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.”

Previous Competitions
Submissions to the James E. Beckley Securities Arbitration and Law Writing Competition may address any aspect of Securities law; Securities arbitration; The Federal Arbitration Act, Title 9, US Code, Section 1-14; or FINRA Code of Arbitration, effective April 16, 2007 and any changes or proposed changes to that Code.? Sponsored by: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association Sponsor's Website 1st: $1,000 2nd: $750 3rd: $500 Due Date: 9/20/2013
The candidate must be a Ph.D. student or starting researcher.? The article may be written in Dutch, English, German, or French on a subject which falls within the material scope encompassed by the objectives of the Ius Commune Research School.? Sponsored by: Ius Commune Research School Sponsor's Website 1250 Due Date: 9/1/2013
Submissions to the Warren E. Burger Prize should be an? original, unpublished essay of 10,000-25,000 words on a topic of your choice addressing the issues of excellence in legal skills, civility, ethics, and professionalism. Sponsored by: American Inns of Court Sponsor's Website 5000 Due Date: 9/1/2013
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 in elementary and secondary public education. Sponsored by: Education Law Association Sponsor's Website Publication Due Date: 7/1/2013
Submissions to the Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition may be on a question of significance in either city planning or associated areas of law (e.g., land use, local government, or environmental law). Sponsored by: Planning & Law Division of the American Planning Association Sponsor's Website 1st: $2,500 2nd: $500 3rd: $250 Due Date: 6/7/2013
For 2013 submissions to the Judge John R. Brown Award for Excellence in Legal Writing, there is no page limit or restriction on the topic except that the writing must be on a legal subject.? In order to be considered, 4 copies of a current legal writing must be submitted with a letter of recommendation by a law school faculty member or legal professional other than the author of the paper.? Only one paper may be sponsored by any faculty member or legal professional, and only one paper may be submitted on behalf of any student.? Sponsored by: Judge John R. Brown Scholarship Foundation Sponsor's Website 10000 Due Date: 6/7/2013
Robert C. Watson Competition submissions shall address the protection of intellectual property.? Submission of 20 copies is required. Sponsored by: American Intellectual Property Law Association Sponsor's Website 2000 Due Date: 6/30/2013
Entries may address any environmental law topic of current interest to Michigan practitioners.? Sponsored by: State Bar of Michigan Environmental Law Section Sponsor's Website 1st: $2,000 2nd: $1,000 3rd: $500 Due Date: 6/30/2013
The principal subject of the submitted paper must be federal civil practice and procedure, including the civil jurisdiction and venue rules of the federal courts. Submissions on the topics of federal courts management, federal appellate procedure, and alternative dispute resolution will also be acceptable. However, papers that deal primarily with criminal procedure will not be acceptable. Sponsored by: LexisNexis Sponsor's Website $2,000 and 4-volume set of Moore's Federal Rules Pamphlets, plus $1,000 to winning entrant's law review or journal Due Date: 6/3/2013
? The American Society for Pharmacy Law (ASPL) is a nationwide organization with the purposes of: (i) furthering knowledge in the 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 ("Pharmacy Law"); (ii) communicating accurate legal educational information; and (iii) providing education opportunities for pharmacists, attorneys, and others who are interested in Pharmacy Law. ? ? ? Sponsored by: American Society for Pharmacy Law Sponsor's Website Honorarium Due Date: 6/3/2013
Submissions to the James Boskey Dispute Resolution Essay Competition may address any aspect of dispute resolution practice, theory, or research. Sponsored by: ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Sponsor's Website 1000 Due Date: 6/15/2013
Essays submitted for the 2013 competition MUST be under the topic of ?Comparing Hearsay Rules in Different Courts.? Sponsored by: American Judges Association Sponsor's Website 1st: $3,000 2nd: $1,500 3rd: $1,000 Due Date: 6/1/2013
The goal of the Texas Wesleyan Journal of Real Property Law (?Property Journal?) National Writing Contest (?Contest?) is to expand the breadth of the contributions published in the Property Journal and provide a platform for student-writers producing excellent scholarly work to contribute to real property discourse by way of publication in a journal devoted to exploring real property issues.? Sponsored by: Texas Wesleyan Sponsor's Website 1st: $750 2nd: $500 3rd: $250 Due Date: 6/1/2013
Submissions must further the legal needs of domestic violence victims and their children, or advance efforts to address the incidence, causes, and effects of intimate partner violence, from a national or international perspective. Sponsored by: ABA Commission on Domestic Violence and the Journal of Gender, Social Policy and the Law Sponsor's Website Publication and honorarium Due Date: 5/31/2013
The Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition is open to students enrolled and in good standing during the 2012-13 academic year, including December 2012 graduates, who either attend a Virginia law school or attend a law school outside Virginia but are residents of Virginia. Articles may relate to an intellectual property law issue or the practice of intellectual property law. Sponsored by: Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Section Sponsor's Website 4000 Due Date: 5/24/2013
