law essay competition high school

THE PRINCETON LEGAL JOURNAL

Central to the PLJ’s mission is to provide opportunities for students to explore their own legal interests and to develop their personal editing and writing skills. As a result, the PLJ runs a writing competition for high school students to extend this engagement and accessibility to the law.

Spring 2024:

Topic: The First Amendment in Public Life

Winners: Matt Berkery, Maclain Conlin, & Luke Hwang.

Honorable Mentions: Ekaterina Chasovnikova, Ellie Sohn, & Pranav Gorty.

Speak Up: Speech First, Inc v. Sands, the Supreme Court, and Free Speech on College Campuses

Limiting Corporate Speech without Coercion?

Online Defamation: First Amendment Rights and Legal Standards for Unmasking the Identities of Anonymous Defendants

Spring 2023:

Topic: Emerging Issues in Law and Technology

Winners: Beatrice Neilson, Caroline Quirk, & Kaylee Yang.

Honorable Mentions: Deirdre Chau, Carson Loveless, Erica Yip, & Yike Zhang.

Carpenter v. United States, the Stored Communications Act, & the Third Party Doctrine in the Digital Age

The High Stakes of Deepfakes: The Growing Necessity of Federal Legislation to Regulate This Rapidly Evolving Technology

Google Monopoly: Searching for a Tech Competition Precedent

Writing Competition

The  Harvard Law Review  is composed of second- and third-year law students who are selected via a six-day writing competition at the end of each academic year. The Review strongly encourages all students to participate in the writing competition, which consists of two parts:

• Subcite: this portion, worth 50% of the competition score, requires students to perform a technical and substantive edit of an excerpt from an unpublished article
• Case Comment : this portion, also worth 50%, requires students to describe and analyze a recent case

The competition uses a closed universe of materials provided to all competition-takers; no additional outside research of any kind is allowed or required. The use of any form of Artificial Intelligence during the competition is also strictly prohibited.

Based on the competition, fifty-four second-year students are invited to join the Review each year, including:

• Twenty selected based solely on competition scores
• Seven (one from each 1L section) selected based on an equally weighted combination of competition scores and first-year grades
• Three (from any section) selected based on an equally weighted combination of competition scores and first-year grades
• Twenty-four selected through an anonymous holistic review (see below for details)

The  Review  is committed to a diverse and inclusive membership and encourages all students to participate in the writing competition. Harvard Law School students who are interested in joining the  Review  must write the competition at the end of their first year, even if they plan to take time off during law school or are pursuing a joint degree and plan to spend time at another graduate school.

Timeline & Resources

The 2024 Competition will take place from Sunday, May 12 to Saturday, May 18 . Writing competition tips and Q&A sessions will be held in early and mid-April.

Registration will open in April 2024. We expect to invite editors to join Volume 139 over the course of several days in late July. Orientation for new editors is scheduled for the week of July 22nd and will take place remotely. Volume 139 will resume a past practice of an in-person Orientation for half a day near the start of the Fall 2024 Semester. Editors are expected to be fully available during this time. In August, editors will have Law Review assignments, but these assignments can be completed simultaneously with other commitments (internships, events, travel, etc.).

For more information about the competition, the following resources are available:

• The 2024 Application and Information Packet . The application information packet is designed to provide some specific guidance about approaching the case comment and subcite portions of the competition. Please note that the sample competition submissions included in the packet are merely representative and are by no means definitive examples.
• Tips Session and Q&A. Video of our April 1, 2024 writing competition tips session and our April 11, 2024 subcite Q & A session is available on our YouTube channel. The. This questions and answers document summarizes the Q&A portion of the April 13, 2023 session.
• Factsheet: This document responds to common questions and concerns we have heard.
• Sample Schedules: This includes a variety of writing competition schedules used by current editors.
• FAQ on Accommodations . See below for more information on disabilities and accommodations.

Competition & Membership Policies

Holistic consideration.

Applicants will have the opportunity to convey aspects of their identity which have led to the development of character qualities or unique abilities that can contribute to the Law Review , including but not limited to their racial or ethnic identity, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Applicants can do so by submitting an additional expository statement.  Statements will be considered by the Selection Committee only after grading of the competition has been completed. Statements will remain anonymous and will not be evaluated for quality of writing or editing, nor will they be assigned a numerical score.

Applicants are welcome to draft their expository statements before the competition week begins, and the prompt for the 200-word statement is as follows:

“You are strongly encouraged to use the space below to submit a typed expository statement of no more than 200 words. This statement may identify and describe aspects of your identity which have impacted your development of certain character qualities or unique abilities that can serve as an asset to the Law Review and are not fully captured by the categories on the previous page, including, but not limited to, racial or ethnic identity, socioeconomic background, disability (physical, intellectual, cognitive/ neurological, psychiatric, sensory, developmental, or other), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, country of origin or international status, religious identity or expression, undergraduate institution(s), age, academic or career trajectory prior to law school, military status, cultural background, or parental/caretaker status. Additionally or alternatively, you may use this statement to identify and describe areas of academic or scholarly interest, career goals, or any other element of your identity that you would bring to your work on the Law Review .

Statements will be considered only after grading of the subcite and case comment sections of the competition has been completed. Statements will not be evaluated for quality of writing or editing, nor will they be assigned a numerical score. No applicant will be penalized in any way for not submitting an optional statement, and all optional statements are completely confidential.”

Deferral & Leave

Harvard Law Review will invite students to join Vol. 139 in mid-July. Students invited to join Vol. 138 who are taking a full-year leave of absence from HLS will be allowed to defer their membership in Law Review for the year. They may then join the Law Review as members of Vol. 140 in fall 2025 and serve as editors for two years. Editors typically serve for two full academic years to ensure ample time for training, acclimation to their roles on the Review , and opportunities to make collective decisions about our work.

Students invited to join Vol. 139 who are taking a fall-semester leave of absence from HLS are encouraged to still join as editors with Vol. 139. If joining with Vol. 139, editors will be expected to complete Law Review work during the fall, even though they are on leave from HLS. They will then serve as editors for two years. Alternatively, students taking a one-semester leave may wait to join until fall of the following year (fall 2025); in that case, they will have no Law Review obligations during the 2024-2025 academic year and will participate as Law Review editors for a single year.

Transfer Students

Prospective transfer students may take the competition at the same time as Harvard Law School 1Ls. Prospective transfer students are selected on the same anonymous grading basis as Harvard 1Ls and are eligible for 44 of the spots on the Review (in other words, all spots besides the 10 allotted to Harvard 1Ls for whom first-year grades play a role). Prospective transfer students may submit an anonymized, unofficial transcript when their 1L grades are released if they would like their grades to be considered in the Law Review ’s holistic review process. The Review ’s membership decisions do not affect the admissions decisions of Harvard Law School.

Recognizing that the competition schedule poses unique challenges to prospective transfer applicants, the Review also allows transfer students to take the competition at the end of their 2L year. Up to four spots are available for such students. However, no student may attempt the competition more than once, and this option is only available to transfer students who did not previously take the competition. Like prospective transfer students, rising third-year students may submit their grades, but they will not be eligible for the 10 slots that incorporate first-year grades.

Prospective 1L transfer students should email [email protected] for information about registering.

SJD Students

SJD students at Harvard Law School may serve as editors of the Law Review . To join, SJDs take the same writing competition as JD students and are eligible for 44 of the editorial positions (all spots besides those allotted to JD 1Ls for whom first-year grades play a role). SJDs should take the competition only if they are certain they have at least two years remaining in their program of study. Additionally, as with all candidates, SJDs are permitted to participate in the writing competition only once.

Disabilities & Accommodations

The Harvard Law Review is firmly committed to providing accommodations for students with disabilities and handles requests on a case-by-case basis. The Law Review is an independent entity and thus has its own accommodations system separate from Harvard Law School’s Dean of Students Office.

Accommodations requests can be submitted between Monday, March 11th and Friday, April 12th and will be processed on a rolling basis. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their accommodation requests as soon as possible even if they are not yet certain they will take the competition. Please see our answers to FAQ on accommodations to learn more about what documentation is needed.

