Luke DeFio ’27 Wins National Trusts and Estates Writing Competition

Albany Law School student Luke DeFio ’27 has earned national recognition after winning first prize in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Foundation's 2026 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition, a prestigious legal writing competition that recognizes outstanding scholarship in trusts and estates law.

DeFio's paper explored the intersection of electronic wills and the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence, examining how emerging technologies may challenge existing legal frameworks as more states adopt electronic will statutes.

Winning the competition is especially meaningful to DeFio, who hopes to build a career in trusts and estates law.

"I’m honored that the Judges picked my paper to win, and it means a lot to me. This area of practice is something that I am passionate about and have been passionate about for a long time," DeFio said.

In addition to a $5,000 award and publication in the ACTEC Law Journal, DeFio received a full-tuition scholarship to the Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning at the University of Miami School of Law, where he plans to pursue an LL.M. after graduating from Albany Law.

DeFio says the achievement reflects not only months of research and writing, but also the encouragement he has received from Albany Law faculty throughout his legal education.

"All the professors at Albany Law have always pushed me to do my best and I appreciate all of their support,” DeFio said. “Specifically, Professor David Pratt has motivated me and helped me with anything I need. Also, Professor Tara Anne Pleat ’02 has been incredibly supportive; she was the one who actually encouraged me to submit."

He also pointed to the support he received in developing his legal writing skills.

"Both Professor Kanika Johar ’13 and her teaching assistant, Evan Clement ’26, have been extremely supportive throughout my law school career. In my Introduction to Lawyering class, they taught me how to research, write, and develop a scholarly paper like this,” DeFio said. “Without that class, I can guarantee I would not have written something of this quality."

Looking back on the experience, DeFio encourages other law students to pursue ambitious projects, even when they seem daunting.

"The biggest advice I'd give is to just start,” he said. “When I started, it was overwhelming. There was so much that I had to research and write, and I almost didn't know where to begin. The most important thing is to put something down on paper and go from there.”