Previous Writing Competitions
This list of Previous Writing Competitions may be helpful as you make long-range plans. Often, sponsors repeat their contests, and the deadline may fall at the same approximate time of year. If you are interested in a Writing Competition on this list, please verify the topic, prize, and due date with the sponsor. For a list of current Writing Competitions with upcoming deadlines, please click “Currently Active Writing Competitions.”
| Competition Name | Topic | Sponsor | Prize | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 Brown Award for Excellence in Legal Writing | The Judge John R. Brown Scholarship Foundation is pleased to announce the twenty-ninth annual Brown Award. The Award honors excellence in legal writing in American law schools. 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. In order to be considered, two copies of a current legal writing must be submitted to the Foundation c/o Kenneth G. Engerrand, Brown Sims, P.C., Tenth Floor, 1177 West Loop South, Houston, Texas 77027-9007. 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. Only one paper may be submitted on behalf of any student, and only one paper may be sponsored by any faculty member or legal professional. The submission must be postmarked no later than May 31, 2022. The submission must contain a separate sheet containing the title of the paper; the name, physical address, telephone number, and email address of the student; and the name, title, physical address, and email address of the student’s sponsor. There is no page limitation or restriction on the topic except that the writing must be on a legal subject. Papers that have been submitted to a law review for publication are eligible, but the submission must be of the paper in its form before it was edited by anyone other than the author. The Foundation will appoint a final judging panel consisting of a law school dean, a federal judge, and a law school professor. The Foundation will not return any material submitted to the Foundation. |
The Judge John R. Brown Scholarship Foundation |
The amounts awarded for 2022 will be as follows: |
05/31/2022 |
AKC Law School Writing Contest | The American Kennel Club (AKC) is pleased to announce the fifth annual Companion Animal Law Writing Contest, open to all students currently enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school. Students are asked to choose between two topics: The impact of "lawyers for dogs" laws on animal cruelty cases or the constitutionality of mandatory spray/neuter laws. This year's topics offer students the unique opportunity to discuss legal perspectives on issues currently in the news and at the forefront of animal law. Entries will be judged by legal and public policy professionals with experience in laws impacting companion animals. Contestants can enter now through April 1, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. EST. To learn more about the contest, including official rules and policies, please click here. Want to help us advertise the contest? Download a flyer here! You can also "Like" the contest on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writeaboutanimallaw/
|
American Kennel Club |
The contest will offer a first-place prize of $2500 and a second-place prize of $500. |
04/01/2022 |
Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest | The ABA Section of Business Law is sponsoring its annual Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest to encourage and reward law students for their writings on a business law subject of general and current interest. To enter you must be at least 21 years of age, a legal US resident, and enrolled in an ABA-accredited JD or LLM degree program. Papers must be written in 2020-2021, or the current academic year. Entries will be judged on the following criteria: research and analysis, choice of topic, writing style, originality, and contribution to the literature available on the topic. The paper may be specifically prepared for this contest; submitted in a class, seminar, or as an independent study; or a proposed law review/journal note, comment or article. Papers submitted are normally 20-30 pages long but should not exceed 100 pages of double-spaced typed text, including footnotes. Students need not be members of the Section of Business Law to participate. |
ABA Business Law Section |
The winner of the first-place paper will receive a $1,000 cash prize. Outstanding first-place papers may also be included in The Business Lawyer, a quarterly publication that is the premier business law journal in the country. Second and third-place papers are eligible for publication in Business Law Today, the digital platform of curated, peer-reviewed content for the ABA Business Law Section. |
02/23/2022 |
Greenwald Writing Competition | The Georgetown Law Institute of International Economic Law and Journal of International Law (GJIL) are seeking novel and innovative submissions on current issues in international trade for the 5th annual John D Greenwald Writing Competition. Please review submission and eligibility criteria for the 5th annual Greenwald Competition here.
Please send final submissions to GreenwaldNoteCompetition@gmail.com by February 21, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Last year's winning submission of the 4th Annual Greenwald Competition was “Fishing for Answers: The WTO’s Search for Fishing Disciplines and Sustainable Stocks” by Georgetown Law’s Stephen Floyd and will be published in the GIJL at the end of December 2021. Please find more examples of winning submissions from previous years’ competitions here.
