Speakers
TAF Coalition Conference
Something something
Taxpayers Against Fraud is sponsoring a national writing competition that will recognize a law review article written in support of whistleblower laws and programs that expose fraud on the government and the financial markets. These include the federal and state False Claims Acts, and the Internal Revenue Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission whistleblower programs. The author of the winning article will receive a $5,000 cash award.
Competition Rules & Guidelines
The Award
The author of the article selected will receive a cash award in the amount of $5,000. The winner of the award will be announced at TAF’s annual conference, held in October 2022. The winner will be invited to make a presentation, based on his/her article, at this conference. The winning article will also be posted on TAF’s website and it, or portions of it, may be used to support TAF’s educational initiatives.
Questions and requests for clarification should be directed to TAFEF Director of Legal Education Jackie DeMar at [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I submitted an article to my law review on one of the topics included in this competition. It was accepted for publication while I was a student, but appeared after I graduated. Can I still submit it for consideration?
A: YES. The article you submit for consideration in this competition must have been accepted for publication or actually appeared in the law review while you were enrolled in law school. If it appeared after you graduated, it is still eligible for consideration.
Q: There is more than one author on an article we would like to submit for consideration. Is this permissible?
A: YES, but every author must complete the competition application and certifications. Submissions by only one of the listed authors will not be considered. The cash award will be divided equally among all listed authors.
Q: My law review publishes articles of interest from people who are not students. Are these articles eligible for consideration?
A: NO. The article submitted for consideration must have been written by a student enrolled in law school at the time the article appeared or was accepted for publication.
Q: I did not write an article addressing one of the topics covered by the competition, but I did write a case note. Can I submit a case note for consideration?
A: YES. Case notes spotlight important developments in the law. We encourage students to dissect emerging relevant legal issues through case notes.
Q: My law school publishes a law review and I wrote a relevant article that was accepted for publication. However, my law school is not ABA-accredited. Can I submit the article for consideration?
A: NO. This competition is open only to students enrolled in ABA-accredited law schools.
Q: Are there parameters involving length, format or citation for the articles submitted?
A: NO. If your article adheres to the standards established for publication by an ABA-accredited law school’s law review or journal, it is eligible for consideration.
Q: My article does not directly address one of the statutes or programs listed in the competition’s announcement. However, it does address issues involving the rights of whistleblowers, the protections afforded to them and the importance of programs or initiatives that prevent fraud against the government. Can I submit this article for consideration?
A: YES. One of the purposes of this competition is to develop a platform for the legal community to consider ways it can further anti-fraud and whistleblower protection initiatives and programs. Articles that suggest new ways to do that will be considered.
