Competitions, Fellowships, and Scholarships
International Humanitarian Law Student Writing Competition
Deadline
Description
American University Washington College of Law Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the American Society of International Law's Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict announce the second International Humanitarian Law Student Writing Competition. The Competition seeks submissions of academic papers on the topic of international humanitarian law from students currently enrolled in a law degree program in the United States or abroad. The Competition is intended to enhance scholarship and deepen understanding among students in this important area of international law. The winning authors will be flown to Washington DC to present their papers at a conference at American University Washington College of Law focused on emerging issues in IHL with a panel of expert professors and practitioners. Details about the Competition may be found on the Center's website at www.WCLCenterforHR.org. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2012 at 12 noon. Question may be sent to TeachingIHL@wcl.american.edu or 202-274-4180.
2012 Bert W. Levit Essay Contest
Deadline
Description
The Bert W. Levit Essay Contest is sponsored by the Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability of the American Bar Association to generate interest and ideas among law students and young lawyers on topics in the area of lawyers' professional liability.
The winner of the Levit Essay Contest will be awarded a cash prize of $5,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City in April 2012, including free admission to the Committee's National Legal Malpractice Conference. This year's contest hypothetical involves an international law firm and an ethics question concerning how the firm handles engagement letters, office restructuring, and taking on new matters in a cross-jurisdictional scenario. The postmark deadline for submission of entries is February 17, 2012. Contest rules and information, as well as the contest hypothetical, are posted online at http://bit.ly/Levit2012. The contest is open to law students and young lawyers who will have enrolled as members of the American Bar Association no later than February 17, 2012. Law students wishing to enroll may do so at http://apps.americanbar.org/join/led_enroll/ls_enroll.cfm, or by calling 800-285-2221.
Trandafir International Business Writing Competition
Deadline
Description
The Trandafir International Business Writing Competition seeks papers on any topic of contemporary international business or economic concern with a legal nexus. The award is publication and a cash prize of $2,000. The winning essay will be published in Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, a journal of the University of Iowa College of Law. All entries must be postmarked by March 1, 2012. For more information and contest rules, see www.uiowa.edu/~tlcp/trandafir_competition.html.
Sovereignty Symposium XXV Chief Justice John B. Doolin Writing Competition
Deadline
Description
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma and the Sovereignty Symposium, Inc. are sponsoring a law student writing competition, open to all students enrolled in an accredited law school in the United States, its territories and Canada. The subject matter of the paper may be on any area of the law relating to Native Americans or other indigenous peoples. First, second and third prizes in the amounts of $500, $300, and $200 will be awarded. The winning entry will also be published in the 2012 Symposium compendium of materials. Entries must be received no later than March 31, 2012. Details regarding the writing competition rules may be obtained from Prof. Mailly.
Scribes - The American Society of Legal Writers 2012 Brief-Writing Competition
Deadline
Description
The Scribes Brief-Writing Award Committee solicits winning briefs from national moot court competitions and selects the finest of those winning briefs. If your moot court team wrote the best brief in a national moot court competition, or wrote the best brief in any preliminary regional competition held before a national competition, you may enter the brief into the Scribes 2012 Competition. To submit an entry, e-mail an electronic copy of the winning brief no later than April 16, 2012 to platen@cooley.edu. Instructions for students at the University of Connecticut School of Law to submit a brief for the Scribes competition may be obtained from Prof. Mailly.
Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition
Deadline
Description
Notre Dame Law School sponsors the Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition and awards $2,500 for the best submission on any legal ethics topic. The compeititon is open to any student at an American or Canadian law school. Papers must be submitted before 5 pm Friday, April 27, 2012. Further information may be found at www.nd.edu/~ndlaw/writing_competitions/smith-doheny.pdf.
International Association of Defense Counsel Legal Writing Contest
Deadline
Description
The International Association of Defense Counsel announces its 2012 Legal Writing Contest, which is open to students in accredited law schools in the United States and Canada. Entries must cover the fields of tort law, insurance law, civil procedure, evidence, or other areas of practical concern to lawyers engaged in the defense or management of the defense of civil litigation. Monetary prizes of $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 for third place will be awarded. Winning and honorable mention entries will be considered for publication in the IADC's quarterly Defense Counsel Journal. Contest rules and writing guidelines may be found at http://www.iadclaw.org/publications/contest.aspx.
The University of Connecticut School of Law Student Legal Writing Competition
Deadline
Description
The University of Connecticut School of Law has established a Student Legal Writing Competition to encourage and reward original student writing on legal issues affecting persons struggling with homelessness, mental illness, addiction, or substance abuse.
Topic
Entrants should submit a paper on a legal issue affecting persons struggling with homelessness, mental illness, addiction, or substance abuse.
Eligibility
Papers will be accepted from any student enrolled for the 2011-12 academic year in an ABA-accredited law school in the United States or Canada. Papers must be the law student author’s own work and must not have been submitted for publication elsewhere. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a student may incorporate professorial feedback as part of a course requirement or supervised writing project. All students intending to enter the competition must register by April 16, 2012.
Register via this Intent to Enter Student Writing Competition form.
Format
Papers should be a minimum of 15 pages in length and shall not exceed 30 pages, including footnotes. They must be typed, double-spaced and with one-inch margins, on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper, in a 12-point font, such as Times New Roman. All citations and footnotes should conform to the current edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation and should be in a 12-point font.
Judging
Papers will be judged by a panel appointed by the University of Connecticut School of Law. Judges will evaluate papers based on the substance, clarity of the proposal or thesis, logical force, support of argument, and quality of research. Grammar, syntax, and form will also be taken into consideration.
Submission
Entries must be received by 5pm on June 1, 2012. Entries must be submitted in two formats: (1) email an electronic version (in Microsoft Word or PDF format) to Jennifer.Mailly@law.uconn.edu; and (2) mail, with a postmark dated by June 1, 2012, four copies of the paper to:
Student Legal Writing Competition
University of Connecticut School of Law
55 Elizabeth Street
Hartford, CT 06105
Attn: Prof. Jennifer Mailly
Papers are judged anonymously, and no identifying information should appear on either the original or the copies of the paper. Entrants must submit a separate cover letter listing the author’s name, address, telephone number, email address, name of law school, and year of graduation.
Awards
Up to three cash prizes may be awarded: $750 First Prize, $500 Second Prize, and $250 Third Prize. The contest organizers reserve the right not to award prizes if no papers meet quality standards. Winners will be notified by July 16, 2012. All decisions of the judges are final.
View the Competition Flyer with the link below:
Past Submissions
Eating Disorders: Proposing a New Model for Forced Treatment
Kaitlin Shea