“I am deeply interested in the stories of courageous women in the Middle East and North Africa fighting against oppressive governments in the Arab Spring while seeking liberty, equality and justice,” explains Justine Eldridge, a second year TJSL student who recently was notified that she won third place in a State Bar writing competition
The International Law Section of The State Bar of California holds an annual Law Student Writing Competition. Students submit a scholarly article on the topic of their choice and compete for a cash prize.
This year there were 28 entries for the Fifth Annual International Law Section Student Writing Competition. After careful deliberation, the Executive Committee selected the top three submissions. Justine Eldridge was selected as this year’s Third Place Winner with her article “Lessons from the Arab Spring of 2011 for the Development of an Iranian Feminist Movement in the Future.” Ms. Eldridge is a second-year law student at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Third Prize consists of submission of her paper for publication to The California International Law Journal and $250.00.
Papers were judged based on the following criteria: Complexity of topic; relevancy to one or more areas of International law; timeliness of topic to current developments in International law; originality, quality of writing and compliance with contest rules.
“In the paper, I explored the roots and trajectory of the Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa and whether that momentum could translate into a feminist movement in Iran,” said Eldridge. “The paper explored the history of feminist movements in Iran through distinctly Iranian literary works, and provided an international legal framework through which human rights violations in Iran could be remedied.”
Eldridge says she is especially proud of this quote from her paper: “If the women of Iran can harness the strength given to them by their friends, allies, and counterparts across borders, the fire of the Arab Spring can ignite a women’s movement in Iran.”