The Law Review strives to keep information regarding disabilities and accommodations as confidential as possible. Nothing about your accommodations application or your receipt of accommodations will be part of the Competition entry that is considered in the selection process. All Competition grading is doubly anonymized. Jennifer Heath, a non-student HLR staff member manages the logistics related to our accommodations process, and accommodations recommendations to the Law Review are made by our testing consultant, Dr. Loring Brinckerhoff.

Legal Writing Competitions: By Topic

• By Due Date
• Additional Resources

Legal Writing Competitions

Legal writing competitions are a great way to earn recognition, get your work published, and even earn cash! The Legal Research Center has compiled a list of legal writing competitions, which you can browse by topic or by deadline month.

Some competitions require you to compose a new paper, while others call for the submission of a recently published paper, such as a law review article. Need help developing a topic? See our guides on  Developing a Topic for Research Papers and  Law Review Resources for more information.

This list is updated as new information is received, but note that deadlines and writing topics often change from year to year. Make sure to check each link for the most up-to-date information.

Writing Competitions: By Topic

• Administrative & Regulatory Law
• Admiralty & Maritime Law
• Aerospace Law
• Business Law
• Constitutional Law
• Construction Law
• Consumer Law
• Criminal Law
• Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
• Disability Law
• Dispute Resolution
• Diversity in the Law
• Education Law
• Entertainment & Sports Law
• Environmental Law
• Food & Drug Law
• Government Contracts
• Immigration Law
• Insurance Law
• Intellectual Property
• International Law
• Labor & Employment
• Law Librarianship
• Law & Religion
• Military & National Security Law
• Native American & Indigenous Rights
• New Jersey Law
• Pennsylvania Law
• Professional Responsibility
• Public Interest Law
• Real Estate, Land Use & Housing
• Securities Law
• Technology Law & Legal Tech
• Trusts & Estates
• American Society of Legal Writers Scribes Law-Review Award Deadline: January 15, 2023 Notes: Since 1987, Scribes has presented an annual award for the best student-written article in a law review or journal. The Scribes Law-Review Award is presented at the Scribes annual CLE, which is usually held in April.
• Chapman LLC Scholarship for Law Students Deadline: June 15, 2023 Prize: $1,000 Topic: Should collegiate athletes be paid? Argue for or against and provide at least 3 reasons for your position. Eligibility: Law student planning on attending, accepted to attend, or currently attending an accredited law school in the U.S.; U.S. citizen 18 years or older.
• Judge John R. Brown Award for Excellence in Legal Writing Deadline: May 31, 2023 Prize: Up to $15,000 Eligibility: Any law student currently enrolled in an accredited law school in the United States seeking a J.D. or LL.B degree is eligible to submit a paper for the Award. The article must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from a law school faculty member or legal professional other than the author of the paper.
• National Law Review Law Student Writing Competition Deadline: Monthly (reviewed September through May) Notes: The NLR Law Student Writing Competition offers law students the opportunity to submit articles for publication consideration on the NLR Web site.
• Philadelphia Bar Association Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pursuit of Justice Legal Writing Competition Deadline: August 1, 2023 Prize: $2,500 Topic: Candidates may submit a law review quality submission on any topic relating to rights, privileges, and responsibilities under federal law. Eligibility: Open to full-time and part-time law students who completed their second or third year of study by the end of the 2021-2022 academic year at one of the following six institutions : Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Rutgers Law School, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and Widener University Delaware Law School. Part-time law students who were in their third or later year of study during the 2021-2022 academic year are also eligible.
• ABA Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section K. William Kolbe Writing Competition Deadline: June 30, 2023 Prize: $2,500 Topic: Papers should address a current topic of general interest in a legal area covered by the Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section (communications, cable TV, internet, electricity, gas, oil pipelines, aviation, railroads, and water industries).
• ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Gellhorn-Sargentich Law Student Essay Award Competition Deadline: June 30, 2023 Prize: $5,000 Topic: The entry must discuss any topic relating to administrative law. Eligibility: The Competition is open to law students who are, at the time of entry, (a) enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school, (b) members of the ABA and the Section, (c) at least 21 years old, and (d) U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.
• American Constitution Society Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition on Regulatory and Administrative Law Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,500 Notes: Submissions should be focused on American regulatory or administrative law, broadly construed. Appropriate subjects include empirical or comparative analyses of the effectiveness of specific regulatory regimes or deregulation; doctrinal investigations of the development of administrative law rules or principles by courts and administrative agencies and the effects of that development; and normative analyses of how particular regulatory or administrative regimes or deregulation advance or fail to advance values of fairness, participation, and transparency. Eligibility: The competition is open to all lawyers and law students. Practicing lawyers, policymakers, academics, and law students all are encouraged to participate. To be considered for the law student category the author(s) must be currently enrolled in a J.D. or LLM program at a U.S. law school.
• ABA Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee Law Student Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,000 Topic: Recent developments in admiralty and maritime law Eligibility: The Competition is open to any U.S. citizen law student or LLM candidate over the age of 21, currently attending an ABA-accredited law school within the United States and its possessions.
• Sarin McGill Annual Student Essay Contest on Aircraft Finance & Leasing Registration Deadline: TBA for 2024 Submission Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: Airfare and accommodations to tour McGill University's Institute of Air and Space Law. Topic: Following the Russian Federation’s re-registration, without the consent of the lessors or the states of registration, of aircraft leased to Russian operators, what are the implications for leasing and financing of aircraft, for the Chicago Convention, for the rule of law generally, and especially for third countries to which any such aircraft may be flown? Are there any precedents and, if so, how may they be compared and contrasted with the current situation? What solutions might there be? Eligibility Any student of law, enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate or doctoral programme in any law school or legal professional training school worldwide, at the time of submission of the entry, shall be considered eligible.
• NYSBA Committee on Animals and the Law: Student Writing Competition Deadline: July 7, 2023 Prize: $1,000 Topic: Animal law Eligibility: To be eligible for consideration, the submission must be written by a student currently enrolled (full time or part time) in an ABA-accredited law school. Students expecting to receive their degree in 2022 are eligible for consideration. The submission must be written by one, and only one student, i.e., papers jointly written by more than one student or that have been subjected to line editing by professors or advisors shall not be considered. No paper that has been previously published in any form shall be considered.
• ABA Section of Antitrust Law Robert Pitofsky Law Student Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $2,500 Topic: Antitrust or consumer protection law Eligibility: Open to any law school student in good standing, over the age of 21, who is currently attending an ABA-accredited law school within the United States and its possessions, and who is a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States. Entrants must submit an original article, which has already been published or which is scheduled to be published.
• NYIPLA Honorable William Conner Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,500 Topic: An entry must be directed to any of the following subject areas related to intellectual property, i.e., patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair trade practices, antitrust, and data security/privacy issues. Eligibility: All entrants must be law school students currently enrolled in a J.D. or LL.M. program (day or evening) in an accredited law school in the United States.
• International Insolvency Institute Prize in International Insolvency Studies Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $3,000 Topic: Topics of international insolvency and restructuring significance and comparative international analysis of domestic insolvency and restructuring issues and developments. Eligibility: The Prize Competition is open to full and part-time undergraduate and graduate students and to practitioners in practice for nine years or less. Entries must not have been published.

Deadline:   TBA for 2024 Prize:  $1,000 Topic:  "Business Law" is a broad category. Without attempting to define the area precisely, the subject is intended to include matters within law school curricula in courses entitled: Eligibility:  Author of the paper must be a student enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school’s J.D. program, in good standing, at the time of submission.

