Maine students in grades 4-12 are invited to submit entries for this year’s Law Day contests sponsored by the Maine State Bar Association. This year’s theme is “Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change.”

Students in grades 4-8 may participate in the art poster contest and students in grades 9-12 may participate in the essay contest.

This year’s theme considers the Constitution as a dynamic document; one that not only outlines a blueprint for government, but also delegates power, articulates rights, and offers mechanisms for change. It is neither perfect, nor exhaustive, as our nation’s history makes clear. Contemporary leaders and everyday citizens today raise their voices as loud as ever to fulfill the promise of the Constitution. Defining and refining those words of the Constitution might be our oldest national tradition, and how each of us works—together—toward a more perfect Union. Entries should reflect the student’s interpretation of the 2022 Law Day theme by responding to the following prompt: What role does the Constitution play in times of change?

The art poster contest has cash prizes of $75 each for the first-place student and teacher and $50 each for the second-place student and teacher in two grade categories: 4-5 and 6-8. The essay contest has a $100 first-place cash prize for both the student and teacher and a $75 second-place cash prize for both the student and teacher. Winning essays and posters will be published online and in the Maine Bar Journal. The entry deadline is April 1, at 5 p.m.

Law Day was established in 1958 by President Dwight Eisenhower to mark the nation’s commitment to the rule of law. For more information about Law Day or to download the Law Day contest brochures, visit www.mainebar.org > For the Public > Law Day or go to: https://www.mainebar.org/page/lawday.