By Ralph Derickson

Hargis' article was originally written for an Immigration Law Seminar class.  A classmate read the paper and encouraged Hargis to enter it in the national competition.

The article, which examines the conflict between federal immigration law policy and the ability of states to define one's familial status, will be published in the Tulane Law Journal.

Hargis was motivated to research and write the article after the Baker v. Vermont decision that was handed down last year.  The article was originally written for an Immigration Law Seminar class.   A classmate read the paper and encouraged Hargis to enter it in the national competition.  More than 250 papers were entered in the competition.  Federal judges and attorneys in Chicago judged the articles.

The award was presented to Hargis by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno in October 2000 at a conference in Washington, D.C.

Hargis is a native of Henderson, Ky.  He has a bachelor of arts degree in government from Centre College in Danville and is serving as a law clerk in the Lexington law firm of Henry, Watz, Gardner, Sellars and Gardner.

He also is a member of the Kentucky Law Journal and serves on the editorial board of the journal as the Symposium Editor.  Another article Hargis wrote reviewing the constitutionality of Kentucky's "Fairness Laws" will be published in the Kentucky Law Journal in the summer of 2001.

Hargis is the son of Steve and Debbie Hargis of Henderson, Ky.