Captivating narrative tension unearths complex topics of grief, addiction, generational trauma
Second-year law student Gabby Armer’s entry titled “What He Left Behind” won Belmont College of Law’s "Best Story Award" as part of the annual Legal Fiction Workshop.
“What He Left Behind” is a story about one prosecutor’s struggle with second chances set against an incongruously glittering Christmastime.
Armer’s story was chosen through an anonymized review process by novelist, practicing attorney and Belmont Law alumnus Brandon Dragan (’22) who served as the spring 2025 community reader. Dragan is also the national winner of the American Bar Association Journal's 2021 Ross Writing Contest and will join the Belmont Law Legal Fiction Workshop as co-faculty in spring 2026.
In a statement, Dragan described “What He Left Behind” as “captivating and engaging from beginning to end. The author deftly creates narrative tension while managing to peel back layers of complex topics, such as grief, addiction and the effects of generational trauma.”
Armer’s story allows the reader to follow the story's protagonist, an assistant district attorney, as she grapples with the requirements of justice in light of her resentment toward her recently deceased father and the harrowing memories left in his wake.
“What He Left Behind is a truly meaningful story with convincing character development and an ending that satisfies,” he added.
Armer's entry is also under consideration for the American Bar Association's Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction, which will be announced at the end of the summer.
About the Legal Fiction Workshop
Belmont’s Legal Fiction Workshop is conducted over the spring semester as an extracurricular activity for a limited number of second- and third-year law students. The workshop is taught by Professor Kristi Arth, who designed the workshop as an incubator for students to produce creative work capable of publication. She hopes the workshop will also serve as a needed creative outlet for busy law students.
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