Megan Hauptman ’21 Named Runner-Up in ACS Writing Competition

Megan Hauptman ’21 has been named as a runner-up in the Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition. The competition is hosted by the American Constitution Society (ACS) as well as the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s ACS student chapter.

The competition honors Constance Baker Motley’s legacy. Motley was the first woman elected as president of the borough of Manhattan and the first African American woman appointed to the federal bench, as well as a New Haven native

Hauptman was selected as a runner-up for her paper, “Release as Remedy: The Availability of Habeas Corpus for Conditions-of-Confinement Challenges.” As a runner-up, Hauptman will receive a monetary award. She will also be recognized at the ACS’s 2021 Virtual National Convention, which will be online as a result of the pandemic. Registration and schedule information for the convention may be accessed through the 2021 Virtual National Convention website.

Dozens of law students entered the competition from across the country. A panel of judges selected one winner and two runners-up out of seven finalists.  

In addition to Hauptman, Danny Li ’22 was selected as a finalist for his paper, “The First Amendment Weaponized: When Guns Become Public Discourse.”

Through a diverse nationwide network of progressive lawyers, law students, judges, scholars, and many others, the ACS works to uphold the Constitution in the 21st century by ensuring that law is a force for protecting democracy and the public interest and for improving people’s lives.