Student Writing Competitions

The ACS is sponsoring the Eighteenth Annual Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition on Regulatory and Administrative Law. Submissions should be related to American regulatory or administrative law, broadly construed. Appropriate subjects include empirical or comparative analyses of the effectiveness of specific regulatory regimes or of 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. The author of the winning paper in each category (lawyer and law student) will receive a cash prize of $1,500. The winning papers will receive special recognition on the ACS website, in our weekly Member Bulletin, and potentially through other means agreed upon by the authors and ACS.

Deadline: February 2, 2026

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The ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice is sponsoring their annual Gellhorn-Sargentich Law Student Essay Award Competition. The entry must discuss any topic relating to administrative law. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and complimentary registration for the Virtual Live Administrative Law Conference being held November 20-21, 2025. At the discretion of the Section and the respective editorial boards, the winning entry may be selected for publication in the Administrative and Regulatory Law News and/or the Administrative Law Review.

Deadline: June 30, 2025

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The American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers is sponsoring the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers Writing Competition. Eligible entries must discuss some aspect of 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.

The awards include a cash payment ($5,000 for books, $3,500 for articles, reviews, or book chapters; and $1,500 for student work), a certificate or other token of recognition, and (if applicable) travel expenses to attend the College’s annual dinner (if held, typically in conjunction with the Spring Meeting of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association).

Deadline: November 1, 2025

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The Robert Pitofsky Law Student Writing Competition encourages and rewards student-written articles in the area of antitrust law, competition policy, and consumer protection law. Entrants must submit an original article, which has already been published or which is scheduled to be published no later than January 31, 2025, on a current topic dealing with antitrust or consumer protection law. The winner will receive $5,000 cash, a one-year free membership in the Antitrust Law Section, free round-trip economy-class airfare, and three nights’ accommodations (at a hotel of the Section’s choosing) to attend the Section’s Annual Spring Meeting, April 2-4, 2025 in Washington, DC, if the Meeting is held in-person. The winner will also be announced in an upcoming issue of Antitrust, the Section’s magazine.

Deadline: February 3, 2025

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The Business Law Section sponsors an annual Student Writing Competition, open to all students who are candidates for the JD or LLM degree at an accredited law school during the year in which the article is submitted. Articles submitted will be judged on the following criteria: Relevance to the Journal’s audience (New York business lawyers), timeliness of the topic, originality, quality of research and writing, and clarity and conciseness. The student articles submitted in a given year that are judged first, second, and third best will receive cash prizes of $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000, respectively. At the discretion of the editors, they also will be published in the NYSBA NY Business Law Journal, which is sponsored by the Section in cooperation with Albany Law School and is published in the Spring and Fall.

Deadline: Submissions should be made by May 15 for the summer issue and November 15 for the winter issue of the Journal

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University of Iowa College of Law is sponsoring a Trandafir International Business Writing Competition. Papers will be accepted on 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. The winner will receive $2,000 and be published in Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems

Deadline: March 13, 2026

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The ABA Business Law Section is sponsoring the Mendes Hershman Award. The papers will be judged on research and analysis, choice of topic, writing style, originality, and contribution to the literature available on the topic. Depending on the topic, prior publication, and other factors, a previously unpublished first place winning essay may be considered for publication in a Section publication. First place will receive $1,000; second place and third place will receive eligibility to have their essays considered for publication in Business Law Today, the premier digital platform of curated, peer-reviewed content for the ABA Business Law Section.

Deadline: April 21, 2025

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The CITBA is sponsoring the Annual Andrew P. Vance Memorial Writing Competition. Papers must contain an in-depth analysis of a current issue relevant to customs and international trade law. First prize will receive $1,000 and second place will receive $500.

Deadline: June 2, 2025

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The Program on Church, State & Society at Notre Dame Law School is pleased to announce a writing competition on topics and questions within the Program’s focus. The purpose of this writing competition is to encourage scholarship related to the intersections of church, state & society and, in particular, how the law structures and governs that intersection. First place will receive a $3,000 cash award, second place a $2,000 cash award and third Place a$1,000 cash award. Honorable Mention(s) will be given $500 cash award.

Deadline: May 15, 2025

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The NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund now proudly announces its Annual Law Student Second Amendment Research and Writing Competition. Any law student currently enrolled in an ABA Accredited law school is eligible to enter the competition by writing a scholarly article suitable for publication on a specific Second Amendment issue. The awards are $10,000.00 for first place, $7,000.00 for second place, and $3,000.00 for third place.

