External Writing Competitions by Practice Area/Subject
Many competitions take place annually. To allow you to anticipate upcoming competitions, details on past competitions (whose deadlines have passed for this year) are included here. Please read the details on each competition carefully on each competition’s website and be sure to check with the contest organizer for specific eligibility requirements.
Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice
The Center for Policy Essay Contest
Court of Federal Claims Bar Association Student Writing Competition
- Award: $1,500.
- Topic:Any topic falling within the procedure, substance, or scope of the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Cases before the Courtinclude tax refund suits, government contracts, Fifth Amendment takings including environmental and natural resource issues, civilian and military pay, intellectual property, Indian tribe, and vaccine injury compensation cases.
- Length: 25 pages preferred; not over 30 pages.
- Deadline:January 14, 2011.
- Go to http://www.cfcbar.org/index.php/news#story32 for more information.
- Sponsor:Court of Federal Claims Bar Association.
Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition
- Award: Lawyer and student categories: 1st place in each is$1,500.
- Topic: Topics related to regulatory or administrative law, broadly construed.
- Length: Not over 25,000 words; shorter submissions are strongly encouraged.
- Deadline: Annually in February.
- Go to http://www.acslaw.org/cudahycompetition for more information.
- Sponsor: American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.
American Indian Law
American Indian Law Review Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place: $1,000 and publication, 2nd place: $500, 3rd place: $250
- Topic: Topics related to any issue concerning American Indian Law
- Length: Minimum of 20 pages and maximum of 50 pages
- Deadline: January 31, 2011
- Go to http://www.ailr/net/writecomp for more information.
- The University of Oklahoma American Indian Law Review
Animal Law
Animals and the Law Writing Competition
Antitrust & Consumer Protection
H. Thomas Austern Memorial Writing Long Paper Competition
- Award: 1st place $4,000; 2nd place $1,000.
- Topic: Current legal issues relevant to the regulation of foods, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, or biologics.
- Length: 41-100 pages.
- Deadline: June 11, 2010.
- Go to http://www.fdli.org/edu/hthomas.html for more information.
- Sponsor: The Food and Drug Law Institute.
Appellate Practice
Eisenberg Prize
- Award: $2,000.
- Topic: Appellate practice and procedure. Articles must have been published in the 12 months preceding the deadline.
- Length: Immaterial.
- Deadline: July 16, 2010.
- Go to http://www.appellateacademy.org/eisenbergprize/index.cfm for more information.
- Sponsor: American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
James William Moore Federal Practice Award
- Award: $2,000 + Moore's Federal Rules Pamphlet (4-volume set). In addition, the law review submitting the winning article receives $1,000.
- Topic: Federal civil practice and procedure, including federal courts management, federal appellate procedure, and appropriate dispute resolution.
- Deadline: June 1, 2010. Articles must be nominated by a student publication.
- Go to http://www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool/StartingLawSchool.aspx?articleid=272 for more information.
- Sponsor: LexisNexis.
Bankruptcy & Insolvency
American Bankruptcy Institute Law Student Writing Competition
- Award:1st place $1,000 + publication; 2nd place $750 + publication; 3rd place $500 + publication.
- Topic:Bankruptcy jurisdiction, bankruptcy litigation, and evidence in bankruptcy proceedings. Topics may address business or consumer cases.
- Length: Not over 12 pages.
- Special note:Before submission, papers must be screened by a law professor at the entrant's law school; see competition information for more details.
- Deadline:March 1, 2010.
- Go to http://papers.abi.org/ for more information.
- Sponsor: American Bankruptcy Institute Bankruptcy Litigation Committee.
NACCT Consumer Bankruptcy Law Student Writing Competition
- Award: Publication + free registration for the NACTT annual seminar.
- Topic: Any topic concerning Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code.
- Length: Not over 15 pages.
- Deadline: April 30, 2010.
- Go to http://www.nactt.com/ for more information.
- Sponsor: National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees.
