The ACTEC Foundation Announces the Winners of the 2026 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lora G. Davis, President of The ACTEC Foundation, Elizabeth R. Carter and Abigail (Abby) E. O'Connor, Co-Chairs of the Legal Education Committee of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), are pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition.

FIRST-PLACE WINNER:

Luke D. DeFio for "The Witness That Wasn't: Electronic Wills, Generative AI, and the Coming Collapse of Probate Authentication."
Albany Law School

"I am honored to be awarded first place! I thank the judges for their time and consideration, and the ACTEC Foundation for its continued support of trusts and estates. I am appreciative that the judges found my discussion of electronic will statutes and generative artificial intelligence compelling. I am especially grateful to my parents, whose unwavering support, encouragement, and example continue to inspire me; I hope to one day be as dedicated and accomplished an attorney as they are. I would also like to thank my professors at Albany Law School for their mentorship and encouragement. After graduating this spring, I hope to continue my education through the scholarship to the Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning at the University of Miami School of Law, and I hope to one day contribute to the profession as an ACTEC Fellow." 

SECOND-PLACE WINNER:

 Cassandra Nelson for "The Repeal of IRC Section 68(e), Preservation of IRC Section 67(e), and Implications for Trust & Estate Taxation After 2026." 
New York University School of Law

"I am truly honored by this recognition from ACTEC and the competition judges. I am especially grateful to my faculty advisor, Professor Austin Bramwell, an ACTEC Fellow himself, whose insight and mentorship were invaluable throughout the writing process. As a graduate of the Florida Fellows Institute, I have long admired ACTEC's commitment to excellence in the trust and estate practice, and election to the College remains a career goal of mine as I complete my ninth year of practice. This award is a meaningful step toward that aspiration, and I hope my paper contributes to the ongoing conversation in this ever-evolving area of the law."

THIRD-PLACE WINNER (TIE):

 Chloe Clements for "Inheriting the Genome: Fiduciary Duty, Relational Privacy, and the Civil Rights Stakes of Post-Mortem Genetic Data."
Howard University School of Law

"I am deeply honored to be recognized by the ACTEC Foundation and the competition judges with a third-place award in the 2026 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition. Writing this paper gave me the opportunity to explore the intersection of trusts and estates, emerging technology, privacy, and civil rights, an area of law that will only become more important as advances in genetic science continue to reshape society. I hope this work contributes to the ongoing conversation about how fiduciary law can responsibly address the unique legal and ethical challenges posed by inherited genetic information."

Heather Goss for "Navigating Valuation Uncertainty and Liquidity Crises in the Estate Taxation of AI Reanimated Likenesses."
Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center

"I am truly honored to be recognized in the 2026 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition. My research explored the estate tax implications of AI-reanimated likenesses, an emerging issue at the intersection of technology and trusts and estates law. I am sincerely grateful to the ACTEC Foundation for supporting student scholarship and especially to Professor Elizabeth Carter for her invaluable mentorship and encouragement throughout this project. This experience reinforced my appreciation for thoughtful legal scholarship and the important role it plays in helping the law adapt to new and evolving challenges."

HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS:

Sydney N. Gerbel for "Optimized Giving: A Law and Economics Approach to Charitable Planning Vehicles for High-Net-Worth Donors."
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

James Caleb Higdon for "The Liberal Commons Applied to the Limited Liability Company: A Comprehensive Solution to Heirs' Property."
Wake Forest University School of Law 

Naseem Moussavian for "The Limitations of RUFADAA: Empirical Insights, State Divergence, and the Case for Statutory Reform in Digital-Asset Succession."
University of San Diego School of Law

Caeden Frederick Williams for "Hybrid DAPTs, SPATs, and Section 548(e)."
Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark School of Law 

The winning papers will now be considered for publication in the ACTEC Law Journal. Following print publication, all papers will be published on the ACTEC Foundation website. ACTEC's Legal Education Committee focuses on the quality and relevance of trust and estate courses offered in law schools, strategies for incorporating skills training into courses, ideas for mentoring new lawyers in estate planning, the role of adjunct professors, and trust-and-estate-related scholarship, case law, statutory law, and current developments. The committee oversees the Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition. The panel of committee members who served as judges in this year's competition includes ACTEC Fellows Karen Elizabeth Boxx, Naomi Cahn, William P. LaPiana, Abigail E. O'Connor, Anne-Marie Rhodes, Douglas Stanley, John A. Terrill, II, Reid Kress Weisbord, and Leonard J. Witman.

T. Randolph Harris, who coordinated the judging process on behalf of the Legal Education Committee, shares: "The 2026 competition received a record number of 33 submissions from leading law schools across the country. This year's entries reflected the remarkable breadth of the trust and estate field, and the winning papers showcase the exceptional talent and scholarship of the next generation of trust and estate practitioners. We appreciate the continued partnership of the Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning and the ACTEC Law Journal, whose support is instrumental in making this competition a success. Congratulations to the winners."

A total of 33 papers were received from students at the following schools:

• Albany Law School
• Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
• Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark School of Law 
• California Western School of Law
• Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law
• Columbia Law School
• Harvard Law School
• Howard University School of Law
• Indiana University Maurer School of Law
• Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
• New York University School of Law
• Quinnipiac University School of Law
• Stetson University College of Law
• University of Florida Levin College of Law
• University of Georgia School of Law
• University of Miami School of Law
• University of Minnesota Law School
• University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law
• University of San Diego School of Law
• University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
• University of Virginia School of Law
• Wake Forest University School of Law

This annual legal writing competition is supported by the ACTEC Foundation to encourage law students to create scholarly works in trusts and estates. The first-place winner receives a full-tuition scholarship to the Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning at the University of Miami School of Law for the 2026–2027 or the 2027–2028 academic year, a $5,000 cash award, and will have their paper published in the ACTEC Law Journal. The second-place winner receives a $3,000 cash award, online publication of their paper on the ACTEC Foundation website, and possible publication in the ACTEC Law Journal. The third-place winners receive a $1,000 cash award, online publication of their papers on the ACTEC Foundation website, and possible publication in the ACTEC Law Journal. Honorable mention recipients receive a $500 cash award.

About The ACTEC Foundation: The ACTEC Foundation is the philanthropic arm of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). The Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), that promotes scholarship and education for families and professionals and supports students interested in the trust and estate area of the law. Through continued financial support, The ACTEC Foundation offers professional development, scholarships, and education for a number of important efforts, including legal education, educational support, public initiatives, legal publications, and the student editorial board of the ACTEC Law Journal.

About The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): Established in 1949, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) is a national, nonprofit association of approximately 2,300 lawyers and law professors from throughout the United States and abroad. ACTEC members (Fellows) are peer-elected on the basis of professional reputation and expertise in the preparation of wills and trusts, estate planning, probate, trust administration, and related practice areas. The College's mission includes the improvement and reform of probate, trust, and tax laws and procedures, and professional practice standards. ACTEC frequently offers technical comments with regard to legislation and regulations but does not take positions on matters of policy or political objectives.

Rebecca Vandall, Director of Communications & Outreach, 202-465-8270

SOURCE American College of Trust and Estate Counsel