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New York Family Law Research Guide: Family Law Writing Competitions for Law Students

Tip

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.  

Family Law

American Bar Association Section of Family Law: Howard C. Schwab Memorial Essay Contest (annual)

  • Sponsor: American Bar Association Section of Family Law
  • Topic in 2024 Essay Contest was: Original essays on "any aspect of family law" - the contest rules provide further information in section: Subject Matter of Essays. 
  • Format requirements in 2024 Essay Contest included: "Essays should be limited to approximately 5,000 words (25 double-spaced, typewritten pages including footnotes)."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024 Essay Contest included: "Contestants must be: 1. J.D. students at ABA-approved law schools; 2. Second or third-year full-time students; second through fourth-year part-time students; or first-year students enrolled in schools where the subject of family law is part of the first-year curriculum; and 3. Citizens or legal permanent residents of the U.S."  "Employees of the ABA or its affiliates and immediate family or household members of such employees are not eligible."
  • Prizes in 2024 Essay Contest were: "First Place: $1,500.00.  Certificate of Recognition as First-Place Winner.  Consideration of essay's publication in Family Law Quarterly.  Consideration of essay's publication on the ABA Section of Family Law website.  Letter to Law School Dean.  Second Place: $750.00.  Certificate of Recognition as Second-Place Winner.  Consideration of essay's publication in Family Law Quarterly.  Consideration of essay's publication on the ABA Section of Family Law website.  Letter to Law School Dean.  Third Place: $350.00.  Certificate of Recognition as Third-Place Winner.  Consideration of essay's publication in Family Law Quarterly.  Consideration of essay's publication on the ABA Section of Family Law website.  Letter to Law School Dean."
  • Deadline for submission of entry forms was: "Your completed entry form must be received by 5:00pm CT Friday, April 5, 2024, so we may assign you a number. No submissions after 5:00pm CT April 5, 2024 will be accepted."  Deadline for submission of entries in 2024 Essay Contest was: Friday, April 19, 2024.

Family Law Writing Competition (annual)

  • Sponsors: Hofstra Law & the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).  This competition is run in cooperation with with the editorial staff of the Family Court Review.
  • Topic: "[A]ny area of family law" - An information sheet for the 15th annual competition added that topics focusing "on international or interdisciplinary subjects of family law are especially encouraged. Articles should concentrate on a current legal issue and must have a strong foundation in legal research. Use of interdisciplinary sources may also be appropriate for many topics."
  • Format for the 15th annual competition was: "Entries cannot be more than 25 double-spaced pages in length, including footnotes."
  • Eligibility requirements for the 15th annual competition included: "Submissions must be the work of one person.  No joint authorships will be accepted, except articles written jointly by a law student and mental health, social science, or other relevant graduate student.  Submissions must be originally argued and researched legal papers. Hofstra Law students are ineligible to participate.  Law students can be from any country."  "The submitted article cannot be published or submitted for publication elsewhere."
  • Prizes for the 15th annual competition were: "First Prize: $500 cash prize courtesy of the Center for Children, Families and the Law at Hofstra Law.  Certificate of recognition as first-place winner.  Consideration for publication of the article in the Family Court Review.  Letter to the dean of the student’s law school.  One-year complimentary AFCC student membership, including a one-year subscription to the Family Court Review OR Complimentary conference registration to AFCC’s 61st Annual Conference, held June 5-June 8 2024, in Boston, Massachusetts (Does not include hotel, transportation and food)."  "Honorable Mention (Up to two): $250 cash prize courtesy of the Center for Children, Families and the Law at Hofstra Law.  Certificate of recognition as the honorable-mention winner.  Consideration for publication of the article in the Family Court Review.  Letter to the dean of the student’s law school."
  • Deadline for submission of entry forms was: February 1, 2024.  Deadline for submission of articles was: February 15, 2024.