About the Greenwald Competition The annual John D. Greenwald Writing Competition commemorates the life of John D. Greenwald, former Deputy General Counsel at the Office of U.S. Trade Representative and the first Head of Import Administration at the U.S Department of Commerce, by inviting top submissions on current issues relevant to international trade law, the jurisprudence of the WTO or regional trade organizations, jurisprudence concerning U.S. trade organizations, and more.
Please email us with any further questions. Good luck! |
Institute of International Economic Law |
This year’s Competition prizes include a first place prize of $2500 and publication in GJIL’s 2022 Issue, $1500 for second place, and $1000 for third place. |
02/21/2022 |
OnlineDivorcer $2,500 Scholarship for Law Students | We are glad to announce that we are renewing our scholarship program and making it even more inclusive! In 2021, OnlineDivorcer encourages law students worldwide to take part in an article writing competition to win a $2,500 scholarship. Whether you are a first-year who has just gotten in or are about to graduate and become a lawyer, you are welcome to participate. It will only take some time to do research and a little inspiration to apply! What are the application criteria?Feel free to apply if you are a law student in an academic institution anywhere in the world. We would ask you to provide a copy of your transcripts and/or an acceptance letter proving that you got into the program or are currently getting your Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Law. How can you get the scholarship?Fill in the form here. In the form, we would ask you to indicate your:
If you do not have a LinkedIn profile, we would ask you to create one to participate. This will help us ensure the validity of your personal information before awarding you the scholarship. A form will also include the field where you will be able to upload a copy of your transcripts and/or an acceptance letter. Additionally, it will be necessary to write a 1,000-1,500-word article on one of the divorce-related topics mentioned in the form and submit it as a .docx or.pdf document in the abovementioned form. What are our criteria for choosing the winner?We would like to see your research and writing skills shine. Therefore, we expect the article you submit to:
Please write as if your audience had no proficiency in Law. There is no specific formatting style that needs to be followed. Making sure it is possible to determine the source where you have taken certain information from would be enough. What is the Application Deadline?11:59 PM, PDT, on August 31st, 2021 How and when will you learn about the results?OnlineDivorcer will make an official announcement on September 30th, 2021, on the company's Facebook and Twitter pages. Moreover, we will personally contact the winners of scholarship awards to congratulate them and inquire about the most convenient way to receive the money. How will the money be transferred?The scholarship amount will be transferred to the winners by agreed-upon means. Why apply for this scholarship?Our writing competition isn’t just a chance to test your writing skills and win $2,500. It is also an opportunity to get published as an author of a legal article and receive a valuable reference that will look great in your education and professional records. What if you have some questions?Feel free to contact peter@onlinedivorcer.com. Please note that this is the only available mean of communication regarding the scholarship. |
OnlineDivorcer |
A scholarship award of $2,500 to a student with the most impressive writing skills. Additionally, we will grant a scholarship of $100 to two other students whose articles will smite our committee. |
08/31/2021 |
H. Thomas Austern Writing Competition | Overview and Eligibility Requirements:
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Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) |
Winners are awarded a complimentary one-year FDLI membership. |
06/11/2021 |
Food and Drug Law Institute's 2021 Austern Writing Competition | The H. Thomas Austern Writing Competition is intended to encourage law students interested in the areas of law affecting FDA-regulated industries: food, drugs, medical devices, biologics, dietary supplements, cosmetics, veterinary, cannabis, or tobacco and nicotine products. Students currently enrolled in a JD program at any of the nation’s ABA-accredited law schools and 2020-2021 academic year graduates are eligible to participate. A committee comprised of FDLI members who are practicing attorneys and law professors will judge the papers over the summer, and winners will be announced in the fall. Top papers will receive a monetary prize, FDLI membership, and will be considered for publication in the Food and Drug Law Journal. |
Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) |
Winners are awarded: $750 for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third, and a complimentary one-year FDLI membership. Top papers will be considered for publication in the Food and Drug Law Journal. |
06/11/2021 |
The Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Competition | Eligibility: Format: Judging Process: |