Deadline: March 1, 2026
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This Competition is sponsored by Criminal Justice (“Section”) of the American Bar Association (“ABA”). The goal of the Competition is to encourage law students to become involved in the Section. It is also intended to attract students to the Criminal Justice practice field, and to encourage scholarship in this field. The topic is updated yearly and include three main issues that must be addressed. The winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize that may be presented at an agreed-upon CJS event with approved transportation costs not to exceed $800 to be covered by the Section. All entrants will receive one year’s free full membership in the Criminal Justice Section.

Deadline: July 1, 2025

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The Blanch Law Firm is looking for an excellent writer to contribute an outstanding article to their online publication. You will then be assigned a topic in the criminal law field that applies to a Federal or State legal issue. Each applicant will be given an outline to guide them on their research and writing. There is a $5,000 cash prize, publication credit, and an opportunity to work with their lawyers in New York City for a one day

Deadline: Rolling. Submissions due within 14 days of receipt of assignment.

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The College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers is sponsoring their annual Writing Competition for Law Students. The scope of permissible topics is broad, i.e., any aspect of workers’ compensation law. Students are encouraged to present: a public policy issue; a critique of a leading case or doctrine; or a comment on a statute or the need for a statutory modification. First place will receive $3,000 plus $1,000 to the winner's law school scholarship fund; second place will receive $1,500; and third place will receive $1,000. The winning article will also be considered for publication in the Workers' First Watch, The Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group (WILG) magazine, and the ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section Law Journal. The winner will also be invited (expenses paid) to the Annual College Induction Dinner to be honored during the program.

Deadline: January 31, 2026

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The ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law, along with the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, is sponsoring their Annual Writing Competition. Entries should address aspects of public or private sector labor and/or employment law relevant to the American labor and employment bar. First Place will receive $3000; second place will receive $1000; and third place will receive $500. The first-place winning article will be published in the ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law. In addition, the author will be a guest at the annual CLE program of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law and honored at the Annual Induction Dinner of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

Deadline: June 15, 2025

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Chicago-Kent College of Law is co-sponsoring the Louis Jackson Memorial National Student Writing Competition in Employment and Labor Law along with Jackson Lewis LLP. Judges will consider papers on any topic relating to the law governing the workplace, such as employment law, labor law, employee benefits, or employment discrimination. One top honors award of $3,000 and two $1,000 awards will be presented to the top three entries.

Deadline: February 7, 2025

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The ACEBC is sponsoring their Annual Writing Competition. 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, fiduciary obligations or the tax treatment of benefits/contributions. There are two prizes which may be awarded of $2,500 each. The winning papers may also be published in a BNA journal or another employee benefits journal. Award winners will also be guests of the College during its annual black-tie dinner to be held in November 8, 2025.

Deadline: June 1, 2025

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Public Citizen is sponsoring their annual Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Competition. For the 2024-2025 competition, you may submit legal essays on compelling arguments related to Access to Justice. Winner will receive $5,000.

Deadline: April 30, 2025

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The ABA Section of Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources is sponsoring their annual writing competition. Entries for the Competition should demonstrate original thought on a question of legal and/or policy significance relating to one of the following topics: (1) Biodiversity, (2) Energy Law and/or Resource Recovery, (3) Forest Resources and Public Land, (4) Indigenous Law, (5) Water Law. Each entrant must select one of the five competition topics to write on. The first-place winner in each of the five topic categories will receive a $1,000 cash prize. The winners will be announced on the Section’s website.

Deadline: May 31, 2025

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The Hirsh Writing Competition is an annual competition sponsored by the American College of Legal Medicine (ACLM) that provides an opportunity for any student to present their research on topics related to legal medicine. The Hirsh Award is awarded to the author of the outstanding original student paper on legal medicine. The writer of the winning paper will be presented the Hirsh Award and will receive $1,000, round trip economy airfare to Houston, one-night hotel accommodations during the conference, and conference registration to attend the ACLM 2025 Annual Conference where they will have an opportunity to present the paper, receive the award, and meet with experts in the field of legal medicine. The winning paper will be published in The Journal of Legal Medicine, and all other papers entered for the Hirsh Award will receive consideration for publication in The Journal of Legal Medicine. The second-place winner will receive $500. The third-place winner will receive $250. The top three winners will receive complimentary one-year membership in the American College of Legal Medicine and will be invited to serve on the 2026 Student Awards Committee.

Deadline: January 15, 2025

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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. This competition recognizes law students for innovative, strategic, and sound approaches to tackling complex contemporary health care regulatory and compliance issues.

