2023 Law Day Contest Winners
HBA Law Week Committee Chairs: Michele Oncken, Chris DeMeo, and Erica Windsor
Theme: Cornerstone of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration
Essay Contest"Discourse Drives Democracy" 1st – Nicholas Nguyen, DeBakey High School (Houston ISD)*Also took 1st Place in statewide contest |
Photography Contest
1st – Luis Gomez, Carver High School (Aldine ISD) *Also took 1st Place in statewide contest |
Poster Contest (K-2nd Grade)
1st – Wren Schumacher, Hayes Elementary School (Katy ISD) *Also took 3rd Place in statewide contest |
Poster Contest (3rd-5th Grade)
1st – Emree Blackwell, Hayes Elementary School (Katy ISD) |
Poster Contest (6th-8th Grade)
1st – Claire Montizaan, Willow Wood Jr. High School (Tomball ISD) *Also took 1st Place in statewide contest |
Special Needs Team Photography ContestTheme: "Working Together to Solve Problems"
1st – Virece Berry, Carl Wunsche High School (Spring ISD) |
Special Needs Individual Poster ContestTheme: "Working Together to Solve Problems"
1st – Gabriel Fara, Carl Wunsche High School (Spring ISD) |
Special Needs Team Poster ContestTheme: "Working Together to Solve Problems"
1st – Rahma Alhita, Drew Johnson, Lucas Ajapacja, Freddy Predomo, and Alyssa Carpentier, Kempner High School (Fort Bend ISD) |
Thank you to all our judges who helped select our winners!
Chris Ainsworth, Harris County District Attorney's Office | Tiffany Hill, Law Office of Tiffany M. Hill |
Jillian Beck, Hogan Lovells | Philip Morgan, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP |
Michael Butera, Harris County District Attorney's Office | Michele Oncken, Harris County District Attorney's Office |
Jacqueline del Villar, Fisher Phillips | Caroline Sage, Holland & Knight LLP |
Sara Delgado, Harris County District Attorney's Office | Megan Schmid, Holland & Knight LLP |
Chris DeMeo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP | Charles Shaw, Harris County Attorney's Office |
Cindy Dinh, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas | Elizabeth Stevens, Harris County District Attorney's Office |
Sophia Fang, Hogan Lovells LLP | Samantha Torres, Okin & Adams LLP |
Hon. Kem Frost, Retired, 14th Court of Appeals Justice | Hon. Joe Villarreal, Retired Judge |
Tim Goodwin, Harris County District Attorney's Office | Erica Winsor, Harris County District Attorney's Office |
Linda Hester, Retired, Phillips 66 | Kitty Xie, Holland & Knight LLP |
2022 Law Day Contest Winners
HBA Law Week Committee Chairs: Emily Banse, Hon. Kem Frost, Hon. Erin Lunceford
Theme: Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change
Essay Contest Winners
1st Place
Pranav Chemudupaty
DeBakey High School (Houston ISD)
Winning Teacher: Qian Zhang
View essay
2nd Place
Justin Hung
DeBakey High School (Houston ISD)
View essay
3rd Place
Megan MacLeay
DeBakey High School (Houston ISD)
View essay
Photography Contest Winners
1st Place
Myles Tran
Wide School (Private)
Winning Teacher: Katy Garza
View image
*Also took 1st Place in statewide
contest
2nd Place
Yanira Aguirre
Victory Early College (Aldine ISD)
View image
3rd Place
Daisy Espinoza
Carver High School (Aldine ISD)
View image
Honorable Mention
Alexandra Diaz
Carver High School (Aldine ISD)
View image
Honorable Mention
Vallery Orr
Memorial High School (Spring Branch ISD)
View image
Honorable Mention
Darius Robinson
Carver High School (Aldine ISD)
View image
Honorable Mention
Mariana Vasquez
Carver High School (Aldine ISD)
View image
Poster Contest K-2nd Grade
1st Place
Jayleen Lopez
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
*Also took 2nd Place in statewide contest
2nd Place
Miguel Chavarria
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
3rd Place
Ammraya Gomez
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
Honorable Mention
Avery Garcia
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
Honorable Mention
Benjamin Gomez
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
Honorable Mention
Leonel Jaimes-Cantu
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
Poster Contest 3rd-5th Grade
1st Place
Trearm Woodward
Anderson Academy (Aldine ISD)
Winning Teacher: Tony McMillian
View poster
*Also took 2nd place in statewide contest
2nd Place
Liana Torres
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
3rd Place
Oscar Sanchez
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
Honorable Mention
Isaac Banda
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
Honorable Mention
Mia Vasquez
Wesley Community Center MABAH/HisBA Poster Workshop
View poster
Poster Contest 6th-8th grade
1st Place
Khristan Tran
Willow Wood Jr. High School (Tomball ISD)
Winning Teacher: Cerethia Fontana
View poster
*Also took 2nd place in statewide contest
2nd Place
Isabella M. Rivera
Willow Wood Jr. High School (Tomball ISD)
View poster
3rd Place
Julissa Quiroga
Willow Wood Jr. High School (Tomball ISD)
View poster
Honorable Mention
Jacob Tusing
The WIDE School (Private)
View poster
Honorable Mention
Noah Aucoin
The WIDE School (Private)
View poster
Honorable Mention
Reilly Tipton
Willow Wood Jr. High School (Tomball ISD)
View poster
Special Needs Individual Poster Contest
Theme: Laws Help Us
1st Place
Gabriel Fara
Carl Wunsche High School (Spring ISD)
Winning Teacher: Bridgett Dotson
View poster
2nd Place
Virece Berry
Carl Wunsche High School (Spring ISD)
View poster
3rd Place
Corey Brown, Jr.
Carl Wunsche High School (Spring ISD)
View poster
Special Needs Team Poster Contest
1st Place
Jillian Caputo & Herie Soto-Ortiz
The HUB Houston (Private)
Winning Teacher: Melanie Krause
View poster
Special Needs Photography Contest
1st Place
Kadarius Brown
Carl Wunsche High School (Spring ISD)
Winning Teacher: Bridgett Dotson
View photo
2nd Place
Joshua Dean
Carl Wunsche High School (Spring ISD)
View photo
Contest Judges
The HBA would like to thank our 2022 contest judges:
Poster, Photography, and Special Needs Contests: Emily Banse, Bracewell LLP, Jillian Beck, Hogan Lovells US LLP, Michael Butera, Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Kevin Corcoran, Hedrick Kring, PLLC, Cindy Dinh, Mayer Brown LLP, Hon. Kem Frost, Retired 14th Court of Appeals Justice, Linda Hester, Philips 66 Company, Tiffany Hill, Law Office of Tiffany M. Hill, Casey Little, Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Hon. Erin Lunceford, Lunceford ADR, LLC, Christine Ng, TC Energy, Michele Oncken, Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Mariann Sears, Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library, Charles Shaw, Harris County District Attorney’s Office
Essay Contest: Hon. Janice Berg, 247th Family Court, Hon. Tanya Garrison, 157th District Court, Hon. Jerry Simoneaux, Probate Court No. 1, Hon. Kem Frost, Retired 14th Court of Appeals Justice, Hon. Martha Jamison, 164th District Court, Hon. Peter Kelly, 1st Court of Appeals, Hon. Teiva Bell, 339th Criminal Court, Hon. Jerry ZImmerer, 14th Court of Appeals