Writing Competitions

• New York Intellectual Property Law Association Honorable William Conner Writing Competition

  For papers addressing one of the following subject areas of intellectual property, i.e., patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair trade practices, as well as antitrust and data security/privacy issues to the extent they relate to intellectual property. (Winning award of $2500; runner up will receive $1500; deadline March 7, 2025.)

• American Bar Association Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law 2025 Affordable Housing & Community Development Law Student Legal Writing Competition

  For unpublished student-authored submissions addressing any legal issue regarding affordable housing, fair housing and/or community development law. (Winning entry will be eligible for a $1000 cash prize; deadline March 10, 2025.)

• State Bar of Texas International Law Section Human Rights Essay Contest

  For essays on any aspect of international human rights law. (First-place award of $1500; deadline March 15, 2025.)

• Mitchell Hamline School of Law Roy Snell Health Care Regulatory and Compliance Writing Competition

  Participating students will analyze a hypothetical fact pattern involving an organization facing multifaceted health care regulatory/compliance matters and draft two separate internal memoranda to two different recipients within the organization. Registration is required. (First, second, and third-place awards of $5000, $3000, and $1500, respectively; registration deadline February 2, 2025; prompt release February 3, 2025; submission deadline March 17, 2025.)

• Berkeley Technology Law Journal 2025 Student Writing Competition

  For submissions on a wide variety of topics at the intersection of law and technology, including but not limited to: technology and the public interest, privacy, internet law, intellectual property, antitrust and trade regulation, First Amendment issues, entertainment and news media, telecommunications, biotechnology, cybersecurity, and cybercrime. (First and section-place awards of $1000 and $500 respectively; deadline March 31, 2025.

• Notre Dame Law School Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition

  For essays concerned with the general category of legal ethics. (Award of $2500; deadline April 15, 2025)

• University of Wisconsin-Madison Havens Wright Center for Social Justice Erik Olin Wright Prize

  For papers by graduate or professional students that best exemplify the concerns that animated Prof. Olin Wright’s work, which included the analysis of class, the study of real utopias, theories of the state, economic sociology, and social inequality, always motivated by an explicit commitment to social justice. A nominating letter from a faculty member familiar with the student’s work is required. (Award of $1,000; submissions accepted between March 1 and April 15, 2025.)

• UT Austin School of Law Louis T. Pirkey Prize in Intellectual Property Law

  For unpublished papers with a substantial focus on one more issues of property law and which reflect work done during the current academic year. Participation is limited to Texas Law students enrolled during the current academic year. (Award of $2000; deadline May 30, 2025.)

• American Inns of Court 2025 Warren E. Burger Prize

  For unpublished essays on a topic that addresses issues of legal excellence, civility, ethics, and professionalism. (Winning entry will receive unspecified cash prize; deadline July 1, 2025.)

Collections of Writing Competitions

• American Bar Association

  Writing Competitions for Young Lawyers and Law Students

• AccessLex Institute

  Law School Scholarship Databank: Writing Competitions

• Suffolk University Law School

  iCompete Writing: A Compilation of Legal Writing Competitions

• Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law

  A Guide to Legal Writing Competitions for Law Students