• American Constitution Society Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $3,000 Topic: ACS welcomes all student papers furthering and promoting a progressive vision of the Constitution, law, and public policy. Entrants are encouraged to view this topic broadly, and we welcome submissions on a variety of substantive areas. Examples of possible topics include: census report, civil legal aid, civil liberties, constitutional convention, consumer rights, criminal justice, disability rights, freedom of speech, immigration, indigent defense, money in politics (including judicial elections), labor law, LGBTQ+ rights, privacy, protection of health, safety, and the environment, racial equality, religion, role of state attorneys general, second amendment and guns, separation of powers and federalism, women’s reproductive rights and reproductive freedom, voting and political process, and whistleblower protection. Eligibility: The competition is open to all law students who are current, dues-paying ACS National members.
• Baxter Family Competition on Federalism Deadline: TBA for 2025 Prize: $5,000 (CAD) Topic: Federalism: What makes it work (or not!). This broad theme welcomes reflections about the institutional, political and cultural elements that explain successes and failures of federalism, whether small scale or at the macro level. We particularly welcome analyses which explore the potential and pitfalls of cooperative federalism. Cooperative angles are especially encouraged. Eligibility: All undergraduate or graduate students in law or political science students, as well as junior scholars, lawyers or practitioners who graduated in these disciplines with five (5) years of working experience or less, from anywhere around the world.
• Freedom From Religion Foundation Cornelius Vanderbroek Memorial Essay Competition Deadline: June 1, 2023 Prize: $3,500 Topic: As the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has become vital to the global effort to end the pandemic, both government and private employers, as well as some schools, around the country have announced vaccine mandates. Historically, very few employees have claimed religious exemptions from required vaccinations. However, people who oppose COVID-19 vaccines for political or other reasons are now abusing religious exemptions in order to flout vaccine mandates. Against this backdrop lawsuits have surged, challenging vaccine requirements on religious grounds and arguing that religious exemptions to such requirements are required by the First Amendment. Craft an argument that religious exemptions from vaccine requirements are not legally required, addressing constitutional questions as well as other legal issues raised by such mandates.
• ABA Forum on Construction Law’s Law Student Writing Competition Deadline: June 30, 2023 Prize: $2,000 Topic: Papers should address a topical issue of interest to the construction industry. Eligibility: The competition is open to any student age 21 years or older enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school during the academic years 2021 and 2022 of the competition who is a legal resident of the United States.
• ABA Antitrust Law Section Harvey Saferstein Consumer Protection Essay Contest Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $5,000 Topic: Consumer protection law
• ABA Business Law Section Mendes Hershman Writing Contest Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,000 Topic: "Business Law" is a broad category. Without attempting to define the area precisely, the subject is intended to include matters within law school curricula in courses entitled: Eligibility: Author of the paper must be a student enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school’s J.D. program, in good standing, at the time of submission more... less... Agency; Bankruptcy; Business Law; Business Organizations; Commercial Law; Consumer Law Contracts; Corporate Finance; Corporate Governance; Corporations; Creditors Rights; Employment Law; Financial Institutions; Insurance Law; Oil and Gas Law; Professional Responsibility; Remedies; Secured Transactions; Securities Regulations; Uniform Commercial Code
• American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers Writing Competition Deadline: November 1, 2023 Prize: $1,500 Topic: Eligible entries must discuss some aspect of U.S. consumer financial services law. Topics that relate principally to securities regulation, bankruptcy, insurance, or the safety and soundness aspects of banking regulation are not eligible, but works on subjects within these (or other) areas will be considered if they bear directly on U.S. consumer financial services.
• ABA Criminal Section Justice Annual William W. Greenhalgh Student Writing Competition Deadline: July 1, 2023 Prize: $2,500 Topic: Technology-enhanced searches Eligibility: The contest is open to students who, on the date the entry is submitted, attend and are in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school within the United States and its possessions. Membership in the Criminal Justice Section is not a requirement. Entrants must be at least 21 years of age and legal permanent residents or citizens of the United States.
• Arizona State Law Journal Criminal Justice Reform National Writing Competition Deadline: July 1, 2023 Prize: $1,000 Topic: Criminal justice reform Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled full-time at an ABA-accredited law school at the time of submission.
• Marshall M. Schulman Annual Competition for Student Papers in Criminal Law and/or Criminal Procedure Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,500 Topic: Criminal law and/or to criminal procedure, with a particular focus on contemporary issues of concern in the State of California Eligibility: This is a nationwide competition; while the focus is on California law, past winners have included students attending schools across the country.
• National Crime Victim Law Institute Annual Law Student Victims’ Rights Writing Competition Deadline: May 20, 2024 Prize: $200 Topic: Victims’ rights (preference given to papers focusing on rights enforcement in the context of criminal justice systems) Eligibility: Authors/presenters must be enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school at the date of their submission or have graduated from such a school within the last 18 months.
• ABA Antitrust Law Section Privacy and Information Security Committee Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Writing Competition Deadline: February 24, 2024 Prize: $5,000 Topic: Participants are required to submit an original written work on data privacy or cybersecurity law. Eligibility: Contestants need not be a member of the American Bar Association (“ABA”), the Antitrust Law Section ("Section") or the Privacy and Information Security Committee ("Committee") although membership in all is encouraged.
• ABA Commission on Disability Rights Adam A. Milani Writing Competition Deadline: June 9, 2023 Prize: Up to $1,000 Topic: The submission may address any aspect of disability law, theory, or practice the contestant chooses. Other permissible topics include issues arising under any of the following statutes: Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Age Discrimination in Employment Act; Family and Medical Leave Act; or any state statutes or municipal ordinances prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Eligibility: The competition is open to all students who attend a law school in the United States. Full-time students who are not law students but who write law-related papers as part of a course at an American law school are also eligible.
• ABA Section of Dispute Resolution James Boskey Essay Competition Deadline: June 9, 2023 Prize: $1,000 Topic: Any aspect of dispute resolution practice, theory or research that the contestant chooses. Eligibility: The competition is open to anyone, age 21 or older, who was a full-time or part- time J.D. law student, including students in joint J.D. degree programs, at an ABA-accredited law school during the 2020-21 academic year.
• American Journal of Mediation National Dispute Resolution Writing Competition Deadline: December 15, 2023 Prize: $5,000 Topic: Subject matter focus for entries can embrace the full range of the alternative dispute resolution field– consensus-based dispute resolution (e.g., negotiation, mediation), adjudicative processes (e.g., early neutral evaluation, binding or non-binding arbitration and private judging), or mixed processes (e.g., arb-med, med-arb, high low arbitration, baseball arbitration). Papers can also focus on ADR process design, practice techniques, specific case studies, related legislation, and ethical dilemmas and standards for dispute resolution professionals. Eligibility: The competition is open to all North American JD and LLM law students enrolled as of December 15, 2021.
• Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund Robert T. Matsui Annual Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 ; contact [email protected] Prize: $5,000 Topic: Submissions should address a legal topic of importance to the Asian Pacific American community. Eligibility: The Competition is open to all law students and anyone who graduated from law school within the last five years (i.e., 2018 or later) in the United States.
• Dukeminier Awards Jeffrey S. Haber Prize for Student Scholarship Deadline: TBA for 2023 Prize: $1,000 Topic: Sexual orientation and gender identity law
• National Association of Women Lawyers Selma Moidel Smith Law Student Writing Competition Deadline: February 1, 2024 Prize: $500 Topic: Entrants should submit a paper on an issue concerning, in your opinion, the most pressing issue related to advancing equality in the legal field. Topics can include but are not limited to, examining race, gender, sex, feminism, LGBTQIA+, pay equity, equal education, and employment opportunity, and or the Equal Rights Amendment, etc. Eligibility: Essays will be accepted from students enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school during the 2020-2021 school year. The essays must be the law student author’s own work and must not have been submitted for publication elsewhere. Papers written by students for coursework or independent study during the summer, fall, or spring semesters are eligible for submission. Notwithstanding the foregoing, students may incorporate professorial feedback as part of a course requirement or supervised writing project.
• National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Bar Association Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $500 Topic: Legal issues affecting LGBTQ+ persons.
• Education Law Association George Jay Joseph Award Deadline: August 1, 2022 Topic: The subject matter must address one or more legal issues within any of the various contexts of education, including public and private K-12 schools and institutions of higher education, especially current and emerging issues.
• ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Energy Law Writing Competition Deadline: May 31, 2023 Prize: $1,000 Topic: Any issue related to energy law
• Institute for Energy Law Hartrick Scholar Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $2,500 Topic: Any topic related to energy development. This includes, for example, topics concerning oil and gas law, alternative energy resources, energy regulation, and environmental regulation of the energy industries.
• Grammy Entertainment Law Initiative Student Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $10,000 tuition-based scholarship, tickets to GRAMMY Awards Topic: Legal issues facing the music industry
