Announcing the Sandgrund Award for Best Consumer Rights Work
Colorado Law is pleased to announce the creation of the Sandgrund Award for Best Consumer Rights Work, created by Colorado Law alumnus Ron Sandgrund, '82.
The Sandgrund Award is intended to encourage and reward writings by Colorado Law students and faculty that advance the field of consumer rights, especially the rights of homeowners, and to reward writing excellence. The initial $100,000 Sandgrund Fund provides funding for two awards, one for students and one for faculty. Each of the awards is to be paid and conferred every two years, assuming qualified recipients are identified.
Awards will be made to the best electronic or print published work concerning consumer rights protection, including books, treatises, scholarly articles, and bar association, legal periodical and law review articles. Topics may address issues affecting the nation’s consumers as a whole, but must have some direct application to the discussion, analysis and/or explanation of Colorado consumer rights. More specifically, publications should address consumer rights and/or remedies arising from the purchase or rental of ordinary household goods, services and products and/or the purchase or lease of residential property, rather than rights and/or remedies primarily arising from commercial or business ventures or transactions, such as claims for anti-trust violations and unfair competition, or rights primarily arising from the incurrence of bodily injury.
The selection criteria will include, in equal weight, the following factors: (a) the anticipated contribution to supporting consumer rights, especially Colorado consumers’ rights; (b) writing clarity; (c) depth of research; (d) novelty; and, (e) objectivity and balance. Special consideration and extra weight will be given to: (a) the expansion and/or vindication of consumer rights; and/or (b) the expansion and/or vindication of homeowner rights and/or remedies. The subject may include: (a) procedures that assist the enforcement of consumer rights, such as class and collective actions; (b) barriers to the enforcement of consumer rights, such as procedurally or substantively unfair contract provisions, including arbitration provisions; (c) deceptive and unfair trade practices legislation and other consumer protection laws; and (d) insurance coverage for consumer property damage claims, such as property/casualty and liability insurance, as well as improper claims handling practices.
Eligible recipients include faculty members and students who were at Colorado Law at any time between when the Work was first submitted for publication through the date of its first publication. At the discretion of the Awards Committee, more than one of each award for faculty or student publications may be made. Initial awards for faculty and student publications will be $1,500 and $1,000, respectively, as well as an embossed award certificate. The amount of each award is designed to grow over time, depending on the Sandgrund Endowment investment returns. Award recipients and their work will be described in a plaque located in a prominent space in the new Wolf Law Building. If no work is selected for an award in a given year, the amount of the award will carry over.
If you would like to view a PDF version of the award criteria and other details about the Sandgrund Award for Best Consumer Rights Work, please click here