R. Ben Hogan III of Hogan Law Office, PC, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Gerson H. Smoger of Smoger & Associates in Dallas, Texas, and Oakland, California. It is administered by Public Citizen. |
The winner will be notified by email. The winner will receive $5,000. Only one winning paper will be chosen and only one prize awarded. |
04/30/2021 |
2021 Antitrust Writing Awards | We are thrilled to announce that submissions are now open for the 2021 Antitrust Writing Awards. Now in their 10th year, the Antitrust Writing Awards are the field’s largest awards for written thought. Participation in the Awards process, whether as an author, jury member, or reader, helps highlight the best antitrust ideas of the past year. The Antitrust Writing Award for Best Student Paper rewards one student paper that stands out by its originality or relevance to current antitrust issues. The goal of the Award for Best Student Paper is to promote antitrust laws, antitrust economics, and antitrust policies among Law and Economics students and to support student scholarship in the field. 1. Eligibility Students who want to participate in the competition must be graduate students currently enrolled in a law school, business school, or graduate school economics program at the Master’s level or higher for the academic year 2020-2021. Eligible papers must have been written or published by the student(s) between January 1, 2020 and March 1, 2021. Students must submit the name of their school and proof of their enrollment when submitting their paper. Papers may be co-authored, but one individual participant cannot submit more than three (3) papers. 2. Format Participants must submit a paper in the format of a case summary or commentary of a specific antitrust case, investigation, regulation, guideline, or policy. The paper may cover antitrust cases that are criminal or civil, at the local, regional, national or international level, public or private enforcement, within any jurisdiction globally. Papers must be between 2,000 and 3,000 words long and must be written in English. Papers can be individual or co-authored. 3. Selection & Voting procedure The Best Student Paper Award will be awarded to the paper which collects the most votes from a peer jury composed of five (5) George Washington University Law School students under the mentorship of Prof. Bill Kovacic. |
Concurrences: Antitrust Publications & Events |
The winners will have their submission published in the Concurrences e-Competitions Bulletin (which covers antitrust cases from 85+ jurisdictions globally), and will receive a one-year Concurrences+ subscription (which gives access to the entire database of writings, photos, and videos from Concurrences antitrust conferences, articles, and books). In addition, the winners will be invited to accept the Award at the Concurrences + GW Antitrust Writing Awards Ceremony, held this year virtually in front of 200+ top antitrust enforcers, lawyers, economists, and academics from around the world. |
04/05/2021 |
Companion Animal Law Writing Contest | Students are asked to choose between two topics: forfeiture of an animal and the legal treatment of animals as property. This year’s topics offer students the unique opportunity to discuss legal perspectives on issues currently in the news and at the forefront of animal law. |
American Kennel Club |
The contest will offer a first-place prize of $2500 and a second-place prize of $500. |
03/31/2021 |
The Fourth Annual Companion Animal Law Writing Contest | The American Kennel Club® (AKC) is pleased to announce the fourth annual Companion Animal Law Writing Contest! The contest begins on August 10th and is opens to all students currently enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school. Students are asked to choose between two topics: forfeiture of an animal and the legal treatment of animals as property. This year’s topics offer students the unique opportunity to discuss legal perspectives on issues currently in the news and at the forefront of animal law. Entries will be judged by legal and public policy professionals with experience in laws impacting companion animals. Contestants can enter now through March 31, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. EST. To learn more about the contest, including official rules and policies, please click here. |
The American Kennel Club |
The contest will offer a first-place prize of $2500 and a second-place prize of $500. |
03/31/2021 |
3rd Baxter Family Competition on Federalism | The Peter MacKell Chair on Federalism is delighted to launch the 3rd edition of the Baxter Family Competition on Federalism. We invite you to consult the Call for papers. The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2021. This edition’s overall theme is Federalism, Identity and Public Policy in Challenging Times. This broad theme should allow for reflections about the impact of federalism on the current COVID-19 crisis – and vice versa – but by no means should entries be limited to this context. Comparative perspectives are particularly encouraged. For the first time, the Competition will be open both to law and political science students/PhD candidates, as well as junior scholars and practitioners from around the world. Contributors must be registered students or have obtained their degrees, in law or political science, less than 5 years before the submission deadline of 1 February 2021. Submissions must be of a maximum 8,000 words in English and 8,800 words in French, including footnotes. Please see the Call for papers for information on author eligibility and paper criteria. Information on the first two editions of the Competition (as well as the winning essays) may be found here. |