• Sports Lawyers Association Student Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $5,000 Notes: Each entrant must be a current law or LLM student and 18 years of age or older, and a member in good standing of the Sports Lawyers Association.
• Video Game Bar Association David S. Rosenbaum Scholarship Deadline: Contact [email protected] Prize: $2,500 Topic: Video games and the law. Potential topics could include: developments in game accessibility; reputation management and user-creations (mods, skins, etc.); game developer unionization and labor rights.
• ABA Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Student Writing Contest Deadline: May 31, 2023 Prize: $2,500 Topic: Real property, trust and estate law.* Eligibility: Open to any law school student in good standing, over the age of 21, who is currently attending an ABA-accredited law school within the United States and its possessions, and who is a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States. more... less... *“Real property, trust and estate law” is a broad category containing numerous practice disciplines. Without attempting to define the area precisely, the subject is intended to include matters within law school curricula in courses entitled: Property; Estate and Gift Tax; Wills and Decedents’ Estates; Real Estate Development; Environmental Law; Land Use Planning; Federal Taxation; Real Estate Finance; Secured Transactions; Debtors and Creditors; Employee Benefit Plans; Planning, Drafting and Negotiating Commercial Transactions; Taxation and Regulation of Non-Profit Organizations; Business Succession Planning; Life Insurance and Other Insurance Products; Trusts and Trust Law; Wealth Management; Fiduciary Income Taxation; Estate Planning; and Probate and Estate Administration.
• ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Writing Competitions Deadline: May 31, 2023 Prize: $1,000 Topic: See link for details of eight separate writing competitions: Endangered Species, Energy Law, Forest Law, International Environmental and Resources Law, Native American Resources, Public Land and Resources, Superfund, Brownfields, and Resource Recovery, and Water Law
• Public Citizen Law Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $5,000 Topic: Legal Remedies to Combat Climate Change
• White River Environmental Law Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,000 Topic: Any relevant topic in the fields of environmental law, natural resource law, energy law, environmental justice, land use law, animal law, and agricultural law. Eligibility: Current J.D. or LLM students at any ABA-accredited law school.
• ABA Section of Family Law Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest Registration Deadline: TBA for 2024 Submission Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,500.00 Topic: The subject may be any aspect of family law. Eligibility: Contestants must be J.D. students at ABA-approved law schools who are: second or third-year full-time students; second through fourth-year part-time students; or first-year students enrolled in schools where the subject of family law is part of the first-year curriculum; and citizens or legal permanent residents of the U.S. more... less... The primary focus of each essay should be an issue of law, although some interdisciplinary material may be useful in addressing a legal issue. Family law includes dissolution of marriage and other intimate relationships, relationships of persons of the same sex, parentage, custody, child support, division of property, alimony (maintenance), attorney's fees, adoption, dependency, termination of parental rights, rights pertaining to procreation, and alternative dispute resolution of Family Law issues. Family Law generally does not include Juvenile Justice, Probate, Labor, Immigration Law, and sociology topics unless those topics are related to more traditional Family Law subjects.
• Hofstra Law School and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Family Law Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $500 Topic: The subject of entries may be within any area of family law, although topics that focus on international or interdisciplinary subjects of family law are especially encouraged.
• American Society for Pharmacy Law Simonsmeier Award Deadline: June 30, 2023 Topic: Pharmacy law (law related to pharmacists, pharmacies, the provision of pharmaceutical care, the manufacturing and distribution of drugs, and other food, drug, and medical device policy issues) Eligibility: Papers published in or accepted for publication in any English-language peer-reviewed journal (including law reviews) during the period from January 2020 through December 2021 are eligible.
• American University Washington College of Law National Health Law Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $2,000 Topic: Papers must address and analyze health law and/or food/drug/device law issues. (Note that a paper that analyzes intellectual property or environmental laws/statutes, even if relating to health or the health care industry, will not be eligible.) Eligibility: Current 2L, 3L, and 4L (evening/part-time) JD and LLM students enrolled in a U.S. law school at the time of paper submission are eligible to participate.
• Food and Drug Law Institute H. Thomas Austern Writing Competition Deadline: June 12, 2023 Prize: $750 Topic: Current legal issues concerning food, drugs, animal drugs, biologics, cosmetics, diagnostics, dietary supplements, medical devices, veterinary devices, cannabis, or tobacco
• Federal Circuit Bar Association Hutchinson Writing Contest Deadline: May 31, 2023 Prize: $3,000 Topic: Papers must deal with a topic that lies within the substance, procedure, or scope of the specialized jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
• American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics Health Law and Anti-Racism Graduate Student Writing Competition Deadline: July 1, 2023 Prize: $500 Topic: Note that a wide variety of topics will be viewed as in scope, but papers must focus specifically on health law in the context of anti-racism. If you have questions about the suitability of your topic, please ask.
• Epstein Becker Green Health Law Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $4,000 Topic: Papers may address any traditional area 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, telehealth/telemedicine).
• INS/IYNA Neuroethics Essay Contest Deadline: July 7, 2023 Prize: $250 Topic: Essay submissions can cover any topic in neuroethics and should address a focused problem at the intersections of the mind and brain sciences, ethics, and law. Example topics include, but are not limited to: neuroenhancement, neurolaw, moral psychology, moral philosophy, brain stimulation, ethics of neurodegenerative illness, neurogenetics, neurotechnology policy and regulation, philosophy of mind, clinical ethics in psychiatry and neurosurgery, neural imaging, big data and neuroscience, brain–computer interaction, military applications of neurotechnology, and free will. Notes: Those included in the definition of ‘post-secondary student’ or ‘early career trainees’ during the Spring 2022 semester may submit an essay to either the Academic or General Audience categories. Authors may submit two different essays — one to each category. See Neuroethics Essay Contest website for more information on essay categories.
• Roy Snell Health Care Regulatory and Compliance Writing Competition Registration Deadline: TBA for 2024 Submission Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $5,000 Notes: In keeping with Roy Snell’s keen interest in practical, realistic, and user-centered communication, as well as a commitment to efficiency and clarity in writing, this demanding competition requires students to analyze a hypothetical fact pattern (the Competition Problem) involving an organization facing multifaceted health care regulatory/compliance matters and draft two separate internal memoranda to two different recipients within the organization. Students must analyze the facts presented, identify any and all regulatory/compliance concerns, and advise the recipient of the memorandum. Eligibility: The competition is open to all full and part-time law students in J.D. programs who have completed their 1L year. The competition is also open to any student currently enrolled in a Compliance Certification Board (CCB) accredited program.
• International Refugee Law Student Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $100 Topic: Papers may address any topic related to international law and refugees, stateless persons, internally-displaced persons (IDPs), and/or forced migrants. Eligibility: Student authors must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited university at the time of submission.
• American College of Coverage Counsel Insurance Law Writing Competition Registration Deadline: TBA for 2024 Submission Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $2,000 Topic: This year’s writing competition asks students to choose one of two sides in a case involving an insurance company and a Texas based business in preparing a motion for partial summary judgment on a specific set of grounds as presented by each party.
• American Association of Patent Judges Hon. Frederick E. McKelvey Memorial Scholarship Deadline: June 30, 2023 Prize: $500 Topic: For this year’s entry, an entrant must identify ways patents “promote the progress of … useful arts” (Const.; Art. I, Sec. 8, Cl. 8) and explain how the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) can encourage that. In your answer, please define “useful arts.” Eligibility: Students matriculated at and attending an ABA-accredited law school at least half-time as of February 28, 2022, are eligible to submit an entry for this competition.
• American Intellectual Property Law Association Robert C. Watson Award Deadline: June 30, 2023 Topic: Intellectual property law
• Brooks Kushman Law Student Intellectual Property Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $5,000 Topic: Trademark or patent law Eligibility: Open to any law student in good standing and currently enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school, and who is a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States.
• International Trademark Association Ladas Memorial Award Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,250 Topic: Subject of the paper must be trademark law or a matter that directly relates to, or affects, trademarks. Eligibility: Eligible students must be enrolled as either full- or part-time law or graduate students. Eligible papers may include both original unpublished manuscripts and published articles that are submitted to INTA by the submission deadline.
• Pennsylvania Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section Writing Contest Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $500 Topic: Patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets or trade dress Eligibility: Open to all law students enrolled in any law school in the United States who intend to take the Pennsylvania bar exam.
• Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Human Rights Essay Award Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: A scholarship to cover tuition for the Program of Advanced Studies in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law for either the Diploma or Certificate of Attendance options Notes: Essay Award Topic for 2023: Equality and Human Rights: Confronting Racial Discrimination Eligibility: Applicants for the Award must hold a law degree and have a demonstrated experience or interest in international human rights law.
