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Constitutional Law Research: Law Student Writing Competitions: Constitutional Law

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Sponsors/facilitators of student writing competitions provide more detailed instructions and rules at their websites.  Students need to review the information and rules available at these websites.  

Constitutional Law

Church, State & Society Writing Competition (annual)

  • Sponsor: Program on Church, State & Society at Notre Dame Law School
  • Topic in 2024 Competition was: "Papers should be focused, broadly, on topics related to church-state relations, law and religion, and religious liberty.  For guidance on selecting a topic, students may wish to view our Program website and mission statement: https://churchstate.nd.edu/"
  • Format in 2024 Competition was: "Papers must be between 9,000-13,000 words, including footnotes and/or endnotes."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "The competition is open to law students in good standing, enrolled in a traditional law degree (J.D. or LL.B.), a Master’s degree (LL.M.), or a doctoral degree (S.J.D./J.S.D. or Ph.D.) program at an ABA-accredited law school within the United States.  The competition is also open to recent graduates not yet practicing law (i.e., those completing clerkships or engaged in similar pursuits are eligible).  Co-authored papers will not be accepted."
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "First Place, $3,000 cash award; Second Place, $2,000 cash award; Third Place, $1,000 cash award; Honorable Mention, $500 cash award."
  • Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: April 12, 2024.

Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition - 01/12/2025: American Constitution Society's website states: "We are pausing the Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition for 2025 and hope to reopen this competition in 2026.  For other ACS writing opportunities, please see the Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition on Regulatory and Administrative Law here.

  • Sponsors in 2024 Competition were: American Constitution Society (ACS) & University of Pennsylvania Law School ACS Chapter
  • Topic in 2024 Competition was: Law student papers "furthering and promoting a progressive vision of the Constitution, law, and public policy."  Topic examples include: "census report, civil legal aid, civil liberties, constitutional convention, consumer rights, criminal justice, disability rights, freedom of speech, immigration, indigent defense, money in politics (including judicial elections), labor law, LGBTQ+ rights, privacy, protection of health, safety, and the environment, racial equality, religion, role of state attorneys general, second amendment and guns, separation of powers and federalism, women’s reproductive rights and reproductive freedom, voting and political process, and whistleblower protection."
  • Format in 2024 Competition was: "Submissions must be original unpublished academic works by one author. The length must be between 25 and 50 pages, including footnotes."
  • Applicant Qualifications in 2024 Competition stated: The 2024 Competition was "open to all law students who are current, dues-paying ACS National members."  See: ACS > Membership.
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "The winning paper author will be awarded $3,000 and each of the 2 runners-up will receive $1,000. The winning authors of the top 3 papers will be featured during the 2024 ACS National Convention and on ACS’s website and social media platforms. The top paper also receives an offer of publication in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law."

  • Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: February 5, 2024.

Diane and Stephen Uhl Memorial Essay Competition for Law School Students (also referred to as: First Amendment Scholars - Law Student Essay Competition)

  • Sponsor: Freedom From Religion Foundation
  • Topic in 2025 Competition was: "Under the First Amendment, may states require religious organizations that receive government funding to comply with anti-discrimination laws?"
  • Prompt in 2025 Competition was: "Following the Supreme Court ruling in Carson v. Makin, religious organizations seeking to participate in government funding programs have argued that requiring them to comply with anti-discrimination laws in order to receive public money violates their constitutional rights.  Respond to the argument that anti-discrimination laws cannot be enforced against religious schools receiving public funds.  Your argument must be supported by clear well-researched legal analysis, including case law."
  • Format requirements in 2025 Competition included: "Essay must be no longer than 1,500 words (not including footnotes), double spaced, standard margins, and font size 11 to 14 point."  Web page links to a document titled: Essay Prompt, Requirements, Eligibility, and Awards.
  • Eligibility requirements in 2025 Competition were: "The contest is open to all ongoing law school students attending a North American law school.  You remain eligible to enter this contest if you will graduate from law school by spring or summer of 2025.  You remain eligible if you graduated law school in December 2024.  You are not eligible to enter if you will be starting law school for the first time in the fall of 2025.  You may not re-enter if FFRF has already awarded you for a law student essay."
  • Prizes in 2025 Competition were: "FFRF will award cash prizes to the top three essayists ($4,000, $3,000, $2,000) and optional honorable mentions ($500), if so deserving.  All eligible entrants will also receive a one-year complimentary student membership to FFRF, which includes a digital version of 10 issues of Freethought Today."
  • Deadline for entry was: Jan. 27, 2025.

Everytown Law Fund Law Student Writing Competition

  • Sponsor: Everytown Law Fund
  • Topic in 2024 Competition was: "This competition asks students to consider how to advance gun violence prevention and gun safety through litigation in the civil and criminal justice systems."  Website provides examples of topics and links to descriptions/text of the 2023 winning submissions.
  • Format requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Preferred submission length is 5,000 to 15,000 words, including footnotes, but may be as long as a law review note."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "All submissions must be composed of original research and writing by currently enrolled law students at ABA accredited law schools. Law school notes and academic articles that you have submitted or you are planning to submit to law school reviews and journals for publication are eligible for submission. Note that submissions that have been previously published or accepted for publication are welcome but must be accompanied by written authorization for re-print to be eligible."  "Employees of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, its affiliated organizations, and immediate family or household members of such employees are not eligible for the Competition."
  • Prize Description in 2024 Competition stated: "Everytown Law may award up to three prizes: a first prize of $2,500 and two runners-up prizes of $1,000.  All three top papers may be eligible for publication on Everytown Law’s website or social media."
  • Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: May 31, 2024.  

Writing Prize for New Student Scholarship in Reproductive Rights & Justice (annual) - In future, check News at the website of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice.

  • Sponsors: If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, the Center for Reproductive Rights, & the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice.
  • Theme in 2024 was: "The theme for this year is 'How Can Reproductive Justice End Family Policing.'  The post-Roe landscape has amplified the connection between attacks on reproductive autonomy and family integrity. More so than ever, people are being forced to remain pregnant and subsequently punished by the family policing system–or the so-called 'child welfare' system– for raising children without the necessary support or resources.  Rather than providing support, the family policing system acts as a site of reproductive coercion and control, particularly for Black, Latine, and Indigenous families, and other marginalized communities.  We encourage students to envision creative and expansive approaches to ending family policing and securing the right to parent the children we have in safe communities, a fundamental tenant of the Reproductive Justice framework.  Submissions might explore topics such as mandatory reporting, pre- or post-natal drug testing, other legal and policy approaches to curtailing the reach of the family policing system, and/or highlight critical intersections between reproductive justice and family regulation."
  • Format requirements in 2024 included: "Papers must be at least 10 pages in length (not including footnotes), double-spaced in 12-point font with footnotes in 10-point font, conforming to Bluebook citation format.  Only original scholarship by current J.D. or LL.M. law students or recent 2024 graduates will be accepted.  Papers being considered for publication elsewhere are ineligible for the first-place prize but may be considered for second and third place."
  • Prizes in 2024 were: "Winning authors will receive cash prizes: $750 (1st place), $500 (2nd place), or $250 (3rd place), and a copy of the textbook, Cases on Reproductive Rights and Justice (Murray & Luker). The first-place winning submission will also be granted a “presumption of publishability” and receive expedited review by the Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice."
  • Deadline for submission in 2024 was: November 18, 2024.

See also guide topic: Civil Rights.