Dear Educators, Students, Parents, Fans of American Civics, and Aspiring Filmmakers,

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association are sponsoring their inaugural Law Day Youth Civics Contest.

Law Day is celebrated on May 1st each year and celebrates the role of law in our society and aims to foster greater understanding of the legal profession. To celebrate Law Day, students enrolled in 6th-12th grades are invited to submit a video recording which answers the question: Why are the courts important?

Submissions: Videos will be accepted Monday, March 1, 2021 through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Winners will be announced the week of April 26, 2021.
Video entries and entry forms must be submitted here. The entry form can be downloaded here.

Who may enter: The video contest is open to all students who reside in the Northern District of Illinois and are currently in grades 6th through 12th.

Length and format: Videos may not exceed two minutes and must be the original work of the student/students. Group entries are permitted, but if selected as a winning entry, only one prize will be awarded to the group. All members of the group must be in the same grade level cohort (6th 8th or 9th 12th), and each member must submit an entry form.

Awards: A first ($500), second ($250), and third ($100) place winner will be awarded from each grade level cohort (6th-8th grade, 9th-12th grade). The teacher or organization leader (i.e. scout leader or club advisor) who referred winning students to the contest will receive a $50 Target gift card for classroom or club materials.

Judging: Entries will be judged on how they demonstrate an understanding of constitutional principles, clarity and effectiveness in expressing the theme, and originality/creativity.

Eligibility: Missing the submission deadline, providing false or incomplete entry information, not residing within the district are grounds for disqualification. All entries must be the original work of the student(s). Entries by children, step-children, grandchildren, siblings of employees of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois will not be considered.
The Northern District of Illinois includes the following counties: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, La Salle, Will, Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago.

Contest entries may be posted on court websites and materials, in the court history museum, and shared with outside organizations.

For questions, please contact education@ilnd.uscourts.gov