Peter MacKell Chair on Federalism |
The three winners will be invited to present their papers at a symposium in May 2021 in Montreal (circumstances allowing). First-, second- and third-place winners will be awarded prizes of $5,000, $3,000, and $1,000 (CAD) respectively. |
02/01/2021 |
Call for Papers | The University of Michigan Law School is pleased to invite junior scholars to attend the 7th Annual Junior Scholars Conference which will take place virtually on April 16-17, 2021. The conference provides junior scholars with a platform to present and discuss their work with peers and receive feedback from prominent members of the Michigan Law faculty. The Conference aims to promote fruitful collaboration between participants and to encourage their integration into a community of legal scholars. The Junior Scholars Conference is intended for academics in both law and related disciplines. Applications from graduate students, SJD/PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, lecturers, teaching fellows, and assistant professors (pre-tenure) who have not held an academic position for more than four years, are welcomed. |
Michigan Law School 2021 Junior Scholars Conference |
We are excited that this year the Conference will collaborate with several Michigan Law journals, all of which are among the highest ranked in their respective fields. The Michigan Law Review, Michigan Journal of International Law, Michigan Journal of Law Reform, Michigan Journal of Gender and Law, Michigan Journal of Race and Law, Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law, and the Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review will give serious consideration to publish papers selected for the Conference that are within each journal’s research agenda and meet its requirements. Additional details on the publication process will be provided after selection for participation in the Conference itself has been completed. In any event, there will be no obligation to accept any offer of publication that you may receive. |
01/04/2021 |
Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Writing Competition | The Entertainment Law Initiative fosters future careers in entertainment law by seeking out the nation’s top law students and giving them invaluable networking and educational opportunities. For the past 22 years, the program has included a legal writing competition that offers law students the chance to win up to $10,000 in tuition-based scholarships. The ELI Writing Competition challenges students to identify, research and write an essay outlining a proposed solution on a compelling legal issue confronting the music industry. A nationwide panel of music law experts will judge the papers in a blind process to select a winner and two runners-up. This contest is open to Juris Doctorate (JD) and Master of Laws (LLM) candidates at U.S. law schools. |
Recording Academy |
ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE: |
01/04/2021 |
Arnold & Itkins LLP Academic Scholarships | Are you a law student? If yes, then Arnold & Itkins LLP is offering their Academic Scholarship for the law students who share the passion of serving the underprivileged and victims of the tragedy. The second-year or third-year law students enrolled in an ABA-accredited school in the United States are welcomed to apply for the scholarship. The motive of the Arnold & Itkins LLP Academic The scholarship is to empower and encourage law students pursuing law to achieve the goal of serving people in need. Academic Scholarships will grant students financial benefits to assist them in becoming brilliant lawyers. |
Arnold & Itkins LLP |
$5000 |
12/01/2020 |
Third-Annual Criminal Record Policy Essay Competition | For our third annual law student writing competition, our goal is to continue to increase awareness of the impact of laws governing the retention and dissemination of criminal records by courts and state agencies, as well as the laws governing the public’s use of such records. 2019-2020 Essay Topics: How to improve the expungement process in (state of your choice) When, if ever, should government stop reporting criminal records to the public? What effects do criminal records have on former offenders ability to re-assimilate? |
Higbee & Associates and The Foundation for Continuing Justice |
The Prizes For The Winning Essays Are As Follows: |
09/30/2020 |
2020 Aviation and Space Law Committee Law Student Writing Competition | Submissions should address a recent development in any area of aviation or space law or |
Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association |
(1) $500 cash prize; (2) up to $1,500 reimbursement for hotel and transportation expenses to attend and speak at the ABA TIPS Aviation and Space Law Annual CLE Seminar in Washington, DC on October 28th and 29th, 2020, and (3) publication in an upcoming edition of the TIPS Aviation and Space Law Committee’s newsletter. |
