The Law Day Essay Contest is open to all Omaha area 8th graders, and Nebraska Court Reporters Association coordinated the judging of the essays . Essays are limited to 250 words, and shall discuss the 2025 Law Day Theme of "Out of Many, One." The winning essay will be published in the OBA Newsletter, online, and in The Daily Record newspaper. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will receive cash prizes from the Omaha Bar Association.

First Place Winner

Molly Barth

St. Vincent de Paul

(Mrs. Sullivan)

Our country is like a sheet of ice; together it protects one great area of water, but when you take a closer look, you can see little fractures covering what looks like a perfect area. These fractures represent divides in our land. Whether that is race, religion, or our choices, our country is falling apart from them.

Our country was built on the backs of farmers, immigrants, and people wanting a fresh start. But over the centuries, our beautiful country has turned into the very place some flee from. That is why we must focus on the fundamentals that our country started with: freedom, prosperity, and hope.

The Internet has changed how the world works. Everyone can get information in the blink of an eye, but that information might not always be true. False information is so prominent that sometimes you will never know what actually happened. That is why we the people must stand together, not against each other. We need to speak the truth and listen to each other, and remember why we are here in the first place. Most of our ancestors came to start a new life free from persecution and religious banishment, but our country is turning into the very thing they were fleeing from.

The Constitution says that the government’s power comes from the people. We the people must stand together united to stop this injustice because if we don’t, we’ll lose everything we fought to gain.

Second Place Winner

Jillian White

St. Vincent de Paul

(Mrs. Sullivan)

Since the foundation of our country, there have been laws and rules put in place to help us. Our Constitution not only laid out the foundation for our country but also inspired democracy in countries all over the world. The United States government and law enforcement exist to keep us safe, hold us accountable, and help us thrive as a society. However, this means laws must be followed and upheld, regardless of the lawbreaker or the jurisdiction.

A paramount foundation of our governing principles is the idea of equality before the law. Regardless of race, gender, social status, or political power, everyone should be protected - and prosecuted - equally. In our country, we are united as one under the Constitution. In the Pledge of Allegiance, it’s stated, “With liberty and justice for all.” Upholding consequences and justice for all is one of the cornerstones of the United States.

Our Constitution is not a sword but a shield, and it should be used as such. It ensures the people shall ultimately have more power than the government because it is from the people that the government springs forth. “We the People, in Order to form a more perfect Union,” could be understood this way: “We the many, in order to form a more perfect one country.”  Though we are many people, we desire one government that exists to serve and protect each of us.

Third Place Winner

Campbell Nass

Kiewit Middle School

(Mrs. Begley)

We the People of the United States, no matter background, race, gender, religion, or any other trait that may separate us from one another, come together as one nation. We are one voice made of many voices. We are powerful and act as one. We support each other through thick and thin.

The Oxford English Dictionary describes the word community as meaning, “A particular place considered together with its inhabitants.” In other words, community means togetherness, collaboration, acceptance, and connectivity. The framers of the Constitution understood the meaning and importance of community when they started one of the most important documents of our country’s history with the phrase, We the People. 

We have come a long way since the Constitution was written. Unlike before, we can now proudly state that every single person living in our beautiful country is free and equal. There are no exceptions. The founding fathers and framers of the Constitution would be proud of the country we have created, following in their footsteps.

We are farmers, businessmen and women, teachers, children, politicians, doctors, artists, and everything in between. Most importantly, we are Americans. We support our country. Together we are unstoppable.

Community means so much more than its definition. We cannot have the America we know and love without it. We the People stand together, arm in arm, paving the way for future generations.