Students must analyze the facts presented in the Competition Problem, identify any and all regulatory/compliance concerns, and advise the recipient of the memorandum. While these two internal memoranda address the same hypothetical situation and subject matter, they are to be drafted with a specific audience/reader in mind. Content must be customized to a particular audience/reader to optimize understanding, engagement, and responsiveness. First place will receive $5,000, second place $3,000, and third place $1,500.

Deadline: March 17th, 2025

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ASPL recognizes outstanding scholarship related to Pharmacy Law with the Simonsmeier Award. The Award recognizes an outstanding paper relating to the interests of ASPL published during the prior two years . The award includes an honorarium plus support for travel to the ASPL Developments in Pharmacy Law Seminar. Papers related to Pharmacy Law, as defined above, published in or accepted for publication in any English-language peer-reviewed journal (including law reviews) during the period cited above are eligible.

Deadline: June 30, 2025

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The American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics (ASLME) is pleased to announce its Annual Health Law and Anti-Racism Graduate Student Writing Competition with the goal of encouraging students to develop scholarly papers focused on issues at the intersection of race, law, and health. 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. The winning paper(s) may be invited for publication in the Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, if not already slated for publication elsewhere. Papers may be required to undertake edits prior to publication. The 1st Prize winner(s) will also be provided with a 1-year ASLME membership and a prize of $500.

Deadline: August 1, 2025

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EBG is sponsoring their Annual Health Law Writing Competition. 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). First place will receive $7,500; second place will receive $4,000; and third place will receive $1,000.

Deadline: May 16, 2025

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The FDLI is sponsoring the H. Thomas Austern Memorial Writing Competition. Papers should provide an in-depth analysis of a current legal issue concerning food, drugs, animal drugs, biologics, cosmetics, diagnostics, dietary supplements, medical devices or tobacco. First place will receive $1,000; second place will receive $750; and third place will receive $500.

Deadline: July 18, 2025

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The NYIPLA is sponsoring the Hon. William C. Conner Intellectual Property Law Writing Competition. The subject matter must be directed to one of the traditional subject areas of intellectual property, i.e., patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair trade practices and antitrust. First place will receive $2,500 and the runner-up will receive $1,500.

Deadline: March 7, 2025

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The AIPLA is sponsoring the Robert C. Watson Award. Students are encouraged to submit articles on a subject relating to the protection of intellectual property.

Deadline: June 30, 2025

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The Clara Barton Competition is an annual simulation-based, experiential legal competition designed to expose rising professionals to the practice of IHL and to real world challenges facing IHL practitioners during armed conflict. Participants will engage in a variety of practical role-playing exercises, during which they will be asked to assume various professional roles and accomplish a wide range of tasks reflective of those performed by practitioners in the field. The Competition will test participants’ knowledge of international humanitarian law and public international law, as well as their ability to present, advocate for, and defend legal positions to a diverse range of stakeholders in different simulated environments.

In teams of no more than three, students will analyze a hypothetical legal scenario contained in the background documents included in the application packet and answer the two evaluation questions. The team’s answers should be submitted as a separate document, with the answer to each question not exceeding 2500 words (Question 1) and 1500 words (Question 2), excluding citations. The Competition will take place March 22-24, 2024 in-person at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Application Deadline: November 17, 2023

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University of Iowa College of Law is sponsoring a Trandafir International Business Writing Competition. Papers will be accepted on 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. The winner will receive $2,000 and be published in Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems

Deadline: March 13, 2026

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The Federal Bar Association Section on Taxation is sponsoring the Donald C. Alexander Tax Law Writing Competition. Papers will be accepted on any original paper concerning federal taxation. The first place winner will receive $2000 and the second place winner will receive $1000. Both winners will receive a trip to FBA's Tax Conference in Washington D.C.

Deadline: January 17, 2025

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Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship is sponsoring their Annual Writing Competition. 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). First place will receive $5,000; second place will receive $2,500; and third place will receive $1,500.

Deadline: July 11, 2025

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The AALL/LexisNexis Call for Papers Committee promotes the scholarship of AALL members and of students through its annual “Call for Papers” competition. 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. First place will receive $650 and will be recognized during award ceremonies at the AALL Annual Meeting and will be given the opportunity to present their papers in a program.

Deadline: May 15, 2026

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The ABA is sponsoring the Ed Mendrzycki Essay Contest For Law Students and Young Lawyers For Innovative Research and Writing on Lawyers' Professional Liability. This year's hypothetical involves multiple ethical and professional liability concerns that arise when a law firm adopts an artificial intelligence software platform to assist its lawyers in providing legal services to its clients.The winner will receive $5,000, round-trip airfare and two-night stay at the Omni Charlotte Hotel to attend the Spring 2025 National Legal Malpractice Conference, in Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as complimentary registration to attend all educational programming sessions at the Spring 2025 National Legal Malpractice Conference.

