​Writing Competitions

Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition

Notre Dame Law School sponsors an annual writing competition on the topic of legal ethics. All students with an interest in legal ethics are invited and encouraged to participate. The competition is open to all law students at U.S. and Canadian law schools. Entries should concern any issue within the general category of legal ethics. Entries must be original, unpublished work. Entries must be a minimum of 5,000 words and a maximum of 15,000 words, inclusive of footnotes. Coauthored essays may be submitted. Submissions will be judged by Notre Dame Law School faculty. A prize of $2,500 will be awarded for one winning entry. All entries must be received before 5 p.m., April 15, 2024. Include cover letter with contact information and name of current law school.  See here for complete information.

2024 Affordable Housing & Community Development Law Student Legal Writing Competition

The goal of the competition is to encourage law students to become involved in the Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law. Open to all law students who are at the time of entry, (a) enrolled in a law school that is at the time of entry, ABA Accredited, (b) members of the ABA and the Forum, (c) at least 21 years old, and (d) U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 21, 2024, 11:59 p.m. CentralSee here for complete information.

The Hon. Constance Baker Motley Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Young Professional Essay Writing Competition

The Federal Bar Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and the Younger Lawyers Division invites Law Students and Younger Federal Practitioners to participate in the Hon. Constance Baker Motley Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Essay Competition. The Federal Bar Association’s Honorable Constance Baker Motley Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Young Member Essay Competition (“Competition”) is created to celebrate the life of the Honorable Constance Baker Motley (September 14, 1921 – September 28, 2005) and promote her legacy by encouraging law students and younger federal practitioners to promote, achieve, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.

The Competition is named after Judge Baker Motley, the first African American woman appointed to the United States federal judiciary and the first woman judge in the Southern District of New York. She was a key leader of the African American civil rights movement, a lawyer, judge, state senator, and Borough President of Manhattan, New York City. The deadline for entries is May 10, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST See here for complete information. 

Marshall M. Schulman 2024 Writing Competition

The Criminal Law Section of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) announces the 2024 Marshall M. Schulman Student Writing Competition.  Named after an esteemed prosecutor and defense attorney, Marshall Schulman, this competition is open to all law students, whatever their year of study.  Although it is helpful when the submission concerns California law, any article about any current issues in criminal law are acceptable.  Last year’s winning submissions came from schools across the country, from UCLA to Fordham. The prize money this year has been increased – Grand Prize is $2500, the three honorable mentions are $1000.  This competition is particularly good for 1L’s, as it does not require a Law Review-type note, but a shorter article that is informative and to the point.    Any questions can be addressed to me at anne.perry@usdoj.gov.  The deadline will be midnight, Sunday, May 12, 2024See here for complete information.

2024 Selma Moidel Smith Student Writing Competition

The California Supreme Court Historical Society (CSCHS) announces its call for submissions to the 2024 Selma Moidel Smith Student Writing Competition in California Legal History. We encourage all those working on California legal history (NOT just the history of California courts) to apply. Papers may include elements of digital humanities and may also be co-authored. Submissions are due by Saturday, June 1, 2024See here for complete information.

The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Annual Law Student Writing Competition for 2024

The ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law and The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers are pleased to announce their 2024 writing competition. This competition is open to articles written while the author is an active student at an accredited law school in the United States. Authors may not have graduated from law school prior to December 1, 2023. Graduate students in law school (LLM candidates) are not eligible. The first-place winning article may be selected for publication in the ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law. In addition, the author of the first-place paper will be a guest at the ABA Annual Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference and honored at the Annual Induction Dinner of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. The deadline is midnight on June 15, 2024See here for complete information.