The Ninth Circuit Civics Contest invites high school students to explore the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship through an essay competition.
Scholarship Details
- Open to high school students (grades 9-12) residing in the Ninth Circuit
- Includes students from public, private, charter, parochial, and home schools
- Children of federal judges, chambers staff, and federal court employees are not eligible
- Essay length must be between 500 and 1,000 words
- Submissions must address the prompt: “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a high school student in AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, GU, MP
- Must submit an individual essay (collaborative entries are not accepted)
Application Process
- Write an original essay or submit a video responding to the contest prompt
- Ensure the essay meets the word count and formatting requirements
- Submit the essay through the official contest submission portal before the deadline
- Essay must adhere to the word count requirement of 500-1,000 words
- Footnotes and bibliographies are not included in the word count
- Website opens for submissions the beginning of January
The Ninth Circuit Civics Contest prompt challenges you to choose one of these enduring rights -- Life, Liberty or the Pursuit of Happiness -- and tell us: (i) why this right was essential in 1776, (ii) how this right impacts you, your family or your community today; and (iii) what should we do to protect or improve this right moving forward.