Children and the Law
2010 Law Student Essay Competition
Constitutional Law & Civil Rights
American Constitution Society National Student Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $3,000 + publication; 2 runners-up receive $1,000.
- Topic: Varying topics on furthering and promoting a progressive vision of the Constitution, law, and public policy: entrants are encouraged to view the topic broadly.
- Eligibility: All entrants must be members of the American Constitution Society as of the day of submission.
- Length: 25-50 pages.
- Deadline: February 19, 2010.
- Go to http://www.acslaw.org/chapters/studentcompetitions/writing for more information.
- Sponsor: American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.
Nonsmokers' Rights Legal Research and Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $5,000; 2nd place $3,000; 3rd place $1,000. Thirty finalistswill receive a $1,000 travel grants to attend the June 2010 World Conference on Nonsmokers Rights, present their proposals, and have web publication of their proposals.
- Topic: Ideas for using legal action to advance nonsmokers’ rights.
- Length: Initial proposal of not over 1,000 words.Thirty finalists will be invited to make oral presentations.
- Deadline for proposal: May 1, 2010 (earlier submissions have a better chance of receiving travel grants).
- Go to http://nosmokingcontest.org/ for more information.
- Sponsor: National Center for Nonsmokers Rights.
Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize
- Award: $10,000.
- Topic: Tension between civil liberties and national security in contemporary American society.
- Eligibility: Law students and scholars.
- Length: Article of any length, or book.
- Go to http://www.kentlaw.edu/palmerprize/2010_palmerentries.pdf for more information.
- Sponsor: Chicago-Kent College of Law.
William Pew Religious Freedom Scholarship Writing Competition
Consumer Financial Services Law
American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers Writing Competition
- Award: First - $2500; Second - $2000; Third - $1000
- Topic: Any topic dealing with consumer financial services law
- Go to http://www.accfsl.org for more information.
Copyright Law
The Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition
- Award: First - $3000; Second - $2000; Third - $1000
- Topic: Any topic in copyright law
- Go to http://www.ascap.com/musicbiz/burkan/ for more information.
- Sponsor: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
Disability Law
Paralyzed Veterans' Legal Writing Competition
- Award: $3,000 each in student division and professional division.
- Topic:Varies by year.2010 topic: Adjudication within the Department of Veterans Affairs: Judicial Independence, Quality Control, Consumer Perception and the Paradoxes Present in the VA's System of Administrative Adjudication.
- Length: 15-30 pages.
- Go to http://www.pva.org/site/News2?id=14171&page=NewsArticle for more information.
- Sponsor: Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Dispute Resolution
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution
Education Law
George Jay Joseph law competition
Elder Law
NAELA Elder Law Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $1,500; 2nd place $1,000; 3rd place $500. The top eight articles will be published.
- Topic: Legal issues affecting seniors or persons with disabilities.
- Length: Not over 35 pages.
- Go to http://www.naela.org/Student_Writing_Competition.aspx for more information.
- Sponsor: National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
Employment and Labor Law
College of Labor & Employment Lawyers Writing Competition
College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers 2010 Writing Competition
Employee Benefits Writing Competition
- Award: Up to two awards of $1,500.
- Topic: Any legal topic involving employee benefits law, including but not limited to health or pension benefits, 401(k) plans, severance, executive compensation, spousal and domestic partner benefits, and fiduciary obligations.
- Length: Not over 40 pages.
- Go to http://www.acebc.com/ for more information.
- Sponsor: American College of Employee Benefits Counsel.
Louis Jackson National Student Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $3,000 + web publication; 2 runners-up receive $1,000 + web publication.
- Topic: Workplace law, including employment law, labor law, employee benefits, and employment discrimination.
- Length: Not over 35 pages.
- Go to http://www.kentlaw.edu/academics/plel/LouisJacksonNWC.html for more information.
