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Writing Competitions for Law Students: Animal Law

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.  

Animal Law

Committee on Animals and the Law of the New York State Bar Association: Student Writing Competition (annual)

  • Sponsor: Committee on Animals and the Law of the New York State Bar Association 
  • Topic & Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition were: "Law students (which include J.D., L.L.M., Ph.D., and S.J.D. candidates), are invited to submit to the Committee on Animals and the Law, an article concerning any area of Animal Law."  "The submission must be written by one, and only one student, i.e., papers jointly written by more than one student or that have been subjected to line editing by professors or advisors shall not be considered.  No paper that has been previously published in any form shall be considered.  We will only accept one submission per entrant."
  • Format in 2024 Competition was: "Paper"  "No more than 25 pages"
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "The first-place winner will receive $1,000 and a Certificate of Achievement. The second- place winner will receive $500 and a Certificate of Achievement. The third and fourth place winners will receive a Certificate of Recognition.  The Committee also reserves the right to offer the winners (and other entrants), at the Committee’s discretion, the opportunity to publish his/her paper in the Committee’s Laws & Paws publication."
  • Deadline in 2024 Competition was: July 5, 2024.

H. Thomas Austern Writing Competition 

  • Sponsor: Food and Drug Law Institute
  • Topic in 2024 Competition was: "Paper topics are limited to FDA and regulated agencies’ laws and regulations.  Topical focus should be on FDA-regulated industries: food, drugs, animal drugs, biologics, cosmetics, diagnostics, dietary supplements, medical devices, veterinary devices, cannabis, or tobacco and nicotine products."
  • 2024 Competition stated: "We do accept submissions that have been submitted to other writing contests.  However, articles must be unpublished at the time of judging in order to remain in consideration for the competition.  Articles that have been accepted for forthcoming publication will still be eligible for placement in the competition but will not be considered for publication in the Food and Drug Law Journal.  Published papers will be disqualified from the Austern Competition."  "We encourage students interested in submitting to the Austern Writing Competition to apply for our complimentary Student Membership Program. This program is available to full-time students of accredited universities and provides access to member benefits as well as student-only discounts and programs."
  • Format requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Papers shall not exceed 100 pages (assuming double spacing, one-inch margins)."  "Students will submit an abstract."
  • Eligibility in 2024 Competition was: "Students currently enrolled in a JD program at any of the nation’s ABA-accredited law schools and 2023–2024 academic year graduates are eligible to participate."
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "Winners are awarded: $750 for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third.  Top papers will be considered for publication in the Food and Drug Law Journal."
  • Deadline in 2024 Competition was: June 3, 2024.

National Animal Law Competitions (revived in 2023)  Anticipated to next be in the fall of 2025.

  • Facilitator: Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law & Policy in collaboration with law schools including Harvard, Lewis & Clark, the University of Denver, University of San Francisco, Vermont & Yale
  • Purpose: [T]o provide law students an opportunity to develop knowledge in the field of animal law and to hone their written and oral advocacy skills."
  • Competition Categories in the 2024 National Animal Law Competitions were: These competitions include: Appellate Advocacy Competition; Legislative Drafting & Lobbying Competition; and Closing Argument Competition.  The National Animal Law Competitions website states: "The Legislative and Closing Argument competitions are for individuals, while the Appellate Advocacy Competition requires a team of two."  Each competition required written submissions for a qualifying round - deadline was Dec. 1, 2023.  (In 2023, there was a $25 registration fee for each competition, need-based waivers were available.) 
  • Format in the 2024 National Animal Law Competitions was: "Written submissions"
  • Eligibility requirements in the 2024 National Animal Law Competitions stated: "The competitions are open to full- or part-time students seeking a J.D. at an ABA-approved law school, as well as Masters students for the Legislative Drafting & Lobbying Competition. There is no cap on the number of registrations, but students may register for only one event each year."
  • Prizes in the 2024 National Animal Law Competitions were: These are participatory competitions.  The National Animal Law Competitions website states: "After reviewing those qualifying round submissions, in January the judges will select up to 8 Appellate Semi-Finalist teams, 10 Legislative Semi-Finalists, and 10 Closing Argument Semi-Finalists. Those selected semi-finalists will be invited to participate in the in-person closing rounds at Harvard Law School on March 23-24, 2024, with accommodations and travel stipends provided by the Brooks Institute." 
  • Deadlines: Registration deadline was: Sept. 30, 2023. 

  • Last registration deadline was: September 30, 2023.  Received 9/4/2024 email response stating: “The Competitions are anticipated to next be in the fall of 2025, potentially in conjunction with the US Animal Law Conference and hosted by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.  When further information is available it will be updated on our website."