• Georgetown Institute of International Economic Law Greenwald Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $2,500 Topic: Current issues relevant to international trade law, the jurisprudence of the WTO or regional trade organizations, jurisprudence concerning U.S. trade organizations, an issue relating to the political economy or the efficacy of U.S. or international trade regimes. Eligibility: JD, LLM, and SJD students
• International Fiscal Association International Tax Student Writing Competition Deadline: September 30, 2023 Prize: $5,000 Topic: Any topic relating to U.S. taxation of income from international activities, including taxation under U.S. tax treaties. Eligibility: All students during the 2021-22 academic year (including independent study and summer 2022 school courses) pursuing a graduate degree (J.D., L.L.M., S.J.D., M.S.T., MTA, Masters of Taxation, or similar program). Any appropriate papers written in fall 2021 or spring and summer 2022.
• NYSBA Albert S. Pergam International Law Writing Competition Award Deadline: November 3, 2023 Prize: $2,000 Topic: Public or private international law Eligibility: Law Students (including J.D., LL.M., Ph.D. and S.J.D. candidates) are cordially invited to submit to the International Section an article concerning any area of public or private international law or practice. Faculty members of any college or university are ineligible to participate.
• Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems Trandafir Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $2,000 Topic: Any contemporary international business or economic concern. Recent winning submissions have included such topics as recommendations the United States should follow to update its privacy laws to harmonize with international general data protection regulation commitments, why international labor organizations should adopt fair trade as an enforcement mechanism to end labor violations, and why the United States Treasury should wait for Congress to end corporate tax sheltering tactics. Eligibility: All students currently enrolled in law or graduate degree programs.
• American College of Employee Benefits Counsel Writing Contest Deadline: June 1, 2023 Prize: $1,800 Topic: Employee benefits legal topics Eligibility: Any J.D. and graduate (L.L.M. or S.J.D.) law students enrolled at any time between August 15, 2021, and August 15, 2022, who have not at any time engaged in the practice of law.
• Louis Jackson Memorial National Student Writing Competition in Employment and Labor Law Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $3,000 Topic: Employment and labor law
• AALL/LexisNexis Call For Papers Awards (Student Division) Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $650 Topic: A paper may address any subject relevant to law librarianship. It may be scholarly or practical in substance and tone, but the subject should be explored in depth with appropriate reference to sources and documentation of assertions. Eligibility: Those enrolled in library school, information management school or the equivalent, or in law school, during the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semester. Entrants in the Student Division need not be members of AALL.
• AALL Morris L. Cohen Student Essay Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $500 Topic: Essays may be on any topic related to legal history, rare law books, or legal archives.
• Notre Dame Law School Program on Church, State & Society Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $3,000 Topic: Papers should be focused, broadly, on topics related to church, state & society. For guidance on selecting a topic, students may wish to view our Program website and mission statement: https://churchstate.nd.edu/
• ABA Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law Keithe E. Nelson Distinguished Service Award Deadline: TBA for 2024 Topic: Military law or the status of lawyers in the Armed Forces
• National Institute of Military Justice Rear Admiral John S. Jenkins Writing Award for Law Students Deadline: July 31, 2023 Prize: $250 Topic: Military law Eligibility: Papers and/or published articles are eligible for this award if they were written by a candidate for the J.D. in the previous academic year.
• American Indian Law Review National Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,500 Topic: Any legal issue specifically concerning American Indians or other indigenous peoples. Eligibility: The competition is open to students enrolled in J.D. or graduate law programs at accredited law schools in the United States and Canada as of the competition deadline of Monday, Feb. 28, 2022.
• Chief Justice John B. Doolin Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,000 Eligibility: Open to any student enrolled in college, at any level.
• National Native American Law Students Association Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Topic: All students are encouraged to submit scholarly articles between twenty (20) and fifty (50) pages, either individually or jointly with other students, about Native American legal issues. Eligibility: Competitors must be active, dues-paying members of National NALSA.
• Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts Law Student Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $5,000 Topic: Open to 2L and 3L students at any Pennsylvania law school and Rutgers Law. Topic: Under the existing rules of judicial conduct, how might Pennsylvania's courts utilize current communication tools, such as social media, to engage the people of Pennsylvania to instill confidence in the workings of the judicial branch and its decisions?
• ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability Ed Mendrzycki Essay Contest Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $5,000 Topic: This year's hypothetical involves multiple ethical and professional liability concerns that arise when a partner in a law firm is retained to represent a client in several business and real estate matters regarding a series of land acquisitions, and the law firm is contacted by the Department of Justice to assist in the investigation of potential money laundering allegations against the client.
• American Inns of Court Warren E. Burger Prize Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $5,000 Topic: Authors should address one or more aspects of professionalism, ethics, civility, and excellence within the legal profession.
• University of Pennsylvania Law Review Dorothy E. Roberts Public Interest Essay Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,000 cash prize; $5,000 grant to support public interest work or the work of a non-profit organization or pro bono clinic Topic: Submissions must focus on a specific legal issue within the realm of public interest law, including any issue relating to social justice or advancing the general welfare and good of the public. In addition, the author must include a brief grant proposal for $5,000 to support public interest work related to the essay topic. Topics can be local, state, national, or international in breadth or impact. Eligibility: The competition is open to all current law students (Classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025) from any ABA-accredited American law school as well as recent graduates of such institutions from the classes of 2015 – 2022. Submissions are limited to one per person and must be an original, unpublished academic essay.
• ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law Student Legal Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $1,000 Topic: Entries should address any legal issue regarding affordable housing, fair housing and/or community development law. Eligibility: Open to all law students who are at the time of entry, (a) enrolled in a law school that is at the time of entry, ABA Accredited, (b) member of the ABA and the Forum, (c) at least 21 years old, and (d) U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.
• American Planning Association Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: $2,000 Topic: Planning, planning law, land use law, local government law or environmental law Eligibility: Open to law students and planning students
• Tax Notes Student Writing Competition Deadline: June 30, 2023 Topic: Submissions should focus on an unsettled question in federal, state, or international tax law or policy. Eligibility: The competition is open to any student currently enrolled in a law, business, or public policy program. Each student may submit only one paper. Co-authored papers will be accepted.
• Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship Writing Competition Deadline: July 10, 2023 Prize: $5,000 Topic: Submitted papers must focus primarily upon technical or policy-oriented tax issues relating to any type of existing or proposed U.S. federal or state tax or U.S. federal or state taxation system (including topics relating to tax practice ethical and professional responsibility matters). See Competition Rules for more information.
• Georgetown Law Technology Student Writing Competition Deadline: May 31, 2023 Prize: $4,000 Topic: This year’s writing competition invites submissions on Personal Information, Power, and the Intersection of Technology and Society. Submitted papers should in some way address data-driven or data-intensive technologies. See link for further details and examples of potential topics. Eligibility: Papers will be accepted from students enrolled at any ABA-accredited law school in the United States during the 2021-2022 academic year. The paper must be the author’s own work, although students may incorporate feedback received as part of an academic course or supervised writing project. The paper must not have been published or committed for publication in another journal.
• Harvard Journal of Law & Technology (JOLT) Student Note Competition Deadline: June 9, 2023 Prize: $1700 Topic: Topics may include, but are not limited to, cybercrime, biotechnology, space law, entertainment and news media, comparative legal approaches to intellectual property, the law of the Internet, and technology in the public interest.
• vLex International Law and Technology Writing Competition Deadline: TBA for 2024 Prize: £1,500 Topic: Can choose one of three topics: law, technology and sports; law, technology and climate; or law, technology and crypto. See competition page for more information. Eligibility: All current students and recent graduates can enter.
• American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition Deadline: June 30, 2023 Topic: The paper must relate to the area of trusts and estates, broadly defined. Entrants should write on issues of general interest, rather than state specific issues. Eligibility: Any law student in good standing (full-time or part-time) who is currently enrolled at the time of submission or was a student within the past 90-day period prior to submission as a J.D. or LL.M. candidate in an ABA-accredited law school within the United States or its possessions. more... less... Any one or more of the following topics are appropriate for discussion: Business Planning; Charitable Planning; Elder Law; Employee Benefits; Fiduciary Accounting; Fiduciary Administration; Fiduciary Income Taxation; Fiduciary Litigation; Estate Planning and Drafting; Professional Responsibility; Substantive Laws for the Gratuitous Transmission of Property; Wealth Transfer Taxation (Estate, Gift and GST Tax)

