• Bankruptcy Solutions
• Foreclosure Solutions
• Modification & Negotiation
• Credit Card Debt Relief

**THE CURRENT ESSAY CONTEST**- We are now taking essay entries for the Fall 2022 Scholarship due December 15, 2022. (Please see the Current Essay Topic, below, highlighted by two asterisks** on each side, dealing with the Comparing Various Homestead Exemptions Under Different State’s Laws and their Effects on Federal Bankruptcy Law).

The cost of obtaining a college and/or graduate school education has grown rapidly over the past few decades, making it more and more difficult for many people to realize their educational goals. As a law firm, the Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. understands the value of higher education, as well as the tremendous investment of time and money involved in obtaining a higher education. In an effort to help a new generation of college and/or graduate school students meet their educational costs, the Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. is pleased to offer incoming and existing college and/or graduate school students an opportunity to win a $2,500. (1st prize), $1,000. (2nd prize) and $500. (3rd prize) higher education scholarship. The scholarship is offered twice a year, in the fall and the spring of each year. The biannual scholarship and selection for the three (3) scholarship awards is based on an essay contest where the contestants take a position on a relevant topic that is assigned (see below) dealing with specific legal and policy issues pertaining to debt relief. The biannual essay topic changes each six (6) months and the assigned issues and questions change for every spring and fall essay contest for each year. The topics may deal with any of the following areas of law and policy: bankruptcy law, foreclosure defense, debt negotiation, mortgage modification, tenant defense, debtor-creditor law and all forms of legal debt relief. Because for every six (6) months, in the fall and spring, there will be a new contest, and because each contest has 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, there are a total of six (6) winners each year and a total amount of $8,000. disbursed in prizes each year. Details on eligibility and the application process can be found below. 

• Eligibility
• The Entry Process – “The Essay”, “The Cover Letter” and “The Application” Submissions
• The Deadline For The Current, Fall 2022 Essay Contest
• A Message for All Contestants
• Deciding on This Year’s Winning Essay
• Requirements for the Winners
• About Ronald D. Weiss and Law Office Of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C.
• Winners of Recent Spring 2022 Scholarship Contest (closed on May 15, 2022)
• Winners of Previous Fall 2021 Scholarship Contest
• Winners of Past Spring 2021 Scholarship Contest
• Previous Winners:

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to apply for the scholarship, applicants must fit the following criteria:

• Academic Enrollment – Be currently enrolled as a registered student in a college or university or planning to enroll as a freshman for the next academic year. 
• Good Standing – Be in good academic standing with your current educational institution.
• Age – If under 18, have the permission of your parent or guardian to apply. 
• Country / Citizenship – There is no restriction on students outside of the United States or non-citizens of the U.S. entering the contest.
• Language / Laws – The submissions, including the essay, must all be in English and the essay must be based on U.S. laws and policies.
• Recognized Academic Institution – The academic institution to where the applicant is currently enrolled and/or enrolled next year, needs to a recognized educational institution currently offering an academic educational curriculum to a body of students. However, the educational institution can be outside of the United States, and the student can be taking courses on-line or on a part-time basis. To qualify, the program in which the student is enrolled needs to be at least six (6) months in length and result in a certificate or degree.

The Entry Process – “The Essay”, “The Cover Letter” and “The Application” Submissions

Submissions of each applicant’s entry materials involve emailing to us three (3) parts: {A} “The Essay”, {B} The ” Cover Letter”, and {C} “The Application”. While the contest is based on the Essay, the Cover Letter assures us proper identification of each essay, and the Application helps the judges with additional information that may help to assess the entire candidate. All three parts, the Essay, the Cover Letter and the Application will be explained below. 

Submissions of the Essay, Cover Letter and Application for the Scholarship essay contest should be in Microsoft Word and emailed to weiss@ny-bankruptcy.com. The Essay, Cover Letter and Application need to be in English and in a standard emailed format that most computers can open. The entry package needs to be emailed by the contest deadline (see below). The Deadline of the Current Fall 2022 Scholarship Essay Contest is December 15, 2022.

