2025 Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest Winners Announced

The 2025 first place winner of the Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest is Joshua L. Gablin, a solo attorney from Chicago, who wrote “Prompt Service.” Joshua's article will appear in the February issue of the Illinois Bar Journal.

In second place is Charles M. Golaszewski (Tinley Park) for his article, “Evading Trial: The Ins and Outs of Trials in Absentia.”

The third-place entry is awarded to Emily L. Fitch (Vandalia) for her entry, “Sights, Smells, and Searches: The Evolving Law of Cannabis-Related Vehicle Searches.”

The first, second, and third-place winners received $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000, respectively. They were among 18 manuscripts submitted in the 2025 contest, which was sponsored by the ISBA Young Lawyers Division and open to YLD lawyer members.

Contest judges included Hon. Amy C. Lannerd, Hon. Robert P. Pilner, Jerome E. McDonald, Hon. Michael J. Zink, and Shirley A. Irwin.

Details about the 2026 Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest will be announced in the spring of 2025 on the Contest's webpage.

Congratulations to the 2025 Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest winners!