09/09/2020 |
2020 Warren E. Burger Prize | The American Inns of Court invites judges, lawyers, professors, students, scholars, and other authors to participate in the competition. Please submit an original, unpublished, essay of 10,000 to 20,000 words on a topic of your choice addressing issues of professionalism, ethics, civility, and excellence. |
American Inns of Court Foundation |
Cash prize of $5,000, and the essay will be published in the South Carolina Law Review. |
07/01/2020 |
Christopher E. Bergin Award for Excellence in Writing | The Christopher E. Bergin Award for Excellence in Writing recognizes superior student writing on unsettled questions in tax law or policy. It is named in honor of the late Christopher E. Bergin, former president and publisher of Tax Analysts and longtime editor of Tax Notes Federal. The award, given annually, epitomizes the qualities that Chris championed. Submissions should focus on an unsettled question in federal, state, or international tax law or policy. |
Tax Notes Federal |
Winning entries are published in Tax Notes’ weekly magazines and will be eligible to receive a 12-month subscription to Tax Notes’ daily and weekly products. Winners’ names and schools will be prominently featured on the Tax Notes website. |
06/30/2020 |
H. Thomas Austern Writing Competition | The H. Thomas Austern Writing Competition is intended to encourage law students interested in the areas of law affecting FDA-regulated industries: food, drugs, medical devices, biologics, dietary supplements, cosmetics, veterinary, cannabis, or tobacco and nicotine products. |
Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) |
Winners are awarded: $750 for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third, and a complimentary one-year FDLI membership. Top papers will be considered for publication in the Food and Drug Law Journal. |
06/19/2020 |
Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition | The Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition was established in memory of Michael Greenberg, a former National LGBT Bar Association board member and Philadelphia attorney who died in 1996 from complications of AIDS. This exciting competition is dedicated to encouraging and recognizing outstanding law student scholarship on the legal issues affecting LGBTQ+ persons. The winning article is considered for publication each year in the Tulane Journal of Law & Sexuality: A Review of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Law, the first student-edited law review devoted to the intersection of LGBTQ+ issues and the law in the United States. |
National LGBT Bar Association and Foundation |
The 2020 winner and first runner-up will be awarded free registration for the Annual Lavender Law® Conference and Career Fair where they will be officially recognized and presented with a congratulatory award certificate. |
05/14/2020 |
Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition | Any current student at an American or Canadian law school may submit an essay (minimum of ten pages and maximum of fifty pages) on any legal ethics topic. The essays that are submitted to the competition will be judged on their clarity, coherence, creativity, insight, and mastery of rules and cases relevant to the topic of the essay in question. |
Notre Dame Law School |
$2,500 prize |
04/24/2020 |
National Law Review 2019-2020 Law Student Writing Competition | The National Law Review (NLR) consolidates practice-oriented legal analysis from a variety of sources for easy access by lawyers, paralegals, law students, business executives, insurance professionals, accountants, compliance officers, human resource managers, and other professionals who wish to better understand specific legal issues relevant to their work. The NLR Law Student Writing Competition offers law students the opportunity to submit articles for publication consideration on the NLR Web site. |
National Law Review |
Winning submissions will be published according to specified dates. |
03/31/2020 |
22nd Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition | The ELI Writing Competition challenges students to identify, research, and write an essay with a proposed solution on a compelling legal issue confronting the music industry. A nationwide panel of music law experts will judge the papers in a blind process to select a winner and two runners-up. This contest is open to Juris Doctorate (JD) and master of laws (LLM) candidates currently enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school. |
Recording Academy & ABA Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries |
Top Prize: |
01/02/2020 |
Companion Animal Law Writing Contest | This year’s contest focuses on two questions, the first one is state legislature’s animal control and enforcement laws’ bond-for-care provisions, and the second one is on fraudulent claims of emotional support and service animals. Open to all students enrolled at ABA-accredited law schools in the US. |
American Kennel Club |
First Prize: $2,500 |
11/30/2019 |
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