Contest submissions must be original, unpublished work and should be approximately 1,500 words long. Articles should make an argument about a pertinent topic in the law.
Judging Criteria
Legal Affairs' editorial staff will judge the entries based on the ingenuity of their reasoning, the strength of the evidence they present (which should be based on research, reporting, or preferably both), and the style and clarity of their writing. Contestants should write their pieces for a readership of non-experts and make the work accessible to the interested non-lawyer as well as the lawyer whose practice is unrelated to the topic of the argument.
Awards
All contestants who meet the eligibility requirements and reside in the U.S. will receive a free subscription to Legal Affairs. The first-place winner of the contest will be awarded $2,000 and his or her entry will be published in the "Arguments" section of Legal Affairs. The second-place winner will receive $1,000 and the third-place winner will receive $500.
To read the piece that won first place in last year's contest, click here.
Eligibility
Contestants must be full-time or part-time students in an accredited U.S. or international law school. They must be enrolled in a program that will lead to a J.D. when they complete all requirements for the degree. LL.M. students are not permitted to enter the contest. Finalists will be asked to provide proof of their enrollment.
Entry Format
Manuscripts must be submitted in hard copy. No e-mailed or faxed manuscripts will be accepted. Manuscripts should be word-processed, double-spaced, and accompanied by a cover sheet with the following information: author's name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and law school. Hand-written entries will not be accepted.
Please note: The judging process will be blind, so do not put your name, law school, or other identifying information on the manuscript itself.
Citations
Do not include citations in your entry. However, you should keep a list of sources and citations, which the first-place winner will be asked to provide to Legal Affairs.
Entry Fee
There is no entry fee.
Deadline and Contest Address
Submissions must be postmarked by December 1, 2005, and should be sent to:
The Legal Affairs Writing Contest for Law Students
Legal Affairs
254 Elm St.
New Haven, CT 06511
Confirmation of Receipt
Legal Affairs cannot confirm receipt of entries due to a process that ensures that the judging is blind. If you would like to confirm receipt of your submission, please have the postal service do a "return receipt" when you mail your entry.
Additional Information
Manuscripts cannot be returned. Submissions cannot be published in other publications until April 2006 and, in the case of the first-place winner, cannot be published without the permission of Legal Affairs.
Contact
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Naureen Kabir at 203-789-1510, x13 or at naureen.kabir@legalaffairs.org.
