Student Writing Competitions
A number of organizations sponsor writing competitions that are open to law students. Many of these competitions have cash prizes, and may also include a funded trip to a meeting to receive the prize. While all of the competitions below are open to students, some are also open to faculty and practicing attorneys, so be sure to check the competition rules to determine the "competition."
25th Annual Law Student Essay Contest
Sponsor: American Judges Association
General criteria: Essays submitted must be under the topic of "Comparing Hearsay Rules in Different Courts." All papers shall be the original, unpublished work of an individual student, but may have been prepared as a course assignment.
Deadline: June 1, 2013
Amount of award: First prize is $3,000; second is $1,500; and third is $1,000.
Submission information: See http://aja.ncsc.dni.us.
KBA Annual Student Writing Competition
The Kentucky Bar Association encourages UofL Law students to enter the KBA Annual Student Writing Competition. This competition is open only to students at the three Kentucky law schools - UL, UK, and Chase!
First ($1,000), second ($300), and third place ($200) awards will be given. Entries must be received by June 1, 2013.
Students may enter their previously unpublished articles. Articles should be of interest to Kentucky practitioners and follow the suggested guidelines and requirements found in the "General Format" section of the Bench & Bar Editorial Guidelines at www.kybar.org/103.
Our very own Leah Rupp Smith won the 2012 KBA Writing Award with her entry titled "Standing Your Ground: The Happy Medium Buried in Kentucky's Common Law." Let's continue the tradition for 2013!
National Student Writing Contest on Real Property Law
Sponsor: The Texas Wesleyan Journal of Real Property Law (Property Journal)
Criteria: This is a national writing competition for all law students on any topic falling into the general theme of real property law. This is a great opportunity for students on law reviews and journals whose note or comment may not have made the final publication cuts, and students who have written excellent papers for a seminar class or independent study. There are cash prizes as well as an opportunity to publish in the Property Journal.
Deadline: June 1, 2013
Amount of award: First-place will receive $750; Second-place will receive $500.00; and if a Third-Place essay is selected, that author will receive $250.00.
Submission information: http://www.realpropertyjournal.org/Home/national-writing-contest.
Employee Benefits Writing Competition
Sponsor: The American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
Criteria: Papers must deal with employee benefits topics. As an illustrative example, a paper might address legal issues involving health benefits, pensions, 401(k) plans, severance, executive compensation, claims, appeals, current or former spouses' or domestic partners' benefits, collectively-bargained benefits, benefits in bankruptcy, ERISA litigation or fiduciary obligations.
Deadline: June 1, 2013
Amount of award: Two cash prizes of $1,500 for the top two submissions. The law students who submit the wining papers will be our honored guests at our annual black tie dinner in New Orleans on November 9, 2013.
Submission information: See competition rules.
2013 Brown Award of $10,000 for Excellence in Legal Writing
Sponsor: The Judge John R. Brown Scholarship Foundation
General criteria: Any law student currently enrolled in an accredited law school seeking a J.D. is eligible. To be considered, four copies of a current legal writing must be submitted to the Foundation. There is no page limitation or restriction on the topic except that the writing must be on a legal subject. The 2012 Award was presented to Daniel Alterbaum of Yale Law School for his paper entitled, Control Share Acts, Closed-End Funds, and the Battle for Corporate Control.
Deadline: June 7, 2013
Amount of award: $10,000
Submission information: www.brownsims.com/about-brown-sims/affiliations/judge-john-r-brown-award
30th Annual Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition
Sponsor: Planning & Law Division of the American Planning Association
General criteria: The Competition is open to law students and graduate planning students writing on a question of significance in planning, planning law, land use law, local government law or environmental law.
Deadline: June 7, 2013
Amount of award: The winning entry will be awarded a prize of $2,500 and will be submitted for publication in The Urban Lawyer, the law journal of the American Bar Association's Section of State & Local Government Law. In addition to the first prize, the Competition will offer a second place prize of $500 and a third prize of $250. Up to two additional submissions may be awarded Honorable Mention.
Submission information: Visit http://www.law.asu.edu/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=epuHJYqwa-4%3D&tabid=937.
2013 Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition
Sponsor: American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
General criteria: Law students may submit an original, previously unpublished work that relates to an issue within one or more of the following topics in the area of trusts and estates: Businss planning; charitable planning; elder law; employee benefits; fiduciary accounting, administration, income taxation, or litigation; estate planning; professional responsibility; or wealth transfer taxation.
