ABA Essay and Writing Competitions
Did you know the ABA presents over 100 awards and distributes over $100,000 in awards and grants each year? Over 20 of these awards and grants have been specifically designed for law schools or law students, including writing competitions and fellowships. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain recognition for your accomplishments, that of your law school or student organization. For more information specifically on ABA writing competitions, go to http://www.abanet.org/lsd/competitions/writing-contests/#other.
Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice
Gellhorn-Sargentich Law Student Essay Contest
- Award: $500 cash prize and round-trip airfare and accommodation to attend the Section’s Fall Conference; possible publication in Administrative and Regulatory Law News.
- Entry deadline: March
Admiralty and Maritime Law Student Writing Competition
- Topic:Recent developments in admiralty and maritime law.
- Award: $500, + up to $500 in expenses to attend the ABA Annual Meeting.
- Length:Not over 20pages.
- Sponsor; Admiralty &Maritime Law Committee of the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section.
- Website: http://www.abanet.org/tips/admiralty/home.html
- Entry Deadline: May 22, 2010.
Affordable Housing and Community Development Forum Committee
Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law Writing Competition
- Award: $1,000 plus a trip to the Forum Committee's Annual Conference where prize will be presented. The winning essay may be published in the Journal of Affordable Housing and Community Development Law.
- Postmark deadline: February 25, 2011
- www.abanet.org/forums/afforable
Antitrust Law Section
ABA Antitrust Law Student Writing Competition
- Award: First Place: $2,000, registration fee, transportation, lodging and luncheon at Antitrust Spring Meeting in Washington, DC. Second Place Award: $500
- Article submission deadline: January
Business Law, Section of
Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest
- Deadline: January 9, 2010. Papers must be nominated through the dean of the law school.
- Topic: Aspects of business law.
- Award: 1st place $2,500, travel and lodging to attend the Section’s Spring Meeting, possible publication in The Business Lawyer.; 2nd place $1,000; 3rd place $500. All winners receive expenses to attend the ABA Section of Business Law Spring Meeting.
- Length: 20-30 pages preferred; not over 100 pages.
- Sponsor: ABA Section of Business Law.
Criminal Justice Section
Annual William W. Greenhalgh Student Writing Competition
- Award: $2,000, publication of winning essay in Criminal Justice magazine, and expense-paid trip to ABA Annual Meeting
- Entry deadline: April
Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law
Adam A. Milani Disability Law Writing Competition
- Award: $300 to $500 and a possible invitation to be published in the ABA Mental and Physical Disability Law Reporter.
- Entry deadline: June
Commission on Domestic Violence
Annual Law Student Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place receives $750, 2nd place, $500 and 3rd place, $250
- Entry deadline: March
Construction Industry
The ABA Forum on the Construction Industry Writing Competition
- Deadline: December 30, 2010.
- Topic: Related to construction law
- Format: Should resemble articles published in either Forums' two publications, The Construction Lawyer (law journal format) and Under Construction (newsletter format)
- Award: $2,000, travel expenses and registration to attend the annual meeting of the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, a one-year membership in the Forum and recognition in the Forum newsletter and on the Forum's website. (One or more submissions may receive honorable mention.)
- Contact: Marilyn Klinger at 213-615-8038 for more information.
Dispute Resolution
James Boskey ADR Writing Competition
- Deadline: June 15, 2010.
- Topic: Dispute resolution practice, theory, or research.
- Award: $1,000 + online publication.
- Length: 15-25 pages.
- Sponsor: ABA Section of Dispute Resolution and the Institute for Arbitration Law and Practice, Penn State Dickinson School of Law.
Entertainment and Sports Industry Forum Committee and the Recording Academy Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI)
Annual GRAMMY® Foundation Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Writing Contest
- Award: 1st place winner: $5,000, 2nd place winners (4): $1,500. All winners receive one Grammy Awards show ticket plus all expenses to Grammy Awards.
- For additional information, contact loren.fishbein@grammy.com or to have a list of the competition rules emailed to you, contact eli@grammy.com.
