Ivey Schofield L’25 placed second in the most recent Adam A. Milani Disability Law Writing Competition, an annual program aimed at sparking greater interest in and understanding of the field of disability law.
An Elon Law student with a lifelong passion for storytelling placed second this fall in a national legal writing contest aimed at building student interest in the field of disability law.
Ivey Schofield L’25 was among the top finishers in the 2024 Adam A. Milani Disability Law Writing Competition co-hosted by Mercer University School of Law and the American Bar Association Commission on Disability Rights.
The brief Schofield submitted for consideration was the same brief she crafted in a spring trimester legal writing course taught by Assistant Professor Bob Minarcin: an argument in a fictional lawsuit involving alleged violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
Schofield’s honor carries personal significance. She broke her foot and her back in 2023 while retrieving Christmas decorations from her attic. She navigates the law school today with chronic back pain and a limp that will require another surgery in the months ahead.
“It was an honor to be picked by an organization that focuses on disability rights when I’m dealing with a disability,” said Schofield, a Middlebury College graduate who won awards for her writing at news publications in Washington, D.C., and North Carolina prior to law school. “And I’m thankful for all the help from my professors, especially Professor Minarcin. He dealt with me a lot!”
Entries for the annual Adam A. Milani Disability Law Writing Competition can focus on any of the following topics:
- Disability Law
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act
- Family and Medical Leave Act
- A state statute or municipal ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation
The competition honors the work of the late Professor Adam Milani, an advocate for disability rights, an accomplished legal scholar, and a faculty member at Mercer Law who crafted a national reputation for excellence in scholarship on disability discrimination. Milani was a quadriplegic and died in 2005 of complications from surgery.
Ivey is the kind of student every legal writing professor dreams of!
– Assistant Professor Bob Minarcin
Minarcin described Schofield as “a bit hesitant when approaching persuasive writing,” which he understood given her journalism background where persuasion isn’t prioritized. Yet she mastered it with “impressive” speed.
“Ivey is the kind of student every legal writing professor dreams of!” Minarcin said. “Working with her was a delight and she is one of the finest student writers I’ve had the privilege to teach. She has an undeniable gift for crafting compelling arguments backed by meticulous research and her ability to turn a phrase is extraordinary.
“As for her future? Well, in the words of Timbuk 3, ‘Her future’s so bright, I’ve gotta wear shades!'”
Schofield, an Advocacy Fellow who aspires to work in appellate law and will complete an upcoming residency-in-practice with a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, is the latest Elon Law student to be honored in the competition.
Rebecca Elliott L’19 placed third in the Adam A. Milani Disability Law Writing Competition in 2018, with Kjirsten Durand-Johnson L’20 earning silver the following year.
About Elon University School of Law
Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required, full-time residency-in-practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school’s distinctive curriculum offers a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.
Elon Law has graduated more than 1,600 alumni since opening its doors in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 440 full-time students and the law school is regularly featured in PreLaw Magazine’s “Best Schools for Practical Training” rankings, reaching No. 4 in the nation in 2024. The Elon Law Flex Program, a part-time evening course of legal study for working professionals in Charlotte, N.C., launched in Fall 2024 with a charter cohort of 36 students.