{A} The Cover Letter –

The Cover Letter does not need any content other than the essentials which will be identifying the applicant, the submission date and the year/season of the essay submission. The Cover Letter should contain the following:

1. The Date – The date of your submission. 
2. Identification Information – The applicant’s name and contact information (full legal name, phone number number, mailing address and email address) at the top. We need this information to contact you if you are one of the three (3) winners of each of the biannual contests. 
3. The Year and Season of the Essay Contest – The particular Essay Contest for which you are applying. Current applications would be for the Fall 2022 Scholarship Essay Contest.

{B} The Essay –

The Essay must deal with the Current Essay Topic for the most current biannual contest which appears below. (See subtopic below, “**Current Essay Topic**”). The current contest is for Fall 2022. The Scholarship Essay should contain the following:

1. Essay Topic – The Essay must only deal with Current Essay Topic given below. (See subtopic below, “**Current Essay Topic**”). General essays submitted to colleges and institutions about the contestant’s life, experiences and/or challenges are not what we are looking for in this contest. We are focused on our own unique topic, the Current Essay Topic, below, which is of concern to us in terms of laws and policies dealing with debt relief. Please do not send use an essay topic from a past contest or a topic of your own. 
2. References – Please back up facts and/or laws in the Essay with references and/or citations. Please give credit to any sources for your information.
3. Arguments – Please take a position on the Current Essay Topic and develop it with arguments to support that position. 
4. Originality – Essays need to be original writing that the contestant composed specifically for this contest. We are interested in your ideas. Do not be afraid to think outside the box and to be creative as long as you can support your arguments with facts, references and arguments that make sense. If you feel that you need a chart, spreadsheet, graph and/or illustration to make a point, we would prefer if it was either original, or if you were using it in an original manner (but please give credit to any sources).
5. Length – Essays should be approximately 2,000 words, but there is not a strict limit and if you are reasonably over or under this length your Essay will not be penalized. 
6. Title – Essays should have a title which could be the year and season and topic of the Essay Contest. But a better title would be the thesis your Essay which would tell us the position or argument you will be making in your Essay.

{C} The Application –

The Application, below, as opposed to the Essay, asks short questions about personal circumstances, activities, accomplishments, hardships, challenges and educational and career goals. Answers to the short questions here are NOT required and if an applicant is uncomfortable answering any question(s) it will NOT penalize their Essay and overall submission. The only parts that is definitely needed by us is the consent question (which just requires an application circle filled) where the applicant agrees that if they are one of the winners to have their essay and photo displayed on our website to encourage future potential applicants to apply. The rest of the Application (which is optional) may help our judges to consider other aspects of an applicant, other than the Essay, which may allow the applicant to share aspects of their life and educational circumstances that may help our judges consideration where essays are otherwise close in quality and other aspects such as the person’s accomplishments, challenges, goals and perspectives may play an incremental role in helping our judges decide. Please use the Application to share any information that you believe may have helped, affected and/or influenced your educational opportunities and development and/or any information about your educational aspirations and career plans which you wish our judges to consider. The Application should contain the following:

1. Identification Information – The applicant’s name, phone, email and address.
2. Consent Question – This consent question, which is the only truly mandatory part of the Application, consents to the applicant’s essay being posted on this web site, if they are one of the winners of the essay contest. The applicant also needs to consent to a photo of themselves being posted on this web site with a large display check, that we will send to the essay contest winners (along with an actual check). The purposes of these consents and postings is to encourage other students to participate in our educational scholarship essay contest.
3. Educational Information – The institution where the applicant is currently enrolled and/or where they will be enrolled next year; the program that they are in or will be in; and the degree that they are working towards and/or that they would soon be awarded. 
4. Accomplishments and/or Activities – Any activities, accomplishments, hobbies, experiences and/or interests which are meaningful to you. Part of this information is asked in questions where answers are checked off, but there is a portal which asks for a short amount of information, approximately 200 words to describe meaningful activities/interests that describe you.
5. Educational Goal and Career Aspirations – What are your goals, plans and aspirations in terms of your future education and career. Part of this information is requested in a portal which asks for a short amount of information of approximately 200 words about your educational and/or career goals. 
6. Hardship or Challenge or Other Information About Yourself – Hardships or challenges that the applicant and/or their family have experienced, if applicable, and how you have dealt with them or strived to overcome them. These can be broadly based, economic, demographic, language, educational, and family hardships. Part of this information is requested in a portal which asks for a short amount of information of approximately 200 words about any challenges or hardships that have affected you and/or your family.

