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Write a legal note on one of the application prompt choices found below. Submit it by February 21st. 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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Fill out the application form below. This form will contain a few questions and a section to submit your application legal note in PDF form.
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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.
February 2026 Prompts
Criminal Law
Under previous legislation, anyone between the ages of 7-18 in the state of New York could be charged as a juvenile delinquent. New York has raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 7 to 12. What are the potential legal consequences of raising the age of criminal responsibility? How might this decision reflect the national push to reform juvenile criminal laws?
Cyber Law
On January 19, 2025, TikTok faced a nationwide ban due to concerns over data privacy and Chinese government influence. Could a federal ban on a social media application be considered a violation of the First Amendment's guarantee to Free Speech, as well as the Due Process Clause found in both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments? How might courts evaluate national security rationale against constitutional rights?
Environmental Law
In 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the scope of environmental reviews mandated under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for major infrastructure projects, emphasizing the need for efficiency rather than exhaustive environmental assessments. Was the removal of the NEPA's implementing regulations a wise decision to make?