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Writing Competitions
Writing competitions are a great way for students to sharpen their legal writing skills, get published, and possibly win cash prizes.
Please visit the AccessLex Institute for currently available legal contest opportunities.
Writing Competitions | AccessLex Institute
See also the American Bar Association's list of writing competitions and law student contests.
Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: Friday, November 8, 2024
First Prize: $10,000
Runner-Up (2 awarded): $2,500
More information can be found here.
Albert S. Pergam International Law Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: Friday, November 8, 2024
The winner receives $2,000 and publication of their article in the New York International Law Review.
More information can be found here.
American Journal of Mediation National Dispute Resolution Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: Sunday, December 15, 2024
First place: $5,000
Second place: $2,000
More information can be found here.
The Dukemineier Awards Student Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: Friday, December 20, 2024
The Dukeminier Awards Student Writing Competition annually recognizes the best law review note written by a student in the field of sexual orientation and gender identity law.
The first-place winner will receive the Jeffrey S. Haber Prize for Student Scholarship and an award of $1,000 and will be published within Volume 24 of the Dukeminier Awards Journal of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
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More information can be found here.
First Amendment Scholars- Law Student Essay Competition
Entry Deadline: Monday, January 27, 2025
First Place Prize: $4,000
Second Place Prize: $3,000
Third Place Prize: $2,000
Optional Honorable Mention(s): $500
Second Place Prize: $3,000
Third Place Prize: $2,000
Optional Honorable Mention(s): $500
More information can be found here.
Edward C. Mendrzycki Award
Entry Deadline: Saturday, February 1, 2025
The winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000, round-trip airfare and a two night stay at the Omni Charlotte Hotel to attend the Spring 2025 National Legal Malpractice Conference, in Charlotte, NC, and complimentary registration to attend all educational programming sessions at the Spring 2025 National Legal Malpractice Conference.
More information can be found here.
Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition on Regulatory and Administrative Law
Entry Deadline: Monday, February 3, 2025
The winner will receive a cash prize of $1,500 and special recognition on the ACS website.
More information can be found here.
Robert Pitofsky Law Student Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: Monday, February 3, 2025
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 to attend the Section’s Annual Spring Meeting, April 2-4, 2025 in Washington, DC. The winner will also be announced in an upcoming issue of Antitrust, the Section’s magazine.
More information can be found here.
Baxter Family Competition on Federalism
Entry Deadline: Friday, February 7, 2025
Prizes ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 CND and the chance to present one’s research at the Baxter Family Symposium on Federalism held in Montréal in Spring 2025.
More information can be found here.
NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Law Student Research and Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: Saturday, March 1, 2025
The awards are $10,000.00 for first place, $7,000.00 for second place, and $3,000.00 for third place.
More information can be found here.
Honorable William C. Conner Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: Friday, March 7, 2025
The Winner will receive a cash award of $2,500.00
The Runner-up will receive a cash award of $1,500.00
More information can be found here.
Trandafir Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: Friday, March 14, 2025
The winner will receive publication and a $2,000 cash prize.
More information can be found here.
Prize in International Insolvency Studies
Entry Deadline: Saturday, March 15, 2025
The Gold Medal winner will be honored at the next in-person Annual International Insolvency Conference, in São Paulo, Brazil on June 9-10, 2025 (NextGen program June 8). All Medal Winners will be invited to attend that Conference and will be provided with complimentary Conference registration.
More information can be found here.
Robert T. Matsui Annual Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: Sunday, March 16, 2025
The winner will receive a $2,000 award and the winning entry will be published by the UCLA Asian Pacific American Law Journal (APALJ).
More information can be found here.
James E. Beckley Student Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: March 28, 2025
First prize: $1,500
Second prize: $1,000
Third prize: $750
More information can be found here.
Phil Cowan - Judith Bresler Memorial Scholarship
Entry Deadline: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
The winner will receive publication and a $2,000 cash prize.
More information can be found here.
College of Labor and Employment Lawyers Law Student Writing Competition
Entry Deadline: June 15, 2025
First Place: $3,000; Second Place: $1,000; and Third Place: $500
More information can be found here.
More information can be found here.
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