Andrew Boone Takes Top Spot in Sixth Annual Ultimate Writer Competition at Baylor Law
Andrew Boone has won first place in Baylor Law’s annual The Ultimate Writer legal writing competition, drafting the best legal document out of several competitors. For his efforts, he was awarded an $8,000 cash prize thanks to the generous underwriting of the Charles and Lisa Frazier Endowed Fund for Excellence in Writing and the law firm of Durham, Pittard & Spalding LLP.
WACO -
Baylor Law is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Ultimate Writer Competition. The first-place winner is Andrew Boone, the second-place winner is Maximilian Atchity, and Riley Zoch and Rachel Rickel tied for third place. Honorable mentions were received by Elias Bejany and Katie Thedford.
This year’s case file was ripped from the headlines and focused on a legal question of the digital age with which the courts are still grappling.
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides a general grant of immunity for the content of information posted on the internet. But there is an exception to that general grant of immunity. The Act does not immunize “intellectual property claims”. The problem for the competitors this year involved a Youth Pastor whose picture appeared in a Dating Site advertisement without his consent. He wants to sue for the unauthorized appropriation of his image, likeness, or identity. Texas has consistently recognized this claim. But, is it the kind of “intellectual property claim” that the Communication Decency Act permits? The competitors were asked to write a memo to support the internet company’s publication of the advertisement – arguing that the company was immune under Section 230.
The 2022 Ultimate Writers at Baylor Law, L-R, Dean Brad Toben, Charlie Frazier, Riley Zoch, Andrew Boone, Max Atchity, Rachel Rickel, and Kirk Pittard
“It was fun to create a problem that is the subject of conflicting decisions in the courts, and to see how our students were able to create persuasive, concise legal arguments under an incredibly tight deadline,” stated Senior Lecturer Greg White, who created the issue in question for this year’s competition. He added, "Not only are the amounts of the cash prizes for winners unique among legal writing competitions, but The Ultimate Writer also employs real-world problems based on the kind of work an associate attorney might be tasked to undertake in a law firm. This is one more example of the practical training Baylor Law provides its students."
“I’ve done writing competitions in the past, but in quite a different context,” noted the 2022 Ultimate Writer, Andrew Boone who hopes to clerk for a judge after graduation, perhaps becoming a judge himself one day. “This competition was tough. It was a challenging case that dealt with an area of the law that I hadn’t studied yet. I’m so humbled by this award.”
Competition Sponsors Charlie Frazier (L) and Kirk Pittard (R)
with the 2022 Ultimate Writer, Andrew Boone
Charlie (BA '82, JD '86) and Lisa Frazier (BS '83) have graciously underwritten the competition since its inception. “Legal writing permeates every area of the practice of law, and that is why it is so important for competitions like The Ultimate Writer to exist,” noted Frazier after the 2022 winners had been announced. He added, "Over the years that I have been judging this competition, the writing has always been very good. But I have seen a steady increase in the writing quality in the submissions, and this year I saw even better writing than before. That is a testament to [Baylor Law’s Legal Writing Team]."
Charlie Frazier and Kirk L. Pittard served as judges for the competition.
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Established in 1857, Baylor University School of Law was one of the first law schools in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. Today, the school has more than 7,600 living alumni. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Baylor Law has a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. The Law School boasts two governors, members or former members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, two former directors of the FBI, U.S. ambassadors, federal judges, justices of the Texas Supreme Court and members of the Texas Legislature, among its notable alumni. In its law specialties rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Baylor Law’s trial advocacy program as one of the top 5 in the nation. Baylor Law is also ranked in the top 50 in the magazine’s 2019 edition of "America’s Best Graduate Schools." The National Jurist ranks Baylor Law as one of the "Best School for Practical Training," and in the top 15 "Best Law School Facilities" in the country. The Business Insider places Baylor Law among the top 50 law schools in the nation. Baylor Law received the 2015 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, making it only the third law school in the nation to be honored with the award since the award's inception in 1984. Learn more at baylor.edu/law
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more at baylor.edu
