Florida State law students sweep writing competition

Three Florida State University College of Law students have won the top awards in the 2010 Dean Frank E. Maloney Memorial Writing Contest.

Recent graduate Kristy Sweat, of Statesboro, Ga., won first place in the statewide writing competition for her paper titled "Getting an 'Act of Congress' — De Facto Federalization of the ACF River Basin." The paper analyzes water consumption and supply problems within the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin and provides the states involved possible solutions from an ecosystem perspective. Sweat, who is employed at the Office of the State Attorney in Pensacola, received $500 for placing first in the competition.

Rising third-year student Melanie Leitman, of Tallahassee, won second place for her paper, "Water Rx." The paper discusses problems caused by the presence of pharmaceuticals in the water supply and the environment…