Entries must be submitted on a subject of practical concern to lawyers engaged in the defense or management of the defense of civil litigation, such as relevant aspects of tort law, insurance law, civil procedure, evidence, damages, alternative dispute resolution procedures, and professional ethics. Sponsored by: International Association of Defense Counsel Sponsor's Website 1st: $2,000 2nd: $1,000 3rd: $500 Due Date: 5/17/2013
Entries may address any aspect of public or private sector labor and/or employment law relevant to the American labor and employment bar. Articles may address U.S. law, international law of relevance to U.S. labor and employment attorneys, or how a legal topic is treated in states across the country, but papers limited to the law of a single state will not be considered.? Students are encouraged to discuss a public policy issue, practical implications of a leading case or doctrine, a statute or the need for statutory modification, or a common law doctrine.? Submissions must be submitted by 6:00 p.m. (EDST) on 5/15/2013 to swan@laborandemploymentcollege.org using the subject line, "Writing Competition". ? Sponsored by: College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Inc. Sponsor's Website 1st: $1,500 2nd: $1,000 3rd: $500 Due Date: 5/15/2013
Entrants to the Selma Moidel Smith Law Student Writing Competition should submit a paper on an issue concerning women?s rights or the status of women in the law. Sponsored by: National Association of Women Lawyers Sponsor's Website 500 Due Date: 5/1/2013
Papers may discuss any topic relating to administrative law.The competition is open to currently enrolled students of ABA-accredited law schools who are also members of the ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice. Submissions can include papers submitted for a law school course, law review notes and comments, or pieces written specifically for the competition. Essays must be the work of the submitting student without substantial editorial input from others. Co-authored papers are ineligible. Only one essay may be submitted per entrant. ? Sponsored by: ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Sponsor's Website 5000 Due Date: 5/1/2013
Entrants should submit an essay, article, or comment on an issue concerning Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. Sponsored by: National Association of Chapter Thirteen Trustees Sponsor's Website 1st: $1000 and Publication Due Date: 4/30/2013
Submissions to the Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition should concern any issue within the general category of legal ethics. Sponsored by: Notre Dame Law School Sponsor's Website 2500 Due Date: 4/26/2013
Entrants should submit an essay on the topic below: There have been a number of recent legislative proposals that concern our right to vote, ranging from redistricting for purposes of Congressional voting districts to laws affecting voter eligibility. Please identify one or more examples of such proposed or actual laws from anywhere in the country and discuss whether these laws unconstitutionally infringe on the right to vote. You may want to consider any manner in which these laws affect the right to vote, either by strengthening or weakening our republic. For example, you might want to consider whether these examples are modern day poll taxes, efforts to suppress the vote or needed improvements to avoid voter fraud. Essays must be no longer than seven 8 ? x 11? pages. Essays must be submitted on or before the deadline of April 16. Emails will be accepted until midnight April 16. However, entries sent by mail or hand delivered must be received in the office by April 16, 2010. at 5:00 p.m. Finalists will be scheduled for interviews. Entries will be judged by a panel of attorneys and/or judges, and will be scored on the basis of both substance and form. Should you have questions or desire any additional information, please contact Attorney Gloria Johnson at 301-390-2222. Submissions will not be accepted by facsimile. How to apply- Email to: GJLaw75@aol.com or Mail to Gloria Johnson 1300 Mercantile Lane, Suite 139 Largo, Maryland 20774 Sponsored by: Washington Bar Association Sponsor's Website 5000 Due Date: 4/16/2013
Submissions to the ELI-ABA-NAELS ?Endangered Environmental Laws? writing competition may address recent developments or trends in U.S. environmental law that have a significant constitutional or ?federalism? component. Students may choose one of the sample topics or develop their own constitutional environmental law topic. Sponsored by: The Environmental Law Institute; The ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources; and The National Association of Environmental Law Societies Sponsor's Website 2000 Due Date: 4/12/2013
Submissions to the Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest may be on any aspect of family law. Sponsored by: ABA Family Law Section Sponsor's Website Possible publication and section membership Due Date: 4/12/2013
SOCIAL MEDIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CRIMINAL LAW, PRACTICE, AND PROCEDURE. Any timely and important topic relating to developments in criminal law or procedure influenced by or related to social media. Such topics might include the Fourth Amendment implications of social media in criminal matters, privacy interests, the role or impact of social media on other substantive legal issues or investigative practices and the ethical implications relating to the same, the use of social media evidence in investigations and trials, and the impact and influence of social media on jurors. Sponsored by: ABA Criminal Justice Section Sponsor's Website 2000 Due Date: 4/10/2013

Previous Competitions

Submissions to the James E. Beckley Securities Arbitration and Law Writing Competition may address any aspect of Securities law; Securities arbitration; The Federal Arbitration Act, Title 9, US Code, Section 1-14; or FINRA Code of Arbitration, effective April 16, 2007 and any changes or proposed changes to that Code.?

Sponsored by: Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association