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2022 First Circuit Law Day Art Contest Winners Announced

Posted on Jun 9, 2022 in Featured News, News & Reports
Split photo: Left: Drawing titled “Towards a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in times of change,” portraying the Statue of Liberty holding up an American Flag umbrella protecting the statue from rain drops containing words with legal issues. Right: Drawing of three people in gray scale color walking from the left to a paper scroll with words from the U.S. Constitution’s Preamble and notations of Amendments 13, 15, and 19, with three children in full color on the right. Background is an American flag, with words “Towards a More Perfect Union” at top, and “Constitution in Times of Change.”

First place artwork by 3rd – 5th Grade Winner Ailene Kim (left) and 6th – 8th Grade Winner Vera Wang (right).

Ailene Kim, a fifth grader at St. Andrew’s Schools and Vera Wang, an eighth grader at Niu Valley Middle School, took the top prizes in this year’s First Circuit Law Day Art Contest.

The First Circuit Court celebrated Law Day 2022 by inviting all Oahu students in grades 3-8 to showcase their creativity and talent with artistic interpretations of the Law Day theme: Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change. A total of 127 entries were received from 13 schools.

To prepare for the contest, students learned about how the Constitution has evolved since being written in 1787 due to amendments and legal rulings. Some of these changes include: the protection of rights for individual Americans (Bill of Rights), how Americans elect presidents, vice presidents, and senators (17th Amendment), expansion of the Supreme Court (Marbury v. Madison, 1803), and the extension of voting rights to African American men (15th Amendment) and American women (ratification of the 19th Amendment; Women’s Suffrage Movement).

First Circuit judges graded entries based on originality, creativity, and visual impact.

First, second, and third place winners each received a Law Day certificate, gift card, and Law Day medal. Their artwork will also be displayed in one of Oahu’s courthouses during the next year.

Please enjoy the winning posters and photos of the artists who created them:

3rd – 5th Grade Category:

1st Place – Ailene Kim, St. Andrew’s Schools | 5th Grade

Split photo: Left: Drawing titled “Towards a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in times of change,” portraying the Statue of Liberty holding up an American Flag umbrella protecting the statue from rain drops containing words with legal issues. Right: Photo of artist Ailene Kim.

2nd Place – Kaya Chang, St. Andrew’s Schools | 5th Grade

Split photo: Left: Drawing titled “Towards a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in times of change,” with a drawing of a construction crane stacking boxes containing descriptions of rights that are “Making our country better.” Right: Photo of artist Kaya Chang.

3rd Place – Julianne Balbuena, Saint Theresa Catholic School

Split photo: Left: Drawing titled “A Perfect Union Takes Time, Change,” with a drawing of the Earth bearing the words “Change makers are everywhere,” and a list of names of change-makers. Right: Photo of artist Julianne Balbuena.

6th – 8th Grade Category:

1st Place – Vera Wang, Niu Valley Middle School | 8th Grade

Drawing of three people in gray scale color walking from the left to a paper scroll with words from the U.S. Constitution’s Preamble and notations of Amendments 13, 15, and 19, with three children in full color on the right. Background is an American flag, with words “Towards a More Perfect Union” at top, and “Constitution in Times of Change” at bottom.

2nd Place – Emily Kim, St. Andrew’s Schools | 6th Grade

Split photo: Left: Drawing of two water fountains, one with a sign “Colored,” the other with a sign “Whites.” To the right, a drawing of one water fountain with a sign “For All.” Below that, a paper scroll noting, “it will take women 170 years to gain parity with men.” To the right a drawing of a ballot box labeled “Vote” with a “No Female” sign posted next to it and silhouette of three male figures. To the right a drawing of a ballot box labeled “Vote” and silhouette of one female with two male figures. Right: Photo of artist Emily Kim.

3rd Place – Khloe Madison, St. Andrew’s Schools | 6th Grade

Split photo: Left: Layout of table, two columns, three rows, the left side cells showing representations of Black lives Matter, Women’s rights, and LGBTQ in 2022, and right side cells showing representations of the same issues improved in 2023. Right: Photo of artist Khloe Madison.