The International Law Section sponsors this annual essay contest as part of its commitment to provide information and guidance on international human rights issues to Texas lawyers and law students. The contest is open to any U.S. law student with a personal or essay nexus to Texas (e.g. Texas law school, Texas resident, topic addressing Texas, etc.).
A first-place prize of $1,500 will be awarded for the best entry as judged by representatives from the Section. If sufficient entries are received, second and third place prizes may also be given. The winner(s) will also be publicly recognized at a Section sponsored event. Additionally, essay(s) may be offered publication in the Section’s online newsletter, Global Law Review.
Submissions are due March 15, 2025 on or before 11:59 PM (Central Standard Time) prior to the Annual Institute and should be sent by email attachment to Diana Marin at admin@ilstexas.org. The email should have the subject header “State Bar of Texas International Law Section Writing Contest” and contain the contact information for the author(s). The contestant’s name and other identifying markings such as school name are not to be listed in the attachment.
The essay may address any aspect of international human rights law that the contestant chooses. There are no minimum or maximum word limits, and papers should be double-spaced, with twelve-point font and one-inch margins in a Microsoft Word or similar format.
The first-place winner will be required to submit a completed W-9 form prior to receiving the award and is responsible for all taxes associated with the award. The ideas and work reflected by each entry must be the author’s or author’s own. This contest is governed by U.S. law and all relevant federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. The winner will be required to submit proof of eligibility.
The Human Rights Essay Contest winners receive a $1,500 cash scholarship.
Nicholas Rashall is a recent graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law, where he focused on healthcare, international, and estate planning law. Nicholas is the recipient of the State Bar of Texas International Law Section’s 2025 Human Rights Essay Award for his paper on “Decolonization of Global Mental Health: Why Western Bias in Global Mental Health Causes the WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan to Fail.”
During law school, Nicholas actively participated in the Christian Legal Society, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, First Generation Professionals, and Aggie Bar Association, as well as studying abroad both at Universität Innsbruck in Austria and Facultad Libre de Derecho Monterrey in Mexico.
Nicholas has long been passionate about mental health advocacy, having earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Psychology from Texas A&M University (2015) and Houston Christian University (2019), respectively. For his master’s degree, Nicholas successfully defended a thesis titled Personality Traits: A Bidirectional Model of the Effects of Social Media Use on Self-Esteem.
Before attending law school, Nicholas previously worked as a staff development coordinator and substance use counselor for a state mental health clinic, a registered behavioral technician for children with autism, and an instructor teaching swimming lessons and horseback riding to children with disabilities. In his free time, Nicholas enjoys riding horses, fishing, playing music and video games, hiking, spending time with his cat, and going on adventures with his wife and son.
The State Bar of Texas International Law Section is proud to announce that Hannah Askew is this year’s winner of the Thomas H. Wilson Scholarship Award for her winning essay titled, “Russia’s Forcible Transfer and Deportation of Ukrainian Children.”
Hannah is currently a J.D. / M.B.A. candidate at SMU Dedman School of Law & Cox School of Business and will be graduating in 2026.
Originally from San Antonio, she attended UTSA for her undergraduate studies where she double majored in politics/law and psychology.
Named in honor of the late Thomas H. Wilson, a distinguished member of the Texas legal community and former chair of the International Law Section (2018-2019), this scholarship is awarded annually to deserving law students. Recipients are selected based on their submission of a compelling essay on any topic within the realm of human rights law.
“Hannah’s essay was well regarded by our judges and stood out even amongst our strongest field of submissions ever,” said Joshua Newcomer, chair of the section’s International Human Rights Committee, which oversees the scholarship program.
Summary of Hannah’s winning essay: The International Criminal Court (ICC) charged President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, his children’s rights commissioner, with war crimes for unlawfully transferring Ukrainian children to Russia since the 2022 invasion. The ICC issued arrests warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova, yet no arrests have been made and the issue is ongoing. While the warrants pressured Russia to return some children, more action is needed from national governments and international organizations to hold accountable those responsible for the children’s forced transfer and adoption. The paper outlines the routes of transfer, Russification of children, ICC’s involvement, ongoing efforts for accountability, and recommendations for action.
The State Bar of Texas International Law Section (ILS) announces that Shelby Lepley, a 2024 Juris Doctorate Candidate of SMU Dedman School of Law, took first place in its annual Human Rights Essay Contest.
Lepley’s winning essay titled, “Fighting with Food: Prosecuting The War Crime of Starvation,” was published in the 2023 Spring/Summer issue of the ILS International Newsletter and earned her a $1,500 cash prize.
Lepley was recognized at the 32nd Annual Institute held April 20, 2024 at the SMU Rowling Center for Business Law & Leadership in Dallas.
“Decolonization of Global Mental Health: Why Western Bias in Global Mental Health Causes the WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan to Fail” - St. Mary's University School of Law
“Russia’s Forcible Transfer and Deportation of Ukrainian Children” - SMU Dedman School of Law
“Fighting With Food: Prosecuting The War Crime of Starvation” - SMU Dedman School of Law
“Continuing Crimes Under the Rome Statute” - SMU Dedman School of Law
“Forced Marriage Reform in the International Criminal Law” - SMU Dedman School of Law
“Penance and Punishment: Seeking Reparations from Truth-Commissions & Trials” - SMU Dedman School of Law
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