The ACTEC Foundation Announces Mary Moers Wenig 2020 Student Writing Competition Winners

The below material is from an ACTEC Foundation press release:

Washington, DC, Sept. 24, 2020 --The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Foundation today announced the 2020 winners of the Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition. Five students were selected among 14 entries received and reviewed by a panel of judges appointed by the Legal Education Committee of the College. The ACTEC Foundation supports the annual legal writing competition to encourage law students to create scholarly works in the area of trusts and estates. The first place winner receives a full tuition scholarship to the Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning at the University of Miami School of Law for either the 2020-2021 or 2021-2022 academic year, a $5,000 cash award and will have their work published in the ACTEC Law Journal. Candidates must apply and be admitted as full-time students to be considered for the scholarship. The second place winner receives a $3,000 cash award, online publication — featuring their work on ACTEC Foundation’s website —and possible publication in the ACTEC Law Journal. The Competition’s third place recipient is awarded $1,000, online publication on ACTEC Foundation’s website and possible publication of their work in the ACTEC Law Journal. Honorable mentions usually receive a $500 cash award. The ACTEC Foundation has awarded more than $142,000 to the competition over 15 years. First place winner Jack Spencer, who received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2020, graduating cum laude, said, “It is a great honor to win the 2020 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition. I enjoyed researching and writing about partnership interest situs determination and hope to continue exploring this topic while working as an Associate in Dechert LLP's Private Client Group in Philadelphia, PA. I am grateful to the excellent faculty and research librarians at Georgetown University Law Center who helped navigate this area of the law and to The ACTEC Foundation for their generosity and continuous support for law students interested in the field of trusts and estates.” The 2020 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition Winners are: First Place: James (Jack) Spencer — Georgetown University Law Center “An Alternate Approach to Situs Determination for Partnership Interests” Second Place: Linda Nelte— University of San Diego School of Law  “Advancement and Ademption by Satisfaction: An Empirical Study of Parental Intent” Honorable Mention: Michelle Huggins King — Georgetown University Law Center “When Opportunity Funds an Estate: Issues Presented in Estate Planning by an Interest in a Qualified Opportunity Fund Passing Due to an Investor’s Death Prior to December 31, 2026 or an Inclusion Event and a Comparison of Planning Vehicles to Alleviate Tax Burdens to Beneficiaries” Honorable Mention: Drake Frikken and Nabeal Sunna — Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University “Unjust Enrichment - Another Unfortunate Effect of Suicide in the United States?” The Mary Moers Wenig Writing Competition is now accepting submissions for 2021. The contest deadline is June 30, 2021. For details, visit https://actecfoundation.org/resources-for-law-students/law-student-writing-competition/. About the ACTEC Foundation:  The ACTEC Foundation is the philanthropic arm of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel or ACTEC. The Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) that offers education to families and professionals and supports students interested in the trust and estate area of the law. Through continued financial support, The ACTEC Foundation offers professional development, scholarships and education for a number of important efforts, including legal education, educational support, public initiatives, legal publications and the student editorial board. About the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): Established in 1949, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) is a national, nonprofit association of approximately 2,500 lawyers and law professors from throughout the United States and abroad. ACTEC members (Fellows) are peer-elected on the basis of professional reputation and expertise in the preparation of wills and trusts, estate planning, probate, trust administration and related practice areas. The College’s mission includes the improvement and reform of probate, trust and tax laws and procedures and professional practice standards. ACTEC frequently offers technical comments with regard to legislation and regulations but does not take positions on matters of policy or political objectives.