Esteemed Judging Panel Features Legal Experts, Journalists, and Educators; Contest to Award $5,000 in Cash Prizes
WASHINGTON — Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), in partnership with Tidal Water Consulting, today announced the launch of the Rights in Reel Time Challenge, a new national competition inviting law students to explain core constitutional rights through short, compelling videos.
Now open for entries, the contest calls on students to create 60–90 second videos that make civil liberties protected by the Bill of Rights—especially the First and Fourth Amendments—clear, engaging, and relevant to life in modern America. Submissions are due by January 5, 2026, with winners announced in late January.
Law students can enter and view full rules at: L4GG.org/ReelTime
Designed as a national, nonpartisan effort to strengthen public understanding of the Constitution, the Challenge encourages students to blend accuracy, creativity, and storytelling. Entries may be dramatic, humorous, informative, or stylistically experimental, so long as they are factually correct, accessible to the public, and grounded in sound legal analysis. The competition is open to all students currently enrolled in an accredited U.S. law school, including teams of up to three.
“Law students are often the clearest translators of the Constitution,” said Traci Feit Love, Executive Director of Lawyers for Good Government. “This contest gives them a national platform to teach, to inspire, and to strengthen public understanding of the rule of law at a moment when it’s urgently needed.”
A distinguished panel of legal experts, journalists, and educators will evaluate entries through a blind review process. Judges include:
Dahlia Lithwick – Senior Editor at Slate, Supreme Court correspondent, MSNBC legal analyst, and New York Times bestselling author of Lady Justice
Lisa Graves – Executive Director of True North Research; former Deputy Assistant Attorney General; host of Grave Injustice
Allison Gill – Host of award-winning podcasts Mueller, She Wrote and The Daily Beans; co-founder of All Rise News
Adam Klasfeld – Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of All Rise News; known for gavel-to-gavel courtroom reporting
Rachel Cohen – Harvard Law graduate, former Skadden attorney, and civil rights advocate who organized law firm associates against authoritarianism
Hadiyah Cummings – Yale Law graduate, civil rights attorney, and founder of LawyHer, advancing women of color in the legal profession
Katherine Stewart – Investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author focused on religious nationalism and democracy
Alicia Luncheon – Georgia criminal defense attorney with a major social media presence, known for breaking down complex legal issues for broad audiences
Judges will score entries on constitutional grounding, factual accuracy, educational clarity, creativity, and overall quality. Cash prizes of $3,000, $1,250, and $750 will be awarded to the top three videos, and finalists may also be featured across L4GG’s national platforms, reaching over 125,000 lawyers, students, and advocates.
“As citizens across the U.S. experience a surge of interest—and confusion—around fundamental protections in the Constitution, the Rights in Reel Time Challenge aims to meet this moment by empowering law students to be civic educators,” said Sterling Howard, VP of Development & Engagement at L4GG. “The rule of law depends on an informed public, and short-form video is now one of the clearest, most accessible tools for expanding public understanding of the rights they rely on every day.”
The Rights in Reel Time Challenge is co-sponsored by leading advocacy and democracy organizations, including Alliance for Justice, the American Constitution Society, and the Task Force for American Democracy.
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Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) is a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of 125,000 lawyers, law students, and advocates in the fight for justice. We identify where lawyers can make the greatest impact and mobilize them to defend democracy and the rule of law, protect civil and human rights, and advance environmental justice through coordinated legal action and advocacy efforts that create meaningful change for all Americans.
Tidal Water Consulting strengthens community through Restorative Justice practices and development of civic engagement programs and curricula.
The Task Force for American Democracy is a nonprofit organization created to help halt our nation’s dangerous slide toward authoritarianism. We work to activate America’s lawyers and bar associations to fulfill their oath to uphold the Constitution and defend the rule of law, freedom of the press, and democratic norms—in the courtroom and in their communities—so that everyone plays by the same rules.
Alliance for Justice (AFJ) stands as the premier nonprofit organization committed to fortifying the progressive movement through its unwavering focus on federal and state courts and building power by providing unique resources to maximize nonprofits’ advocacy capacity. With a membership of over 135 partner organizations, AFJ represents a diverse and powerful array of groups united in their dedication to progressive values and the transformative goal of reshaping the judiciary for the betterment of all. The recent election has only underscored the critical nature of AFJ’s mission, highlighting the urgent need for a fair and impartial court system and progressive nonprofit sector that upholds the rights and freedoms of all Americans.
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) is the nation’s foremost progressive legal organization, with a diverse nationwide network that includes nearly 250 student and lawyer chapters, and progressive lawyers, students, judges, scholars, elected officials, and advocates. Our mission is to support and advocate for laws and legal systems that redress the founding failures of our Constitution, strengthen our democratic legitimacy, uphold the rule of law, and realize the promise of equality for all, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and other historically excluded communities.