Writing competitions can be an important opportunity to submit your work for national review, to be published, to win cash prizes and to find a second audience for papers and research on which you may be working. Entries in some of these contests are very small, perhaps under ten authors. Our law school has had national prizewinners over the years so consider submitting a paper to a writing competition.
*Writing competitions are listed by genre*
Alternative Dispute Resolution
International Association of Defense Counsel 2008 Legal Writing Contest
Topic: Relevant aspects of tort law, insurance law, civil procedure, evidence, damages, alternative dispute resolution procedures, and professional ethics.
Animal Law
Animal Law Review Writing Competition
Topic: any aspect of animal law
Antitrust Law
*No current competition(s)*
Business Law
American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers Writing Competition
Topic: dealing with consumer financial services law.
Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest
Topic: subject is intended to include matters within law school curricula in courses entitled: Agency, Bankruptcy, Business Law, Business Organizations, Commercial Law, Consumer Law, Contracts, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Corporations, Creditor's Rights, Financial Institutions, Employment Law, Insurance Law, Oil and Gas Law, Professional Responsibility, Remedies, Secured Transactions, Securities Regulations, Uniform Commercial Code
Children's Law
National Association of Defense Counsel Student Essay Competition on the Legal Interests of Children
Topic: advancing the legal interests of children
Constitutional Law
Pacific Legal Foundation Annual Program for Judicial Awareness Writing Competition
Topic: annually designated by Foundation
Consumer Financial Services Law
*No current competition(s)*
Critical Race Theory
*No current competiton(s)*
Disability Law
Mercer University School of Law Adam A. Milani Law Writing Competition
Topic: any aspect of disability law, theory or practice
Elder Law
ABA Commission on Law and Aging Student Essay Competition
Topic: public policy or practice issues in serving socially, economically, or physically vulnerable older persons
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys NAELA Student Writing Competition
Topic: any topic related to one or more of the following three issues in an elder law practice: (1) diversity in senior housing, (2) diversity in access to healthcare, and (3) diversity in capacity and guardianship.
Entertainment Law
*No current competition(s)*
Environmental Law
ABA Section of Environmental, Energy, and Resources - Law Student Writing Contest
Topic: any topic on environmental law
Evidence
International Association of Defense Counsel 2008 Legal Writing Contest
Topic: Relevant aspects of tort law, insurance law, civil procedure, evidence, damages, alternative dispute resolution procedures, and professional ethics.
Family Law
Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay
Topic: Any aspect of Family Law
Federal Civil Practice and Procedure
James William Moore Federal Practice Award 9th Annual Award (2008)
Topic: federal civil practice and procedure, including the civil jurisdiction and venue rules of the federal courts; topics of federal courts management, federal appellate procedure, and alternative dispute resolution will also be acceptable
American Judges Association/American Judges Foundation, Annual Law Student Essay Competition
Topic: annually designated
Gender and the Law
Feminist Jurisprudence Essay Contest
Topic: any woman law topic
NLGLA Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition
Topic: Cutting edge legal issue affecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Intersex community
Selma Moidel Smith Law Student Writing Competition
Topic: issue concerning women's rights or the status of women in the law.
Food and Drug Law
Food and Drug Law Institute H. Thomas Austern Memorial Writing Competition
Topic: an in-depth analysis of a current issue relevant to the food and drug field
Health Law and Legal Medicine
*No current competition(s)*
Immigration Law
*No current compeition(s)*
Insurance Law
*No current compeition(s)*
International Law
Topic: international economic law
Intellectual Property
American Intellectual Property Association Fellows Award
Topic: Issues relative to fair use and the research exemption in intellectual property
American Intellectual Property Association Robert C. Watson Award
Topic: a subject relating to the protection of intellectual property
Federal Circuit Bar Association Writing Competition
Topic: patent litigation, international trade, government contracts, veterans' appeals
Judiciary
Pacific Legal Foundation Program for Judicial Awareness Writing Competition
Topic: Choose between three topics
Labor and Employment Law
Louis Jackson National Student Writing Competition
TOPIC: any topic relating to the law governing the workplace, such as employment law, labor law, employee benefits, or employment discrimination.
2008 College of Labor and Employment Lawyers Law Student Writing Competition
TOPIC: any aspect of public or private labor or employment law. Students are encouraged to present a:public policy issue, critique of a leading case or doctrine, comment on a statute or the need for a statutory modification, or comment on a common law doctrine.
ABA Labor and Employment Law Writing Competition
Topic: any topic relating to labor and employment law
Legal Ethics
The American Inns of Court Warren E. Burger Writing Competition
Topic: the author should address one or more aspects of legal excellence, 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.
Litigation
*No current competition(s)*
Moot-Court
Scribes 2007 Brief-Writing Competition
Topic: If one of your moot-court teams wrote the best brief in a national moot-court competition, or wrote the best brief in any preliminary regional competition helf before a national competition, please enter the brief
Native American Indian Law
Chief Justice John B. Doolin Writing Competition
Topic: Any area relating to Native Americans or other indigenous peoples
Professional Liability
*No current competition(s)*
Public Utilities
*No current competition(s)*
Real Property, Planning and Land Use
25th Annual Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition
Topic: demonstrate original thought on a question of significance in either planning or areas of law germane to planning (e.g., land use, local government or environmental law).
Securities Law
Securities Law Writing Competition - 2007
Topic: any subject in the field of securities law
Special Topics
2008 Embryo Donation and Adoption Awareness Campaign's Essage Competition
Topic: Write a scholarly position paper in response to a problem presented regarding embryo donation/adoption
American Judges Association Twentiety Annual Law Student Essay Competition
Topic: "Search and Seizue Arising From Motor Vehicle Stops"
Tax Law
Theodore Tannenwald Jr. Writing Competition
Topic: any federal or state tax topic
The 2008 Tannenwald Writing Competition
Topic: technical or policy-oriented tax issues relating to any type of existing or proposed U.S. federal or state tax or taxation system (including topics relating to tax practice ethical and professional responsibility matters)
Technology Law
Science & Technology Law student Writing Competition
Topic: please see website for more information.
Santa Clara Computer and High Technology Law Journal Comment Contest
Topic: one of the following topics: patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, biotechnology, telecommunications, technology licensing, venture capital, antitrust, electronic commerce, computer law, cyberspace law, privacy, or any other current topic in high technology law.
Tobacco Law
*No current competition(s)*
Tort Law
*No current competition(s)*
Transnational Law
*No current competition(s)*
Trusts and Estates
American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition
Topic: papers should address one or more legal issues in the area of trusts and estate and related taxation
Veterans Law
Paralyzed Veterans of America Legal Writing Competition 2007-08
Topic: Should congress maintain, modify, or completely redesign the Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Adjudication Process, and how would the results improve the current system?
