenville, South Carolina.
- Tara Casey, J.D., Professor of Law and Director, Carrico Center for Pro Bono & Public Service, University of Richmond School of Law.
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Alexandra Villarreal O’Rourke, J.D., Attorney, Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Marilyn Ogburn, J.D,, Attorney, Baltimore, Maryland.
- Gabriele Wohl, J.D., Attorney, Charleston, West Virginia.
For more information about the contest, visit https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/information-for/educational-outreach