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Columbia Undergraduate Law Review High School Essay Contest

Competition Overview

Current high school students, june 21, 2024, first week of august, competition details.

1. Eligibility This competition is open internationally to all current high school students (recent graduates not included). 

2. Contest Theme Freedom of Speech and Social Media: The Battle Between Censorship and Misinformation

Freedom of speech, a principle embedded in the First Amendment of the US Constitution, is regarded as a pinnacle of American freedom. The First Amendment allows one to speak against the government without consequence and to engage in discussion with those who hold differing opinions. In the current social media age, free speech frequently occurs on online platforms that are monitored by corporations such as Meta and X. An interesting case currently on the Supreme Court docket, Murthy v. Missouri, will analyze whether and how social media platforms can limit freedom of speech to reduce misinformation – an issue that would not have reached the docket 10 years ago.

2. Prompt Question Given the importance of the First Amendment regarding the freedom of expression and the right to access information, do you believe that removing harmful ideas is an adequate way to combat misinformation on social media platforms and the internet? Your essay should balance the principle of free speech with the value of suppressing speech that could lead to societal harm, such as COVID-19 medical misinformation or hate speech. Discuss in your response whether you think restricting speech, for any reason, should be allowed under the First Amendment.

3. Prompt Requirements

• Your response must make reference to at least one court case or legal document. You are welcome to use the case or legislation mentioned in the prompt.
• No more than 1,500 words with the Chicago citation format 
• All essays should be submitted as PDF files.
• Each contestant may only submit one essay for consideration

4. Winners The winning essay will be published on the CULR website, the winner and runners-up will be invited to a speaker event hosted by CULR on free speech and social media.

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Aralia Education is an innovative online education platform for ambitious middle and high school students worldwide. Aralia’s instructors propel students forward by helping them build a strong foundation in traditional academic courses. They also actively engage and guide students in exploring personal interests beyond their school curriculum. With this holistic approach, Aralia ensures its students are well-prepared for college and equipped for success in their future careers.

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Justice Resource Center

a world leader in law-related and civic education

Law Essay Contests (LEC)

The Justice Resource Center (JRC) promotes annual law essay contests sponsored by our legal partners.  Please see some of the past essay contests below and contact the JRC for information on current essay contests.

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The Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York and the New York Law Journal have partnered with the New York City Dept. of Education to sponsor the Eighteenth annual essay contest for 10 th , 11 th and 12 th grade high school students. Ten students will win the opportunity to intern for one week with a Justice of the Supreme Court and earn a $100.00 gift card. One of the winning essays will be published in the New York Law Journal , a legal periodical published by the ALM.

The 2019 Law Day Theme, Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society , focuses on these cornerstones of representative government and calls on us to understand and protect these rights to ensure, as the U.S. Constitution proposes, “the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.”

In the United States and around the world, freedom of speech and the press are prominent topics in public discourse and litigation.  It is impossible to imagine a free society without these individual liberties, yet historical and current debates surrounding them continually challenge us to consider their boundaries and resilience. Changes in technology have reshaped how free speech and free press work in the everyday world.

Students should write a 500 word essay presenting a compelling discussion on the topic with special focus on the importance and impact of a free press in a free society.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Debra Lesser:

[email protected]

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Gwyneth Bebb Law Essay Competition

Home → Study Here → Outreach → Essay Competitions → Gwyneth Bebb Law Essay Competition

The Principal and Fellows of St Hugh’s College are pleased to offer a prize of up to £500 for the best essay written in response the question:

Defend one of the following two propositions:

• The deployment of juries as part of this country’s criminal trial procedure should be abolished.
• There is no particular reason for our judiciary to be representative of this country’s population.

No detailed knowledge of English law is required to answer it; indeed, while cases reported in the national media may be referred to, entrants should not look to cite any specific case law or statutes in their work. Rather, they are encouraged to think about things a matter of principle. The judges will be looking out for an entrant’s ability to reason from wider precepts and to construct clear and coherent arguments.

Entry is restricted to pupils who, at the closing date, have been in the Sixth Form of any state-funded school or college for a period of not more than two years.

Entries should be 1500 – 2000 words in length, including any material in the footnotes which is additional commentary or content related to your essay. References or citations in footnotes, and your bibliography, are not included in this word count. You are welcome to use whichever style of referencing you prefer. Essays must be submitted in PDF format.

The 2024 competition is now closed. Details of this year’s winning essays can be found to the right of this page.

Details of the 2025 competitions will be published in late January/early February 2025.

Please direct any enquiries to [email protected]

Gwyneth Bebb (1889-1921), was one of the first women to be awarded a degree in Law at Oxford, and the first to achieve first-class honours; she was an educational and legal pioneer.

2024 gwyneth bebb prize winners.

Nick Warrier – Westcliff High School for Boys, Southend-on-Sea (Year 12)

The deployment of juries as part of this country’s criminal trial procedure should be abolished

Second Place

Deetya Prabhu – Wallington High School for Girls, Wallington (Year 12)

William Smith – St Ambrose College, Altrincham (Year 12)

The winners and a number of others who were highly commended were invited to a celebratory tea in College in September.

Privacy Overview

Ames Moot Court Competition

For more than 100 years, Harvard Law School’s Ames Moot Court Competition has been one of the most prestigious competitions for appellate brief writing and advocacy in the nation.

In one of the most anticipated events of the year, contestants stand in the Ames Courtroom before an illustrious panel of distinguished jurists to demonstrate their skills in oral argument. As it has since 1911, the competition draws standing–room–only crowds as two 3L teams argue before the judges. A justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is usually a member of the three-judge panel. Making the final round is one of the school’s greatest honors. Winners have been memorialized on bronze plaques in the Langdell Hall reading room.

• History of the Ames Moot Court Competition
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• Videos from the Ames Moot Court Competition on YouTube

“I learned that you have to prepare the brief as a kind of science of the case and do the oral argument as a kind of art.” Kathleen M. Sullivan ’81 Best Oralist, Ames Moot Court Competition, 1980

From Harvard Law Today

How the ames process works.

The First Year Ames Moot Court serves as the academic focus of first-year students’ second semester of Legal Research and Writing (LRW). All first-year J.D. students participate. The work of briefing and arguing a case is an essential part of a Harvard legal education and helps students develop critical skills in argument and logic.

Students work in pairs to compose briefs on the merits of a hypothetical appellate case. Cases are assigned by students’ Legal Research and Writing instructors, the Climenko Fellows. The Fellows, together with members of the Board of Student Advisers who serve as teaching assistants, teach students how to research and write their briefs and help them prepare for oral arguments.

The Qualifying Round is the first round in the upper-level Ames Competition. All second-year students or joint-degree students currently enrolled in their first year of post-1L law school courses are eligible to participate.