Deadline: February 3, 2025

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The purpose of the annual prize is to stimulate interest in the relationship between women and the law. You are invited to write an essay of not more than 5000 words relating to the topic. The winning entry will be awarded £250. To find out more information and how to enter contact Mrs. Linda Henfrey at lawreception@le.ac.uk.

Deadline: November 28, 2025

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The American Inns of Court are sponsoring the annual Warren E. Burger Prize. Authors should address one or more aspects of excellence in legal skills, civility, ethics or professionalism within the legal profession. The selected issue(s) should be of contemporary significance with clear relevance to the legal community at large. The winner will receive a cash prize and will be presented the prize at the American Inns of Court annual Celebration of Excellence at the Supreme Court of the United States.

Deadline: July 1, 2025

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The PIABA Foundation is sponsoring the James E. Beckley Securities Arbitration and Law Writing Competition. The submission may address any aspect of Securities Law or Securities Arbitration. Entries will be judged based on the following criteria: Quality of research and authority provided, accuracy and clarity of the analysis, and compliance with legal writing standards and technical quality of writing, including organization, grammar, syntax, and form. Strong preference will be given to articles that advocate pro-investor positions, provide updates on or surveys of securities or ADR law, and/or are consistent with PIABA’s mission of promoting the education and interests of the public investor in securities and commodities arbitration, protecting public investors from abuses in the arbitration process, and making securities and commodities arbitration fair through legislative reforms to arbitration forum providers. The winner will receive $1,500 and publication in the PIABA Bar Journal; second place receives $1,000; third, $750.

Deadline: March 27, 2026

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The ABA Section of Section of Real Property is sponsoring their annual Real Property, Trust and Estate Law 2022 Law Student Writing Contest. To enter, submit an essay on a current topic dealing with real property, trust and estate law. 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. The Section will interpret the scope of the subject broadly to ensure that the Contest affords the greatest degree of flexibility in writing on these subject areas. Entrants are encouraged to write on subjects of national interest; entries that address principally the law of a single state will be considered, but will rarely be recommended for publication.

The first place winner will receive $2,500, a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Miami School of Law's Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning OR Robert Traurig-Greenberg Traurig Graduate Program in Real Property Development for the 2025–2026 or 2026-2027 academic year, free round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations to a RPTE Section meeting, a free RPTE membership for one year, consideration for publication in The Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Journal, the Section's law review journal, which is mailed to 17,000 RPTE members, and their name and essay title will be published in the eReport, the Section's electronic newsletter. The second-place winner will receive $1,500 cash, one-year free membership in the Section, consideration for publication and will be announced in Probate & Property and eReport. The third-place winner will receive $1,000 cash, one-year free membership in the Section, consideration for publication and will be announced in Probate & Property and eReport.

Deadline: May 31, 2025

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OU is sponsoring a writing competition for students in any J.D. or graduate law program. Papers will be accepted on any issue concerning American Indian law or indigenous peoples. The first place winner will receive $1,500 and publication in the American Indian Law Review. Second and third place will receive $700 and $400, respectively.

Deadline: February 27, 2026

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The ABA Commission on Disability Rights, along with the Mercer University School of Law is sponsoring their Annual Milani Writing Competition. 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. The first place prize will range between $300 and $1,000, depending on whether multiple awards are given. The name of the winner(s) in each category will be posted online at the Mercer University School of Law website.

Deadline: June 13, 2025

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The Section of Public Contract Law is sponsoring its Writing Competition. The paper should address a topical issue of interest to the public contract and grant law community. The first place winner will receive $2,000; second place, $1,000; third place, $500. Winning entries will be considered for publication in the Public Contract Law Journal and may be invited to present their papers during an ABA Section of
Public Contract Law conference.

Deadline: September 30, 2025

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The ABA's Forum on Construction Law is sponsoring their annual Student Writing Competition. Students may submit articles on any topic related to construction law. The winning author receives a $2,000 prize, travel expenses and registration for the next Forum annual meeting (where the winner in introduced and receives a plaque), a one-year Forum membership, recognition in the Forum newsletter, Under Construction, the Forum Flash, and on the Forum's website, plus the opportunity to be published in one of the Forum's two publications, Under Construction or The Construction Lawyer.

Deadline: June 29, 2025

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The ABA Section of Family Law is sponsoring the Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest. 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. The first place winner will receive $1,500; second place will receive $750; and third place will receive $350. All three submissions will be considered for publication in Family Law Quarterly and on the ABA website.

Entry Form Deadline: April 4, 2025
Paper Deadline: April 18, 2025

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