- Entry deadline: January 3, 2011
Environmental Law Institute
Student Writing Competition
- Award: $2,000 cash
- Deadline: Friday, April 12, 2013
- Topic: Any topic addressing recent developments or trends in U.S. environmental law that have a significant constitutional or "federalism" component.
- Contact: Judy Amsalem at amsalem@eli.org
Family Law Section
Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest
- Award: Possible publication in Family Law Quarterly
- Postmarked entry deadline: May
Health Law
Health Law Writing Competition
- Award: $500 plus travel and lodging to the Section's Emerging Issues Program
- Entry deadline: December
American Bar Association Health Law Student Writing Award
International Law
Rona R. Mears Student Writing Competition & Scholarship Awards
- Award: 2 Winners receive $1,000 prize each plus a travel stipend to the Section’s Spring Meeting for the presentation of the Award. Publication of Essays in a Section Publication
- Entry deadline: January
Texas International Law Section Law Student Legal Writing Contest
- Deadline: May 31, 2010.
- Topic: Any area of international law, including international antitrust, arbitration, business transactions, conflicts of law, criminal law, immigration, intellectual property, litigation, multinational enterprises, public law, and trade law.
- Award: 1st place $1,000; 2nd place $500.
- Length: 3-10 pages.
- Sponsor: International Law Section, State Bar of Texas.
Intellectual Property
ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law
- Entry deadline: Ongoing--winners chosen by participating schools
Labor and Employment Law
Labor Lawyer Student Writing Contest
- Award: $500
- Postmarked entry deadline: August
- Labor Lawyer Student Writing Contest
ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law
- Award: First place: $1500 and publication in the ABA Journal of Labor and Employment Law. Second place: $1000. Third place: $500
- Topic: Any topic in the field of labor and employment law
- Deadline:May 15, 2011
- Go to www.laborandemploymentcollege.org for more information.
National Security Law Student Writing Competition
American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security
Lawyers' Professional Liability Standing Committee and Long & Levit LLP
Levit Essay Contest on Lawyers' Professional Liability
- Award: $5,000 plus an expense-paid trip to the Spring National Legal Malpractice Conference in Boston, MA
- Postmark entry deadline: February 17, 2012
- Full contest rules can be found here: http://bit.ly/Levit2012
Public Contract Law
Public Contract Law Journal Writing Competition
Public Education
Judge Edward R. Finch Law Day Speech Award
- Award: Inscribed plaque and $100 toward purchase of Law Day materials. Winning entries will be prominently featured in next year's planning guide and on the Law Day website.
- Entry Deadline: June
Public Utility, Communications and Transportation
Law Student Writing Competition
- Award: $2,500, travel and lodging to Section's Fall Council Group Meeting, notice of winning in Infrastructure newsletter.
- Entry Deadline: June
K. William Kolbe Student Writing Competition
- Deadline: Annually on June 1.
- Topic: Issues pertaining to Section's legal areas, including the communications, cable, internet, electricity, gas, oil, aviation, motor carriers, railroad, and water industries.
- Award: $2,500 + expenses to attend Section's Fall Council Group Meeting + online publication.
- Length: Not over 50 pages.
- Sponsor: ABA Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law.
Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section
RPTE Section Student Writing Contest
- Award: First place winner will receive $2,000 cash, one-year free Section membership, expense-paid trip to attend the Section's Fall Council Meeting.
- Postmark entry deadline: June
ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Student Writing Contest
Science and Technology Law
Law Student Writing Contest
- Award: The winner will receive a trip to the ABA Annual Meeting and may have his or her submission published in The SciTech Lawyer.
- Entry deadline: March
Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS)
Law Student Writing Competition
- First Place Award: $1,500, airfare and lodging to ABA Annual Meeting, possible publication in Tort Trial & Insurance Law Journal. Second Place Award: $500.
- All winners will be announced in the Section's magazine, The Brief.
- Entry deadline: March
Women in the Profession (Commission on)
20th Anniversary Video/Essay Competition
- First Place Award: $500 honorarium
- Entry Deadline: December