ABA Civil Rights and Social Justice Section to celebrate 60th anniversary with film competition

The American Bar Association Civil Rights and Social Justice Section will sponsor a high school civil rights film competition as part of its 60th anniversary celebration year.

Through “Lights, Camera, Justice! What Civil Rights Means to Me  — Breaking Barriers and Justice for All,” high school juniors and seniors will be invited to share their voices, visions, experiences and creativity through the art of film. The videos should be five to eight minutes in the form of a documentary, narrative, animation, spoken word, fiction or music video.
“For six decades, the ABA Civil Rights and Social Justice Section has championed civil rights and social justice in the most pivotal moments of our history,” said Mario Sullivan, CRSJ chair. “As part of honoring our 60 years, CRSJ proudly hosts the 2026 High School Civil Rights Film Competition, providing a platform for young filmmakers to present their reflections and opinions on their lives and our history.”

All completed entries for the 2026 High School Civil Rights Film Competition must be received by 11:59 p.m. PDT on May 1, 2026, online at www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/about/initiatives/high-school-civil-rights-film-competition/?login.

“This competition can be a powerful tool for students to show how civics engagement inspires them and the audience to reflect on the past and build for the future,” added Sullivan.

Winners will be notified by email by July 1, 2026, and announced at the ABA Annual Meeting in August in Chicago. The competition will be judged by a panel of judges including representatives of the film community, legal community, general public and others appointed at the discretion of the ABA. Films will be viewed by judges independently.

The list of winners will be available on the section homepage located at www.ambar.org/crsj. All decisions made by the judges are final.

Prizes will be awarded as follows:

• First Place: $5,000 cash prize

• Second Place: $3,000 cash prize

• Third Place: $2,000 cash prize

The ABA Civil Rights and Social Justice Section  provides leadership within the legal profession in protecting and advancing human rights, civil liberties and social justice. Representing over 10,000 members with a wide range of professional interests, the section keeps its members abreast of complex civil rights and civil liberties issues and ensures that the protection of civil rights remains a focus of legal and policy discussion.