CONVENTION COMPETITION
The SRBLSA “Black Letter, Black Legacy” video and flyer competition will celebrate how SRBLSA BLSA region chapters are writing the next page in their communities and legal education. The competition is an opportunity to showcase your chapter’s advocacy, scholarship, events, alumni impact, and innovative efforts to advance equity and justice. Submissions will be featured at the 2026 Convention in Birmingham, Alabama to showcase the collective legacy of our chapters.
ELIGIBILITY AND THEME
Eligibility:
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Open to all SRBLSA chapters and pre-law chapters.
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Chapters may only submit one entry per school.
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Entries must be a flyer, a video, or both.
Theme: “Black Letter, Black Legacy: Writing the Next Page”
VIDEO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND JUDGING
Your video should be at least 1 minute and no longer than 3 minutes, and it must capture the theme of Black Letter, Black Legacy. Creativity is encouraged and not limited, your chapter can take any approach. It could be a sit-down discussion with members, feature alumni, a mini-documentary, or any other unique format that embodies the theme.
Judging Criteria:
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Storytelling & Relevance to Theme – 40%
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How well the video captures and conveys the meaning of Black Letter, Black Legacy.
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Creativity & Originality – 30%
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The uniqueness of the concept, presentation, and approach.
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Visual & Technical Quality – 20%
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Overall polish, editing, and production value (doesn’t require professional equipment, just clarity and effort).
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Clarity – 10%
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How easy it is to understand and follow the message.
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Audience Engagement
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The number of likes the video receives on Instagram from other chapters and viewers will be factored into the final score.
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Theme: “Black Letter, Black Legacy: Writing the Next Page”
Submissions Ideas (free to use and make your own):
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From Black Letter Law to Black Legacy
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Show the transition from the traditional meaning to the cultural meaning
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Case Brief, But Make it Black Legacy
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Parallel the structure of a case brief with moment in Black History
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Law Library v. Culture Library
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The balance of studying black letter law and the Black cultural legacy
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If Black Letter Law Had a Hype Team
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Turn the seriousness of the legal doctrine into celebrated and alive
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Black Letter Law: Then & Now
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Contrast how black letter law has historically excluded or limited Black voices to how Black legacy has reshaped
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The Syllabus v. The Legacy
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What’s written in the syllabi with the unwritten legacy
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What if Black Letter Law Was A Person
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Personify the doctrine
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Chain of Legacy
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Demonstrate the idea of continuity
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Examples of Editing Styles:
You are in no way shape or form limited to how you choose to edit your video. However, here are a few ideas of the path you can take if you need inspiration.
Tips for Mini Documentaries:
You are not limited to these structures, these videos serve as guidance and inspiration.
FLYER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND JUDGING
The flyer must be an original digital design submitted in JPEG or PNG format. It is recommended that submissions follow the standard flyer size of 8.5 x 11 inches with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Chapters are encouraged to interpret the theme Black Letter, Black Legacy in their own way, creatively blending elements of legal tradition and cultural pride
Judging Criteria:
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Storytelling & Relevance to Theme – 40%
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We want to see how well your flyer conveys the meaning of Black Letter, Black Letter
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Imagery, symbolism, layout
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Creativity & Originality – 30%
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Fresh and innovative
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Think beyond the standard law school aesthetic, use bold visuals, cultural references, unique concepts
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Visual & Technical Quality – 20%
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Clean, polished, and professional
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Balanced layouts, clear fonts, thoughtful use of color
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Clarity – 10%
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Your flyer should be easy to understand at first glance
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In addition, audience engagement will count! The number of likes the video receives on Instagram from other chapters and viewers will be factored into the final score
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Submission Deadline:
Entries are due October 16, 2025.
Early submissions are encouraged. Winners will be announced October 25, 2025. One overall winner will be selected for best video and best flyer. A special award will also be given for the submission (flyer or video) that best captures the spirit of the theme “Black Letter, Black Legacy.” Judges’ scores will be combined to create a total out of 100. If a tie occurs, judges will deliberate and select the entry that most strongly embodies the theme.
Rights & Usage:
By submitting, chapters grant SRBLSA the right to use entries for convention programming, social media and promotional purposes
Submissions must be original content; plagiarism will result in disqualification
Showcase at Convention:
All submissions will be featured at the 2026 Convention.
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Videos may be merged into a single showcase reel or played individually during meals, breaks, or events.
Chapters may submit their entries via a dedicated submission form/folder (recommended) or by email. Email submissions should be sent to srblsa.convention@nblsa.org cc’ing southern@nblsa.org and srblsa.conventionii@nblsa.org with the subject line: “SRBLSA 2026 Flyer Competition.”