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Write a legal note on one of the application prompt choices found below. Submit it by March 20th. Email us if you have any questions on format and how to write a legal note. Follow the requirements listed on the Submission Criteria page.
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If your legal note is approved, you will become a writer for the upcoming issue of the NJLR. You will be provided with information for all future monthly submissions. If your application's legal note is found to be adequate, it will be considered for the February issue of the NJLR. If it is rejected, comments will be provided to help improve the writing to apply during the next cycle.
March 2026 Prompts
Civil Law
In the landmark 2024 case City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that local ordinances criminalizing camping on public property do not violate the Eighth Amendment's "cruel and unusual punishment" clause, even if no shelter beds are available. Some legal scholars argue this decision shifts the responsibility of managing homelessness from federal oversight to local police power. How does this ruling distinguish between criminalizing "status" (being homeless) versus "conduct" (sleeping outside)? Discuss the civil liability implications for cities that enforce these bans without providing alternative housing
International Law
On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a historic unanimous advisory opinion declaring that states have binding legal obligations under international law to protect the climate system for present and future generations. The Court ruled that failure to align national conduct with the 1.5°C temperature goal could constitute an internationally wrongful act. Analyze how this opinion transforms "soft law" agreements like the Paris Agreement into enforceable obligations. What are the potential consequences for major emitters if they continue to subsidize fossil fuels in defiance of this ruling?
Environmental Law
In the March 2025 decision City and County of San Francisco v. EPA, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the EPA’s power to include "end-result" requirements in wastewater discharge permits. The Court held that the Clean Water Act requires regulators to provide specific, quantifiable steps for compliance rather than broad "narrative" prohibitions against causing pollution. Discuss how this ruling affects the enforceability of existing permits across the United States. Does this "righting" of the Act's implementation create a regulatory gap that places an undue burden on state agencies to prevent water quality degradation?