The Deadline For The Current Fall 2022 Essay Contest (Currently Open and Accepting Submissions)

The deadline for submissions for the current Fall 2022 Essay Scholarship Contest is: December 15, 2022.

The date of the submission entry will be considered the date we actually received the essay by email.

We are aware that there is a current Covid-19 pandemic that is affecting the entire way of life in our country. Therefore if you have been affected by a Covid Hardship that delayed your submission, we would consider moving the deadline by 1-2 weeks for persons showing proof of a Covid-19 hardship.

A Message for All Contestants

Thank you for participating in this biannual essay writing contest. We are honored and humbled by the many promising students who have participated in the Essay Writing Scholarship Contest offered by our law office since we started it in 2014 and the many excellent essays that these talented students have submitted. If you do not win the current essay contest, please do not be discouraged and please try again in six months since the the contest is offered biannually, every Spring and Fall. But if you are the Winner, a BIG kudos to you and a sincere Thank You for your winning submission which will be proudly displayed on this website in tribute to the promise, energy and intelligence of current and future scholars.

Deciding on This Current Contest’s Winning Essays

The following factors will be considering in determining the the three (3) winners of every biannual essay writing contest:

• Demonstrated understanding of the issues raised;
• Originality;
• Quality of writing; and
• The applicant’s demonstrated the potential for success in a field related to law.

Three (3) winners for each biannual essay writing contest are chosen with the 1st prize being $2,500., the 2nd prize being $1,000. and the 3rd prize being $500. The prizes are sent to the three winners of each contest approximately one to two months after the end of a contest. We ask that winners send us a picture of themselves with a large “presentation check” that we will mail together with the actual award check and allow us to post their photo with their winning essay to encourage future students to participate.

All decisions are final and are subject to the discretion of the staff of the Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. where our attorneys are the judges and read every essay.

Requirements for the Winners

Winners must respond to the emails and/or calls of our office and acknowledge that they are the applicant. They must give us their current address for us to send the display check and the real award check. The winners must take a picture of themselves with the display check and send the picture to our office via email. Winners need to agree to allow us to post on our website the picture of themselves with the display check. This is needed to encourage future applicants to the scholarship. Winners also must agree to allow us to display their winning essay on our website. Again, the purpose of this posting of the essay is to encourage further participation in the scholarship by students applying for future scholarships that our office would offer.

About Ronald D. Weiss and Law Office Of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C.

The Law Office Of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. was formed in 1993 and concentrates in bankruptcy law, foreclosure defense, debt negotiation, mortgage modification, tenant defense and all forms of debt relief. Our office serves clients with legal services throughout the Long Island and greater New York City area. The founder of Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. is Ronald D. Weiss, Esq. who graduated New York University School of Law in 1988 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1989.  Mr. Weiss and his staff have always valued education and still have faith that in the hands of good, caring people, the legal system can make life better for hard working, ordinary people.

Winners of Recent Spring 2022 Scholarship Contest (closed on May 15, 2022)

Congratulations to our Spring 2022 scholarship first winner, Stacy Bediako!

Congratulations to our Spring 2022 scholarship second winner, Aaron Chan!

Congratulations to our Spring 2022 scholarship third winner, Kylie Marozsan!

Congratulations to our Previous Fall 2021 scholarship first winner, Stephanie Adams!

Congratulations to our Previous Fall 2021 scholarship second winner, Kyle Mann!

Congratulations to our Previous Fall 2021 scholarship third winner, Matthew Larkby!

Winners of Past Spring 2021 Scholarship Contest

Congratulations to our 2021 scholarship first winner, Emily Palmer!

Congratulations to our 2021 scholarship second winner, Richard Hollenbach!

Congratulations to our 2021 scholarship third winner, Makayla Shoults!

Picture Gallery of Past Scholarship Winners…We Are Proud of You!!

Previous Winners:

Congratulations to our 2019 scholarship winner, Dennis Howard!

Congratulations to our 2018 scholarship winner, Jody Skaggs!

Congratulations to our 2017 scholarship winner, Zachary Einsig!

Congratulations to the 2016 Scholarship Winner, Nick Plotkin!

Congratulations to the 2015 Scholarship Winner, Rebecca Chang!