- Sponsor: Jackson Lewis LLP and the Institute for Law and the Workplace at Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Entertainment Law
15th Annual Grammy Foundation Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition
- Award: Grand prize winner: $5,000 scholarship, 4 runners-up: $1,500 scholarships. All winners receive one ticket to the Grammy Awards, Round-trip airfare to the award ceremony, hotel accommodations and one MusiCares person of the year ticket.
- Contact: loren.fishbein@grammy.com or 310.392.3777
Ethics & Professionalism
Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition
Family Law
Family Law Writing Competition
- Award: $500 cash prize and consideration for publication in the Family Court Review.
- Deadline: March 15, 2010
- Go to law.hofstra.edu/fcr for more information
- Sponsor: Hofstra Law School and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Federal Jurisdiction
2010 George Hutchinson Writing Competition
LGBT Issues
Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition
- Awards: $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000. First-place winner will also receive registration, airfare and lodging to attend the Lavender Law Conference andpublication in theJournal of Law and SexualityatTulaneUniversityLawSchool.
- Deadline: June 1, 2010
- Go tohttp://www.nlgla.org/ for more information.
- Sponsor: The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Bar Association
Health Care & Life Sciences
American College of Legal Medicine's Student Writing Competition in Law, Medicine & Bioethics
- Award: 1st place (Hirsch Award Winner) $1,000 + expenses to present paper at annual meeting; 2nd place $500; 3rd place $250.
- Topic: Any aspect of legal medicine.
- Go to http://www.aclm.org/resources/swc/ for more information.
- Sponsor: American College of Legal Medicine
4th Annual Assisted Reproduction Technology Law Writing Competition
- Award: $2,500: 1st place, $1,500: 2nd place, $1,000: 3rd place
- Topic: Embryo donation and adoption law
- Deadline: March 7, 2011
- Go to http://www.embryolaw.org/ for more information.
Health Care and Life Sciences Law Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $4,000; 2nd place $2,000; 3rd place $500. The top 20% of entries will be considered for publication in Loyola University Chicago's Annals of Health Law.
- Topic: Current topics in health care and life scienceslaw. Papers may address traditional areas of the law as applied to health care (e.g., antitrust, tax, corporate) or areas of law unique to health care (e.g., fraud and abuse, managed care, Medicare/Medicaid, clinical trials.)
- Length: Not specified.
- Deadline: January 22, 2010.
- Go to http://www.ebglaw.com/othercontent.aspx?show=5064 for more information
- Sponsor: Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.
Sarah Weddington Writing Prize in Reproductive Rights Law
- Award: 1st place $750+ online publication; 2nd place $500+ online publication; 3rd place $250+ online publication.
- Topic: Varies annually.
- Length: Not under20 pages.
- Deadline:March 1, 2010.
- Go to http://lsrj.org/awards/ for more information.
- Sponsor:Law Students for Reproductive Justice.
Holocaust and the Law
Holocaust Remembrance Essay Award
Information Technology Law
Edward F. Langs Writing Competition
Intellectual Property Law
Berkeley Technology Law Journal Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $2,000 + publication; 2nd place $750, 3rd place $500.
- Topic: Law and technology topics, including but not limited tointellectual property, antitrust, First Amendment, entertainment and new media, telecommunications, biotechnology, internet, and cybercrime.
- Length: Not over 50 pages.
- Deadline: February 26, 2010.
- Go to http://www.btlj.org/submissions/competition.php for more information.
- Sponsor: Berkeley Technology Law Journal.
Hon. William C. Conner Intellectual Property Law Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $1,500; 2nd place $1,000.
- Topic: Patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair trade practices, or antitrust.
- Length: Not over 25 pages.
- Deadline: March 19, 2010.
- Go to http://www.nyipla.org/ for more information.
- Sponsor: New York Intellectual Property Law Association.
Robert C. Watson Award
International Law
California State Bar International Law Section Writing Competition
- Award:1st place $2,000 + publication + expenses to attend the Section's Annual Meeting; 2nd place $750 + publication; 3rd place $250 + publication.