The students participating in the Semi-Final Round start the competition in the 2L year and rise to the final four spots through their strong research abilities and excellent written and oral advocacy.

The students participating in the Final Round start the competition in fall of their 2L year. Two teams progress to the Final Round in their 3L year through their strong research abilities and excellent written and oral advocacy. Past Ames Competition participants include  Professor Cass Sunstein, Dean Kathleen Sullivan, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and Justice Harry Blackmun.

Helping Students through the Ames Process

The Board of Student Advisers (BSA) is an organization of upper-level students who serve as administrators of the Ames Moot Court Competition. The BSA’s mission is to build a community among first-year students and among the diverse student body of Harvard Law School.

Learn more about the BSA

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STUDENT CONTESTS

Students in New York, Connecticut, and Vermont can participate in moot court, mock trial, and essay contests throughout the year. In addition to the contests in connection with our Civic Education initiative, examples include:

• NYC high school MENTOR Moot Court competition. Since the 1980’s, the Justice Resource Center has partnered with Fordham Law School to offer the MENTOR Moot Court competition to NYC high schools. Approximately 50 high school teams of eight students each compete in single-elimination rounds in November through December. The MENTOR Moot Court competition is part of the MENTOR Law Program, a national program created by lawyers, which partners law firms with public high schools. MENTOR attorneys and law teachers coach students in legal research and oral advocacy skills based on the published MENTOR Moot Court case materials.
• Mock Trial Competition for high school students in Vermont. U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford, in collaboration with the Vermont judicial community,  Snelling Center for Government ,  Vermont Bar Association , SPEAK (a Vermont Law School student organization), and Civics First in Connecticut (Civics First CT), will host the first Mock Trial competition for high school students throughout the state. Lawyers and law students in Vermont will be assigned as mentors for individual high schools and will help prepare students for the competition on Saturday, March 8, 2019.
• High School Competition
• Middle School Competitions

Other Essay Contests

Federal courts throughout the nation, along with the Federal Judges Association and the Federal Bar Association, are using essay contests to inform young people about how the United States Constitution and the United States Judiciary protect personal liberties.

To learn more, please read “More Courts Use Essay Contests to Teach Lessons in Justice,” here .

Summer Advocacy Camp: “The Justice Institute: Crime, Courts, and the Constitution” for high school students on Long Island. The week-long camp is at the Alfonse D’Amato Courthouse and Touro Law Center and includes presentations and discussions with federal judges, current and former federal prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, and FBI agents. Students will also learn basic advocacy skills for a team competition at the end of camp.

Moot Court Competition for high school students in Nassau County. Lawyers in Nassau County will be assigned as mentors for individual high schools and will help prepare students for the competition.

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2024 Justice For All: Courts and the Community Initiative

Seventh Annual Student Essay Competition

Hayek goes to family court.

Applying Hayek’s theory of law and liberty to contemporary American family law, this Essay concludes that family-law scholars—especially those undertaking distributional analyses—would benefit from greater attention to the Hayekian values of predictability, adaptation, and equal application.

Facilitating Future Workforce Participation for Stay-at-Home Parents: Mitigating the Career Costs of Parenthood

Current policies help parents stay in the workforce after having children. But what about the quarter of American mothers who choose to become stay-at-home moms, then later face employment obstacles? This Essay proposes expanding worker opportunity tax credits and Title VII to help stay-at-home pare…

Volume 133’s Emerging Scholar of the Year: Robyn Powell

Announcing the eighth annual student essay competition, announcing the ylj academic summer grants program, featured content, lock them™ up: holding transnational corporate human-rights abusers accountable, administrative law at a turning point, law and movements: clinical perspectives.

Home » Opportunities & Events » Fests, MUNs and Other Competitions » LawQuest: Essay, Case Commentary and Blog Writing Competition by Kirit P. Mehta School of Law [Online; Cash Prizes Upto Rs. 6k]: Register by Oct 5!

LawQuest: Essay, Case Commentary and Blog Writing Competition by Kirit P. Mehta School of Law [Online; Cash Prizes Upto Rs. 6k]: Register by Oct 5!

• Aditya Aryan
• Sep 16, 2024
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Registrations are invited for an Essay, Case Commentary and Blog Writing Competition by Kirit P. Mehta School of Law. Register by Oct 5!

About NMIMS Kirit P. Mehta School of Law

NMIMS Kirit P. Mehta School of Law (KPMSOL), Mumbai that is a part of the SVKM group of schools and colleges under the NMIMS (deemed to be university) in Mumbai has been approved by the Bar Council of India in the year 2013 which is also its year of establishment. School of Law inculcates and nourishes all the professional virtues in a well calculated and planned manner, without undermining the ‘societal values’.

Kirit P. Mehta School of Law, NMIMS aims to refine students’ competency by engaging them in curricular and extra-curricular activities. Qualified faculties and support staff assist learners to easily integrate into the course and participate in events. The School of Law engages in case study model and class-debate methods as its chief teaching pedagogy.

About Centre for Research and Conferences

The Centre for Research and Conferences (earlier known as Centre for Excellence) of NMIMS Kirit P. Mehta School of Law, Mumbai, was established as the Centre for Legal Research and Application, in 2018. The Centre for Research and Conferences aims to significantly enhance legal research and development, through its integration with allied disciplines, and through extensive exploration of contemporary developments in the law.

It is the sole committee responsible for overseeing the publications in KPMSOL and is the exclusive body dedicated to research. The Centre for Research and Conferences engages in a discourse between various stakeholders to interact and exchange ideas pertaining to legal academia and undertakes a comprehensive examination and critical analysis of governmental institutions, executive powers, legal policies, and judicial guidelines.

It endeavors to promote effective ideation and provision of a platform to formulate unconventional and pioneering recommendations to various policy-making institutions for making existing legal provisions more humane and functional. Committed to fostering a culture of rigorous research and scholarly excellence, the CRC plays a central role in organising a broad spectrum of research seminars, webinars, and conferences that engage both national and international audiences.

About Lawquest

CRC is back with another event after completion of many successful events. We are ready to dive deep into the world of Legal Research and Publications. CRC is providing a platform for sharing and disseminating research findings and knowledge, to allow researchers to gain recognition and feedback from their peers and experts in the field.

This exciting competition is designed to promote intellectual exploration and scholarly writing while providing a platform for individuals to express their thoughts and insights on a variety of topics. The competition further aims at facilitating networking and collaboration among researchers, both within and outside the university. Participating in such competitions on Important Legal Areas would help students to learn and grow in the Legal Field.

Themes & Subthemes

Essay writing, theme i: privacy and technology.

• Data Privacy and Security
• Online Freedom and Expression
• Emerging Technologies and the Law

Theme II: Criminal Law and Its Impact On Society

• Same Sex Marriage and Legal Evolution
• Capital Punishment and Death Penalty
• Defamation and its legal implications

Theme III: Personal Laws in India

• Uniform Civil Code
• Domestic violence and protection order
• Live-in Relationship

Theme IV: Environmental Policies and International Agreement

• The Role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Environmental Disputes
• Comparative Analysis of Environmental Law Approaches:
• European Union vs. United States
• Compliance and Enforcement Mechanisms in International Environmental Agreements
• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Data Privacy
• Data Breaches in the Digital Age: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention
• The Role of Encryption in Protecting Privacy in Digital Communications
• The Role of Criminal Law in Curbing Gender-Based Violence 

• The Impact of Criminal Law Reforms on Social Justice
• Juvenile Justice: Balancing Rehabilitation and Punishment
• The Debate Over the Uniform Civil Code in India 
• Women’s Rights and Personal Laws in India 
• Live-In Relationships and Their Legal Status Under Personal Laws

Theme IV: Environmental Policies and International Agreements

• The Evolution of International Environmental Law: From Stockholm to Paris
• The Role of International Environmental Agreements in Addressing Climate Change
• The Influence of Trade Agreements on Environmental Protection

Case Commentaries

• Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) vs. Union of India (2017)
• Google Spain SL, Google Inc. v Agencia Española de Protección de Datos, Mario Costeja González
• (2014) Carpenter v. United States (2018)

Theme II: Criminal Law and It’s Impact On Society

• Nirbhaya Case (Mukesh & Anr vs. State for NCT of Delhi & Ors., 2020)
• Arnesh Kumar vs. State of Bihar (2014)
• Vishaka vs. State of Rajasthan (1997)
• Shah Bano Case (Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum (1985)
• Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India (1995)
• Danial Latifi v. Union of India (2001)
• Saramaka People v Suriname 172, THRL 3046 (LACHR 2007)
• d Claude-Reyes et al v Chile ser. C No. 151
• Bear Creek Mining Corporation v Republic of Peru ICSID Case No. ARB/14/21

Timelines of the Event

• 15th September 2024 : Registration Opens
• 5th October 2024: Registration Close
• 1st October 2024: Submission Window Opens
• 14th October 2024: Submission Window Closes
• 25th October 2024: Declaration of Results

Mode of Event

The event will be held in online mode.