Deadline: June 14, 2013
Amount of award: $5,000 for first place; $3,000 for second place; $1,000 for third place.
Submission information: http://www.actec.org/public/WenigCompetition/WenigCompetitionRules.asp
James Boskey Writing Competition
Sponsor: ABA Section on Dispute Resolution
General criteria: The purpose of the competition is to promote greater interest in and understanding of the field of dispute resolution and collaborative decision-making among law students. The essay may address any aspect of dispute resolution practice, theory or research that the contestant chooses.
Deadline: June 14, 2013
Amount of Award: $1,000
Submission information: Visit http://www.americanbar.org/groups/dispute_resolution/awards_competitions.html
12th Annual Environmental Law Essay Competition
Sponsor: Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan
General criteria: The Competition is open to all law students. Essays must be original and not previously published. They may have been submitted for course credit or for law review, but not as part of paid employment. Any environmental law topic of current interest to Michigan practitioners.
Deadline: June 30, 2013
Amount of award: $2,000 for first place; $1,000 for second place; and $500 for third place. Winning essays will be published in the Michigan Environmental Law Journal.
Submission information: See flyer.
2013 Tannenwald Writing Competition
Sponsor: Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship and The American College of Tax Counsel
Criteria: Open to all full- or part-time law school students. Papers on any federal or state tax-related topic may be submitted.
Deadline: July 1, 2013
Amount of award: Cash prizes of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,500 for the top three papers.
Submission information: www.tannenwald.org
Advocates for Life Legal Writing Competition
Sponsor: Advocates for Life, the law student initiative of Americans United for Life
Criteria: The future of Roe v. Wade. Students must submit a mock Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.
Deadline: September 20, 2013
Amount of award: The winning entry will be published in the Human Life Review and the top three authors will receive cash prizes of $1000, $750, and $500.
Submission information and contest rules: http://www.aul.org/writingcontest.
Commercial Law Writing Competition
Sponsor: The Mid-South Commercial Law Institute (“MSCLI”)
Criteria: The Competition presents a wonderful opportunity for students to expand their base of knowledge concerning commercial and bankruptcy law, earn money for school, and have their work published on-line and in materials provided to attendees of the MSCLI. Entrants should submit an essay, article or comment on current issues concerning a commercial and/or bankruptcy law topic. The submission must be the law student author’s own work and must not have been published elsewhere. Notwithstanding the foregoing, students may incorporate feedback as part of a course requirement or supervised writing project.
Deadline: September 20, 2013
Amount of award: The First Place writer will receive a scholarship award of $3,000, plus publication of the Submission at www.MidSouthSeminar.org and in seminar materials. The First Place writer will also receive free registration and a room for the 2013 Mid-South Commercial Law Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, and a stipend in the maximum amount of $600 for travel. The First Place writer will also receive free admission to a subsequent Mid-South Commercial Law Institute. The Second Place writer will receive a scholarship award of $1,500, plus publication of the Submission at www.MidSouthSeminar.org and in seminar materials. The Second Place writer will also receive free registration and a room for the Institute, and a stipend in the maximum amount of $600. The Second Place writer will also receive free admission to a subsequent Institute. The Third Place writer will receive a scholarship award of $500, plus publication of the Submission at www.MidSouthSeminar.org and in seminar materials. The Third Place writer will also receive free registration and a room for the Institute, and a stipend for travel in the maximum amount of $600 for travel. The Third Place writer will also receive free admission to a subsequent Institute.
Submission information: See flyer.
2013 James E. Beckley Securities Arbitration and Law Competition
Sponsor: The PIABA Foundation
Criteria: This is a writing contest for students interested in Securities Arbitration and Securities Law. The submission may address any aspect of Securities law; Securities arbitration; The Federal Abritration Act, Title 9, US Code, Section 1-14; or FINRA Code of Arbitration. The writing can be based in theory or practice, but should ultimately advocate a position on the topic area chosen.
Deadline: September 20, 2013
Amount of award: First prize is $1,000; Second prize is $750; and Third prize is $500.
Submission information: www.piabafoundation.org
Securities Law Writing Competition 2013
Sponsor: ASECA
Criteria: Papers may address any subject in the field of securities law. Undergraduate and graduate law students enrolled for the fall 2013 semester are eligible. Papers need not have been previously published to be considered. Co-authored papers are not eligible.
Deadline: 11/15/13
Amount of award: $5,000 for first; $3,000 for second; and $2,000 for third.
For more information: www.secalumni.org