Two Law School Students Win Bloomberg Writing Awards

James Meinert (’17) and Kyle Kroll (’16) snared top honors in the 2016 Bloomberg Law Write-On Competition, winning $2,500 each in the nationwide contest. The competition puts a premium on clear and concise writing, as entries must run between 1,000 and 1,600 words.

Meinert wrote an article to be published by Daily Environment Report, a Bloomberg BNA journal, on how a ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii is influencing interpretation of the Clean Water Act. Instead of analyzing complex scientific reports, the court simplified jurisdiction rules that some others are following, setting a possible precedent.

Before attending the Law School, Meinert served as a research associate for the Natural Resources Defense Council. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College in 2010. In addition to studying for his J.D., he is also working on a master’s of public health degree at the University. His emphasis: regulatory toxicology and risk assessment.

“I want to be highly literate in other people’s toxicology reports,” he says.

After graduating from both programs next year, Meinert hopes to work full-time at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This summer, he will be clerking for the DOJ’s Natural Resources Division.

Kroll’s entry will be published in Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal, also a Bloomberg BNA journal. In “Celebrity YouTube Creators Reverse Plans To Trademark Reaction Video Format After Harsh Online Reaction,” Kroll examined whether Benny and Rafi Fine could trademark their style of popular short comedies. Kroll’s article chronicled the brothers’ attempt to stop others from replicating their routines and explored the legal ramifications of trademark law in the commercial sphere of the Internet.

Kroll, who earned an undergraduate degree from the University’s Carlson School of Management, is due to complete his J.D. in May. He’s currently serving as online managing editor of the Minnesota Law Review and student body president of Professional Student Government, which represents about 11,000 students at the Law School, College of Pharmacy, and eight other professional schools at the University.

In September, Kroll will begin work as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Joan Ericksen in Minneapolis. He plans to pursue a career in commercial or intellectual property litigation.