Last week, we asked our readers if the time was finally right to hold our law revue video contest. In 2020, for the first time in 12 years, we didn’t hold a competition due to the pandemic and the complete and utter chaos law schools and law students were thrown into last spring.
You spoke, and we listened. Above the Law is officially holding its 12th annual law revue video contest.
If you think you can carry a tune or tell a joke, we ask that you send us your very best law revue videos so that we — and the Above the Law audience — may pass judgment upon them. Prepare yourselves for the worst, but hope for the very best.
Those responsible for the winning video will get Above the Law prizes and the pleasure of knowing they’re the envy of all their law school brethren. As always, there will be complete and total exoneration for the losers. There’s always next year.
Before you start sending us your videos, we’ve got some rules. As future members of the legal profession, we hope you’ll be able to follow them.
The official rules have not changed from 2019. They are:
- Your video must be publicly available online somewhere. Send us the link at tips@abovethelaw.com with the subject line “Law Revue Video Contest Submission – [School Name].” We’ll accept submissions of any videos posted after April 25, 2019 (the deadline for our last pre-COVID contest).
- To avoid complaints from competitors (see, e.g., West Virginia’s 2013 winning entry), your primary performers must come from within the law school community (but cameos from outsiders are okay). How do we define a “primary performer”? Don’t test us, gunners. We’ll know a violation when we see it.
- Send us that submission by FRIDAY, APRIL 30, at 5:00 P.M. (Eastern time). That’s not a soft, law school deadline; it’s a hard, law firm deadline. (NO EXCEPTIONS, so don’t even try pleading with us; if you’re reading this post after the deadline, you don’t read ATL frequently enough.)
- We will accept “studio recordings” of scenes intended for live performance (lol @ live performances right now).
- Your editors here at ATL will make a list of our favorites, the competition finalists, and post them.
- We will NOT watch videos longer than 5 minutes. Use editing tools, people.
- Please submit no more than two entries per school (one per school is even better). Try to collaborate with your fellow students and submit no more than two entries. If the leadership of Law Revue can come up with “official” submissions, that would be ideal.
- ATL readers will then vote to choose the funniest of the finalists. The winning team will receive ATL prizes (limit five prizes).
Here are some unofficial rules:
- Please send funny videos only.
- You have no idea how short our attention spans are. If you use the full five minutes, it better be absolutely freakin’ HILARIOUS.
- Gratuitous shout-outs to Above the Law are appreciated and encouraged.
- Video quality matters. A shaky clip shot on a handheld from a third-floor balcony is probably not going to make the cut.
- Don’t make us hate you.
Send those videos in. Best of luck — the competition is even fiercer than usual, so you’re going to need it!!! We look forward to judging you.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.