- Topic:Any subject, public or private, in international law.
- Length:5,000-20,000 pages.
- Deadline:October 15, 2010
- Go to http://international.calbar.ca.gov/ for more information.
- Sponsor:International Law Section of the State Bar of California.
Albert S. Pergam International Law Writing Competition
Andrew P. Vance Memorial Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $1,000 + possible publication; 2nd place $500.
- Topic: Customs and international trade law.
- Length: Not over 40 pages.
- Deadline: May 19, 2010.
- Go to http://www.citba.org/documents/2010AndrewP.VanceFlyer.pdf for more information.
- Sponsor: The Customs and International Trade Bar Association and Brooklyn Law School.
Trandafir International Business Writing Competition
- Topic: Any topic of contemporary international business or economic concern with a legal nexus.
- Award: Publication in the Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems Journal of the University of Iowa College of Law and $2,000
- Deadline: February 1, 2011.
- Go to http://www.uiowa.edu/~tlcp/html/trandafir_competition.html for more information.
Legal History
2010 Student Writing Competition
Legal Writing
The Judge John R. Brown Scholarship Foundation
Military and the Law
Rear Admiral John S. Jenkins Award
Public Interest Law
2012 Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Contest
Award: $5,000, free 2012 Public Justice Foundation Membership, Featured on the Public Justice website and in the nationally disseminated Public Justice Newsletter, Paper published in the Vermont Law School on-line Journal of Environmental Law
For more information and intent-to-enter form, visit www.publicjustice.net
Securities Law
Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni, Inc. (ASECA) Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $5,000, 2nd place $3,000, 3rd place $2,000
- Topic: Any subject in the field of securities law
- Deadline: November 15, 2010
- Contact info@secalumni.org for more information
James E. Beckley Writing Competition
- Award:1st place $1,000 + publication; 2nd place $750; 3rd place $500.
- Topic: Any aspect of securities law, securities arbitration, the Federal Arbitration Act, or FINRA Code of Arbitration.
- Length:Not over 20 pages.
- Deadline:September 3, 2010.
- Go to https://piaba.org/law-students/2010-student-writing-competition
- Sponsor: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association.
Tax Law
Tannenwald Writing Competition
- Award: First - $5000; Second - $2500; Third - $1500
- Topic: Any topic related to law, science, medicine, policy, technology, business, government, and innovation in relation to the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biologics industries
- Deadline: July 3, 2012, 9:00 p.m. EST
- For more information contact: Nancy Abramowitz at 202-274-4164 or nabramo@wco.american.edu
Technology and the Law
FoxKiser Annual Writing Competition in Law, Science & Medicine
- Award: First - $5000; Second - $1500
- Topic: Any topic related to law, science, medicine, policy, technology, business, government, and innovation in relation to the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biologics industries
- Deadline: June 30, 2010
- Go to http://competition.foxkiser.com/ for more information.
Futuristic Persons Appellate Brief Writing Contest
- Award: $1,000+ participation in the Annual Colloquium on the Law of Futuristic Persons, a virtual workshop.
- Topic: Write an appellate brief in support of or in opposition to the granting of U.S. citizenship to a futuristic person,defined as a being claiming to have the rights and obligations associated with humans but who is beyond currently accepted notions of legal personhood. Terasem Movement provides three specific cases for background.
- Length: 4,000-6,000 words.
- Deadline: September 10, 2010.
- Go to http://www.law.duke.edu/news/story?id=4561&u=10 for more information.
- Sponsor: Terasem Movement.
Trusts and Estate Planning
Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition
- Award: 1st place $5,000 + publication; 2nd place $3,000 + online publication; 3rd place $1,000 + online publication.
- Topic:Trusts and estates and related taxation.
- Deadline: June 15, 2010.
- Length: 20-30 pages.
- Sponsor: American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
Women and the Law
National Advocates for Pregnant Women Law Student Writing Competition
Selma Moidel Smith Law Student Writing Competition