Fee Payment

Those who are seeking to participate in competition shall have to pay a fee (Inclusive of GST) on the following basis:

Individual Authorship

• For 1 event- Rs 199
• For 2 events- Rs 279
• For 3 events- Rs 349

Co-authorship

• For 1 event- Rs 279
• For 2 events- Rs 349
• For 3 events- Rs 399

Eligibility to participate in the competition is subject to successful payment of the registration fee.

Payment of the Registration fees can be done via the below mentioned Registration link.

Registrations

Participants are required to register for the event using the link mentioned at the end of this post.

Submissions

Participants are required to send their Essay/blog/case commentary in word doc. format with the subject “Essay/ blog/ case commentary submission- Name of the participant” attached to the Google form provided at the end of this post.

Submission Guidelines

• Original writings relevant to the subject of the themes other than the one mentioned are also welcome.
• Names of author
• Name of the College/University
• Email address and contact number
• Sub-theme under which submission is made
• Essay writing – 2000 to 5000 exclusive of footnotes
• Blog writing – 500 to 1500 exclusive of footnotes
• Case commentary- 1500 to 3000 exclusive of footnotes
• Plagiarism is strictly prohibited, and AI-generated content must not exceed 15% of the total submission.
• Font Type: Times New Roman , Font Size: 12 pts , Line spacing:
• 1.5  Footnotes: Font size: 10 pts Margin to be 1 inch on all sides. 
• Follow the Bluebook; A Uniform System Citation (21st Edition) for footnoting. 
• The submission document should be named “yourname_essay/case/blog_topic.” 
• If participants want to revise their submission, they should submit it again, appending a number to the end to indicate the revision. For example: “yourname_essay_2.”
• CRC reserves the right to disqualify any participant at any time, at its sole discretion. In such cases, no refund will be provided.

Eligibility

All individuals are eligible to participate.

• WINNER – Rs 3000 /- along with publication and internship opportunity for each
• 1st Runner Up – Rs 2000 /- along with publication and internship opportunity for each
• 2nd Runner Up – Rs 1000 /- along with publication and internship opportunity for each
• Ist to 3rd position winners to get the opportunity to participate in further events by CRC free of charge (valid till 2025).
• Certificate/ E-Certificate will be provided to every Participant.  
• Certificate of Merit will be provided to the top 15 papers in each segment along with publication opportunities.

Contact Information

• Email: [email protected] 
• Aadi Menezes: +91 74000 39999
• Deyaan Cupala: +91 84600 60269
• Sanya Khera: +91 9873961700

Click here to register.

Click here to submit your entries., click here for the official notification., click here for the payment guidelines..

Disclaimer: WEF April, 2021, Lawctopus will not publish any 'Call for Papers/Blogs' by journals that charge money at the time of submission. If you find any journal doing so, please intimate us at tanuj.kalia[at]lawctopus.com

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HKU ROLE Project - Rule of Law Essay Competition 2023 ( Deadline is Friday, 24 November 2023! )

Since 2012, the Rule of Law Education (ROLE) Project at The University of Hong Kong has been developing academic materials and other resources to interact with the general public to promote a better understanding of the rule of law in Hong Kong.

To encourage secondary school students to learn actively, think creatively, and to share their thoughts and opinions on the principles of th e rule of law and its significance in society, the ROLE Project is pleased to organise its 5th Rule of Law Essay Competition this year and is now inviting entries from senior secondary school students on the following topic:

Assume that you are a student representative of your school responsible for assisting your teachers in explaining and/or proposing changes to the school rules.  Describe how you could apply the rule of law principles to the school rules.

Eligibility

The Rule of Law Essay Competition 2023 is open to all students who are currently enrolled in either S.4, S.5, or S.6 (or equivalent) in any secondary school in Hong Kong.

Language and Format

Essays may be submitted either in Chinese (word limit: 900 words) or in English (word limit: 800 words); a student can submit ONLY ONE essay (in either English or Chinese).

Assessment Criteria

All essays will be scored anonymously by a panel of judges, who will assess each essay based on its 1) content; 2) structure; 3) writing style; and 4) creativity.

There will be a total of 6 winners, 3 for each language group in the categories below:

Champion:  HK$3,000 and certificate

First runner-up:  HK$2,000 and certificate

Second runner-up:  HK$1,000 and certificate

A number of Certificates of Merit will be awarded to high-quality entries at the discretion of the judges, as appropriate.

I. How to submit:

There are 2 ways to submit an essay:

by email to  [email protected]  with “HKU Rule of Law Essay Competition 2023 ” as subject title; or

by post to Room 0401, 4/F, Cheng Yu Tung Tower, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong with “HKU Rule of Law Essay Competition 2023” marked on the envelope.

II. What to submit:

All entries must include: 1) the essay; 2) a completed application form; and 3) a copy of the participant’s student identity card (for the relevant secondary school attended).

The deadline is Friday, 24 November 2023 . Entries to be submitted via email must be received by this date, and entries to be submitted via post must be postmarked no later than this date.

Other Rules and Guidelines

The participant's name should only appear on the application form accompanying the essay. Do not identify yourself (by your name, pseudonym, or school name, etc.) in any part of the essay. Judges will score all essays anonymously.  

Plagiarism and/or impersonation is strictly prohibited.  

All entries must be original work by the entrant, unpublished in any form (including on any websites, blogs, online forums, newspapers, magazines, etc.), and not previously performed or awarded.  

Essays must be written by a single author; co-authored essays are not accepted.  

Use of generative AI is not allowed. Entries will be disqualified if any AI-generated content is identified. We reserve the right to follow up accordingly if any doubts related to AI use arise, and to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis.  

Please indicate the number of words at the end of the essay.  

Entrants are not allowed to submit their entries to other competitions before the result of the Rule of Law Essay Competition is announced.  

Once submitted, the essay entry is considered final. We do not allow participants to modify an entry after it has been received.  

Entries via post will not be returned. Please make a copy as necessary before submission.  

Winners of the Rule of Law Essay Competition accept that the copyright of their essays belongs to Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong. Written consent must be obtained prior to any republishing or repurposing of the essays.  

The organiser has the discretion to disqualify incomplete entries or those that do not adhere to the above guidelines, copyright, or any other applicable laws or regulations and to reclaim prizes awarded.

The results of the Competition will now be announced on Monday, 4 March 2024  on the ROLE website ( www.role.hku.hk ). Winners will also be informed individually by email.

Please direct additional questions to  [email protected] .

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WATCH VIDEOS

Rendell Center launches essay contest for classrooms

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Students in South Philadelphia helped launch a special essay contest on Tuesday in honor of National Constitution Day, and your classroom can participate.

Fourth and fifth graders at Edwin M. Stanton School are participating in the citizenship challenge.

The Rendell Center kicked off the six-week essay competition asking students to weigh in on whether they agree with the Electoral College system.

Former Action News anchor Jim Gardner held a discussion with the students about that topic.

The challenge is now open for fourth and fifth grade classrooms across our area.

To learn how you can participate, visit: rendellcenter.org/citizenship-challenge-2024

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