Winners of the 2026 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition Announced by ACTEC Foundation
The ACTEC Foundation has proudly announced the winners of the highly regarded 2026 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition, a prestigious event aimed at fostering scholarly contributions among law students in the field of trusts and estates. Notably, this year's competition saw participation from major law schools across the United States, resulting in a remarkable pool of 33 submissions, showcasing the depth and talent emerging from academic legal institutions.
First Place Winner: Luke D. DeFio from Albany Law School claimed the top honor for his insightful paper titled "The Witness That Wasn't: Electronic Wills, Generative AI, and the Coming Collapse of Probate Authentication." DeFio expressed his gratitude for the recognition, stating, "I am honored to be awarded first place! I thank the judges for their time and consideration, and the ACTEC Foundation for its continued support of trusts and estates." His paper delves into the implications of electronic will statutes and artificial intelligence in shaping future probate processes. After graduating, DeFio aspires to further his education through the Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning at the University of Miami School of Law.
Second Place Winner: Cassandra Nelson, from New York University School of Law, was awarded second place for her compelling article on the implications of changes in estate taxation, titled "The Repeal of IRC Section 68(e), Preservation of IRC Section 67(e), and Implications for Trust & Estate Taxation After 2026." Nelson expressed her gratitude to her faculty advisor, Professor Austin Bramwell, for his mentorship throughout her writing journey. She emphasized the competition's impact on her career aspirations in the field of trust and estate law.
Third Place Winners: The third place recognition was shared between two talented law students: Chloe Clements from Howard University School of Law with her paper "Inheriting the Genome: Fiduciary Duty, Relational Privacy, and the Civil Rights Stakes of Post-Mortem Genetic Data" and Heather Goss from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, whose research focused on "Navigating Valuation Uncertainty and Liquidity Crises in the Estate Taxation of AI Reanimated Likenesses." Both authors articulated essential considerations at the intersection of technology and law, contributing to significant ongoing discussions in the legal community.
In addition to the winners, several honorable mention awards were presented to students from various schools, showcasing a diverse range of topics and research interests. The recipients include Sydney N. Gerbel for "Optimized Giving: A Law and Economics Approach to Charitable Planning Vehicles for High-Net-Worth Donors" and James Caleb Higdon for his work on heirs' property.
The successful culmination of this competition highlights the dedication of the ACTEC Foundation to fostering an environment of academic excellence and innovative thinking within the legal field. The winning submissions will not only be recognized through cash awards and scholarships but are also set for publication in the ACTEC Law Journal, offering students a chance to showcase their scholarship on a prominent platform.
The ACTEC Legal Education Committee continues to play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality and relevance of trusts and estates education in law schools across the country. It focuses on mentoring new lawyers in estate planning, developing skills training strategies, and overseeing continual improvements in legal scholarship and education. This commitment ensures that the next generation of legal practitioners is well-equipped to adapt to the evolving landscape of trusts and estates law.
For those interested in following similar legal writing competitions or learning more about trusts and estates, the ACTEC Foundation remains a vital resource. The ongoing efforts to support legal education and scholarship through initiatives like the Mary Moers Wenig Writing Competition exemplify the foundations’ commitment to excellence in this specialized area of law.
First Place Winner: Luke D. DeFio from Albany Law School claimed the top honor for his insightful paper titled "The Witness That Wasn't: Electronic Wills, Generative AI, and the Coming Collapse of Probate Authentication." DeFio expressed his gratitude for the recognition, stating, "I am honored to be awarded first place! I thank the judges for their time and consideration, and the ACTEC Foundation for its continued support of trusts and estates." His paper delves into the implications of electronic will statutes and artificial intelligence in shaping future probate processes. After graduating, DeFio aspires to further his education through the Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning at the University of Miami School of Law.
Second Place Winner: Cassandra Nelson, from New York University School of Law, was awarded second place for her compelling article on the implications of changes in estate taxation, titled "The Repeal of IRC Section 68(e), Preservation of IRC Section 67(e), and Implications for Trust & Estate Taxation After 2026." Nelson expressed her gratitude to her faculty advisor, Professor Austin Bramwell, for his mentorship throughout her writing journey. She emphasized the competition's impact on her career aspirations in the field of trust and estate law.
Third Place Winners: The third place recognition was shared between two talented law students: Chloe Clements from Howard University School of Law with her paper "Inheriting the Genome: Fiduciary Duty, Relational Privacy, and the Civil Rights Stakes of Post-Mortem Genetic Data" and Heather Goss from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, whose research focused on "Navigating Valuation Uncertainty and Liquidity Crises in the Estate Taxation of AI Reanimated Likenesses." Both authors articulated essential considerations at the intersection of technology and law, contributing to significant ongoing discussions in the legal community.
In addition to the winners, several honorable mention awards were presented to students from various schools, showcasing a diverse range of topics and research interests. The recipients include Sydney N. Gerbel for "Optimized Giving: A Law and Economics Approach to Charitable Planning Vehicles for High-Net-Worth Donors" and James Caleb Higdon for his work on heirs' property.
The successful culmination of this competition highlights the dedication of the ACTEC Foundation to fostering an environment of academic excellence and innovative thinking within the legal field. The winning submissions will not only be recognized through cash awards and scholarships but are also set for publication in the ACTEC Law Journal, offering students a chance to showcase their scholarship on a prominent platform.
The ACTEC Legal Education Committee continues to play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality and relevance of trusts and estates education in law schools across the country. It focuses on mentoring new lawyers in estate planning, developing skills training strategies, and overseeing continual improvements in legal scholarship and education. This commitment ensures that the next generation of legal practitioners is well-equipped to adapt to the evolving landscape of trusts and estates law.
For those interested in following similar legal writing competitions or learning more about trusts and estates, the ACTEC Foundation remains a vital resource. The ongoing efforts to support legal education and scholarship through initiatives like the Mary Moers Wenig Writing Competition exemplify the foundations’ commitment to excellence in this specialized area of law.
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