Writing Competitions

Thinking about entering a writing competition, but don’t know where to start?

The Law Library has a number of resources to help you with developing your research plan, gathering articles, locating books via interlibrary loan, navigating proper citation format, and recommending writing resources. Please stop by the Law Library and speak to a Law Librarian for assistance.

Administrative Law

• Center for Alcohol Policy's Essay Contest
• ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice/Gellhorn-Sargentich Law Student Essay Competition
• The Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition on Regulatory and Administrative Law

Alternative Dispute Resolution

• James Boskey ADR Writing Competition

Antitrust Law

• ABA Section of Antitrust/Annual Law Student Writing Competition

Bar Associations

• ABA Affordable Housing & Community Development
• ABA Writing Competitions and Law Student Contests
• ABA Section & College of Labor and Employment Law 
• Robert T. Matsui -Asian Pacific American Bar Association
• Mediation Regional Competitions –ABA

Bankruptcy Law

• American Bankruptcy Institute Law Student Writing Competition

Business Law

• ABA Business Law Section/Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest
• Weisblatt Business Law Writing Competition

Civil Rights

• Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Writing Competition

Consumer Law

• American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers

Criminal Law

• William W. Greenhalgh Student Writing Competition

Disability Law

• Jameson Crane III Disability and Law Writing Competition
• Elder and Special Needs Law Journal Diversity Writing Competition

Employee Benefits

• The American College of Employee Benefit Counsel Writing Competition

Entertainment Law

• Grammy Foundation – Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition

Environmental Law

• Professor William R. Ginsberg Memorial Essay Contest
• Beveridge & Diamond Constitutional Environmental Law Writing Competition

Ethics

• American Inns of Court Foundation's Warren E. Burger Prize (ethics and professionalism)
• ABA Ed Mendrzycki, Ethics Essay Contest-professional liability
• Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition

Family Law

• ABA Section of Family Law/Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest
• Family Law Writing Competition

Food & Drug 

• H. Thomas Austern Memorial Writing Competition

Health Law

• Epstein Becker & Green Health Law Writing Competition
• Mitchell Hamline School of Law Writing Competition

Intellectual Property Law

• AIPLA Robert C. Watson Award Competition
• Ladas Memorial Award
• William C. Conner Intellectual Property Law Writing Competition

International/Foreign Law

• Trandafir Writing Competition
• Houston Journal of International Law - James Baker Hughes Submission

Labor and Employment Law

• Dr. Emanuel Stein and Kenneth Stein Law Student Writing Competition
• Louis Jackson National Student Writing Competition in Employment and Labor Law
• St. Louis Lawyer Kenneth P. Carp-Unemployment

Legal History

• Morris L. Cohen Student Essay Competition

Military 

• Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School (AFJAGS) National Security Law Writing Competition 

Miscellaneous 

• American College of Consumer Financial Services 
• Global Teletherapy Proudly Announces its Academic Excellence Award
• The Levin Firm to Offer Bi-Yearly $1000 Scholarships-Public Interest
• William & Mary Law School Artificial Intelligence Writing Competition
• Zavodnick, Zavodnick & Lasky, LLC., Annual College Scholarship Essay Contest
• The Zeiger Firm $1,000 Bi-Annual College Scholarship Essay Contest
• Center For Alcohol Policy, National Essay Contest
• National Law Review (NLR) Writing Competition
• The Expert Institute - Legal Blog Post Writing Contest
• Pacific Legal Foundation
• The Foundation for Continuing Justice
• Judge John R. Brown Writing Competition
• Pharmacy Law
• The American Constitution Society (ACS) Constance Baker Motley Award
• American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
• The American Society of Legal Writers
• Smith-Babcock-Williams Writing Competition
• NYSBA Committee on Animals & the Law

Native American Law

• American Indian Law Writing Competition
• The Sovereignty Symposium Writing Competition

Trademark & Patent 

• The Boston Patent Law Association
• Hon. William C Connor IP Law Writing Competition

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law

• The Dukeminier Awards Writing Competition

Tax Law

• The Tannenwald Writing Competition

Trusts and Estates

• American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition

Women and the Law

• Selma Moidel Smith Law Student Writing Competition
• Sarah Weddington Writing Prize for Reproductive Rights Law