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Writing Competitions for Law Students: Antitrust Law, Consumer Protection Law & Data Privacy

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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.  

Antitrust Law, Consumer Protection Law & Data Privacy

American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section Consumer Protection Committee: Harvey Saferstein Consumer Protection Committee Student Essay Contest

  • Sponsor: American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section Consumer Protection Committee
  • Topic of 2024-2025 Competition was: "Participants are required to submit an essay exploring a relevant and timely consumer protection or data privacy issue.  Other topics, including antitrust, will not be considered."
  • Format & Requirements in 2024-2025 Competition included: "Essays must be:
    • the original work of the entrant;
    • in the English language;
    • written during 2024 or the current academic year;
    • written by a single author;
    • submitted in electronic format (Word or PDF);
    • a minimum of 10 pages in length, double-spaced, including footnotes, with 12-point font and 1- inch margins; and
    • specifically written for this Contest; a law school class, seminar, or independent study; or a law review or journal note, comment, or article."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024-2025 Competition included: "Eligible contestants include second-year and third-year law students.  Eligibility to participate in this Contest or to win prizes is limited to an individual who at the time of entry is: at least 21 years of age; a legal resident of the United States; and a student who is enrolled in a law school that is ABA-accredited, in each case, at the time of submission.  Contestant need not be a member of the ABA or the Section.  Limit 1 entry and prize per contestant.  Employees, officers, directors, contractors, agents and representatives of the ABA and their immediate families and household members are ineligible to enter the Contest."
  • Artificial Intelligence: "The ABA prohibits the use of all generative artificial intelligence, including large language models, to create any portion of a contestant’s written submission for this competition whether in the research, writing, or editing phase.  Generative AI in this context includes, but is not limited to, OpenAI’s “GPT” series, BLOOM, Jasper, BERT, Galactica, and Lex.  Note that for these purposes, AI does not include basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references, etc.  Upon submission of the work product, contestants must affirm that they did not utilize AI in the preparation of their written work product.  The ABA reserves the right to screen submissions for use of AI through an AI detector.  Contestants utilizing AI to generate their work product in whole or in part will be disqualified.  If it is determined after the winner is announced and the prize is awarded that the winning contestant utilized AI to generate the written submission in whole or in part, then the contestant will forfeit the winning designation and shall return the prize. A new winner will then be selected."
  • Prizes in 2024-2025 Competition were: "The Committee will select three winners.  First place will receive a cash scholarship of $5,000, plus complimentary registration (and travel expenses) to the ABA Antitrust Law Section’s 2025 Spring Meeting in Washington, DC.  If the Spring Meeting is held virtually the winner will be invited to attend virtually, but no transportation costs will be awarded.  If the Spring Meeting remains an in-person meeting, the winner will receive an amount, determined by the Committee, to defray transportation and accommodation cost.  If the winner resides within the Washington, DC area, the ABA will defray local transportation costs.  Second place will receive a cash scholarship of $3,000 and Third place will receive a cash scholarship of $2,000.  In addition, the top essay, along with a biography of the winning student, will be published in an ABA publication.  The Sponsors may substitute a prize of equal or greater value in its sole discretion.  Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be substituted by the winner."

  • Deadline for 2024-2025 Competition was: February 7, 2025.

American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section: Robert Pitofsky Law Student Writing Competition

  • Sponsor: American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section
  • Goal: "The goal of the American Bar Association Robert Pitofsky Law Student Writing Competition (“Competition”) is to encourage and reward law student writings on antitrust law and competition law subjects of general and current interest. As part of this effort, the ABA will sponsor the Competition which invites editors of law school publications to submit to the ABA Antitrust Law Section published articles on a current topic dealing with antitrust law and consumer protection law. The Competition is designed to attract students to the antitrust law and consumer protection law field and to strongly encourage scholarship in these areas."
  • Note stated: "The editor of the law school publication that published the entrant’s paper must complete and submit an official 2024-2025 Entry Form."
  • Format in 2024-2025 Competition was: "Entrants must submit an original article, which has already been published or which is scheduled to be published no later than January 31, 2025, on a current topic dealing with antitrust or consumer protection law.  The Selection Committee will interpret the scope of the subject broadly to ensure that the Competition affords the greatest degree of flexibility in writing on these subject areas.  Entrants are encouraged to submit subjects of national interest."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024-2025 Competition included: "Open to any law school student in good standing, over the age of 21, who is currently attending an ABA-accredited law school within the United States and its possessions, and who is a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States.  Officers, employees, and agents of the ABA and their immediate family or household members are not eligible to enter or win."
  • Artificial Intelligence: "The ABA prohibits the use of all generative artificial intelligence, including large language models, to create any portion of a contestant’s written submission for this competition whether in the research, writing, or editing phase.  Generative AI in this context includes, but is not limited to, OpenAI’s 'GPT' series, BLOOM, Jasper, BERT, Galactica, and Lex.  Note that for these purposes, AI does not include basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references, etc.  Upon submission of the work product, contestants must affirm that they did not utilize AI in the preparation of their written work product.  The ABA reserves the right to screen submissions for use of AI through an AI detector.  Contestants utilizing AI to generate their work product in whole or in part will be disqualified.  If it is determined after the winner is announced and the prize is awarded that the winning contestant utilized AI to generate the written submission in whole or in part, then the contestant will forfeit the winning designation and shall return the prize.  A new winner will then be selected."
  • Prize(s) in 2024-2025 Competition were: "The winner will receive $5,000 cash, a one-year free membership in the Antitrust Law Section, free round-trip economy-class airfare (if outside the Washington, DC area), and three nights’ accommodations (at a hotel of the Section’s choosing) to attend the Section’s Annual Spring Meeting, April 2-4, 2025 in Washington, DC (airfare, hotel accommodations, and luncheon ticket are valued at approximately $1,000), if the Meeting is held in-person.  The winner will also be announced in an upcoming issue of Antitrust, the Section’s magazine."  "Duplicate prizes will be awarded in the event of a tie."
  • Deadline for 2024-2025 Competition was: February 3, 2025.

New York State Bar Association Antitrust Law Section Annual Law Student Writing Competition

  • Sponsor: New York State Bar Association Antitrust Law Section
  • Topic of 2024 Competition was: "Eligible papers may address any topic of general interest to the antitrust law community, including topics relating to civil and criminal antitrust law, competition policy, consumer protection, and international competition law."
  • Format requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Eligible papers include notes, comments and articles and should generally be 20-30 pages in length, with footnotes.  In no event may papers exceed 50 pages, with footnotes."  
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Eligible articles must be written by a currently-enrolled or graduating student at a New York State Law School or by a New York State resident at any ABA-accredited law school outside of New York State."  "Jointly prepared papers are not eligible."
  • Prize in 2024 Competition was: "The first place winner will receive a check for $5,000."
  • Deadline for 2024 Competition was: May 30, 2024.