Two ND Law students win top prizes in annual religious liberty writing contest

Third-year law students David Spicer and Timothy Bradley won first and second place, respectively, in the Tenth Annual Religious Liberty Student Writing Competition. The competition is sponsored by the BYU Reuben Clark Law Society and the International Center of Law and Religion Studies.

The purpose of the contest is to promote legal and academic studies in the field of religious liberty by law students and students pursuing related graduate studies.

Spicer’s paper was titled “A Compromise Forsaking Religious Freedom?: Reconciling Relations Between the Holy See and China,” and Bradley’s paper was titled “Religious Liberty, Same-Sex Marriage, and Antidiscrimination Law.”

"I'm grateful to be at an institution where important issues such as religious liberty are not avoided or ignored, given the controversy that often accompanies them, but embraced and discussed openly by students and faculty alike," Spicer said. "I truly believe that Notre Dame’s identity as a — if not the — preeminent Catholic university provides a unique value and opportunities that most other schools lack. While I personally have a vested interest in religious freedom, I think that sort of environment is invaluable for anyone, whatever their own interests may be."

Awards were presented on October 10 at the Religious Liberty Award Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Originally published by Denise Wager at churchstate.nd.edu on October 17, 2019.