A Washington landmark’s persistent algae and a controversial corner of Supreme Court practice are competing for Halloween honors in Above the Law’s annual legally themed costume contest.

The publication has narrowed this year’s submissions to two finalists: a couple dressed as the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and its algae, and an entrant representing the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket.” Readers will choose the winner of the contest, now in its 17th year.

The first entry turns a recognizable Washington scene into a couples costume with a legal twist. The Reflecting Pool and its algae have been the subject of legal disputes involving the Trump administration, making the pairing a timely choice for a contest that rewards both legal and cultural relevance.

The second finalist draws its inspiration from inside the judicial system. The “shadow docket” refers to the Supreme Court’s handling of emergency applications and other orders outside its regular process of full briefing, oral argument and signed opinions. Such orders can be issued with limited explanation, a feature that has drawn concern and criticism within the legal community.

For a Halloween costume, that lack of explanation supplies its own kind of fright: a consequential court order can arrive without the detailed reasoning lawyers and the public might expect from a traditional opinion.

The finalists emerged from reader submissions collected ahead of Halloween. Above the Law said it selected the two entries because they stood out for combining legal and cultural relevance.

The contest also offers two different takes on what makes a legal issue costume-worthy. One looks outward to a prominent public space and the disputes surrounding it; the other gives form to a court practice that can be difficult to see but significant in its effects.

Voting is open through Sunday, November 15, at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time. Readers can cast a ballot in the [online poll](https://poll-maker.com/poll5904167xac304189-169), choosing between the Reflecting Pool and algae duo and the Shadow Docket.

The result will determine which interpretation of the year’s legal landscape takes the contest’s top spot.