Austin Bar Celebrates 2023 Law Day Contest Winners

Two of the winners in the State Bar of Texas’s 2023 Law Day contests were submitted by the Austin Bar Association.

The Austin Bar previously held its own Law Day contests on March 24, and subsequently submitted its first-place winners to the State Bar’s contest.

The theme of the contests was the American Bar Association’s theme for Law Day 2023: “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.”

The students were asked to explain or depict how civics, civility, and collaboration could help society improve public discourse and inspire greater understanding of the Constitution and American government.

The first-place winner of the Austin Bar’s photography contest was Skylar Hawn, a senior at Akins High School, with his piece, “We the People, Hand in Hand.”

Skylar Hawn, a senior at Akins High School, won first place in the Austin Bar’s poster contest and third place in the State Bar’s contest with his piece, “We the People, Hand in Hand.”

Skylar won third place in the State Bar’s photography contest.

The first-place winner of the Austin Bar’s poster contest was Luke Hoffman, a fourth grader at Highland Park Elementary School, with his poster, “Missing Pieces.”

Luke Hoffman, a fourth grader at Highland Park Elementary, won first place in the Austin Bar’s poster contest and third place in the State Bar’s contest with this entry, titled “Missing Pieces.”

Luke won third place in the State Bar’s poster contest.

Lukas Cardenas, a senior at Akins High School, won first place in the Austin Bar’s essay contest with his essay, “The Marble and the Sculptors” featured on the facing page.

Armin Salek, co-chair of the Austin Bar’s Law-Related Education Committee, presented the awards to the students.

In addition to participating in the contests, Austin-area students also toured The University of Texas School of Law.

After the winners received their prizes, Judge Karin Crump shared her journey from aspiring first-generation lawyer to the bench.

The students then toured the campus en route to a networking lunch with members of the local judiciary, including Hon. Jan Soifer, 345th Judicial District Court; Hon. Jessica Mangrum, 200th Judicial District Court; Hon. Selena Alvarenga, 460th Judicial District Court; Hon. Bianca Garcia, County Court at Law #3; Hon. Raul Gonzalez, Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4; and Hon. Judge Karin Crump, 250th Judicial District Court.

After lunch, students participated in an advocacy lesson taught by The University of Texas Board of Advocates, which was followed by a keynote presentation from Samantha McCoy, who discussed her work advocating for survivors of violence at the state, federal, and international levels.

To make sure the students left knowing there was support if they were interested in pursuing legal careers, AccessLex and the Youth Justice Alliance shared financial resources, scholarship opportunities, and a program to help them find their dream law school.

Lukas Cardenas won the Austin Bar Association’s 2023 Law Day Essay contest with this submission.

The Marble and the Sculptor

BY LUKAS CARDENAS, AKINS HIGH SCHOOL

The human condition is wrought with the endless struggle to pursue one’s desires. Each day, we are faced with the battle between what we want, and what is right. Some days, we find ourselves selfish, recklessly deciding what we want is most important. Others, we find ourselves selfless, devoted to the betterment of ourselves, our loved ones, and humanity. As we ponder the end of our struggle, we are forced to wonder what will define us when all is said and done. Is it the days we were selfless? The days we were selfish? Or is it our will to be the former, our unrelenting determination to keep trying?

In America, we find ourselves locked in a parallel struggle between the desires of the few and the betterment of the many. What defines us as a country will not be the sum of the decisions we make, but of the collaboration that we have shown in pursuit of them. Civility is the way our democracy prospers, and through open discussion, justice, and respect, our country will continue to prosper.

Our founders warned against the gridlocks that we find ourselves in today. George Washington said that although political parties may serve the result we desire for a short period, they will inevitably become tools by which “unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

Despite the misgivings of Washington and others, we subjected ourselves to what they predicted would make way for injustice. How, then, can we prevent such injustice? The only way is to acknowledge it. Discourse is the best way—the only way—to learn from

others. In our country, there is a stark and serious discrepancy between those of us who know our Constitution and the government, and those who do not. Those who do run the country, making and enforcing laws the way they see fit, whether that be according to their self-interest or not. The truth is, the majority of the country may never know the difference.

We fix the problems in our country by collaborating on them. Lack of education in America of its systems has caused a chronic gap in understanding by its people. When we put aside our personal desires in favor of the betterment of the whole, we devote ourselves to civility, we reach true discourse, followed by full political participation.

We cannot expect our population to meet our expectations of democracy if we cannot also educate them on its workings. We must encourage debate in our political systems, not halt it when it doesn’t fit our own ideals. We will not be judged by our bad and good days combined; we will be judged by our commitment to prosper by what is right.

Let us be remembered as the nation that ended its people’s ignorance of its politics, not the nation that took advantage of it. AL