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Writing Competitions for Law Students: Armed Forces Law & National Security 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.  

Armed Forces Law

American Bar Association Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law: Law Student Writing Contest + Official Rules

  • Sponsor: American Bar Association Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law
  • Competition Topic: "Entries for the Writing Contest must focus on the military’s application of criminal law—also known as military justice. Submissions may advocate a position, educate the reader, or analyze one or more cases.  The decision of whether a particular writing qualifies as to subject matter is entirely within the discretion of the Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law (SCAFL)."
  • Competition Format requirements include: "Submissions must be provided electronically in Microsoft Word. The text of the writing must be double-spaced, in 12-point font, and with one-inch margins; footnotes should be single-spaced, in 10-point font, and with one-inch margins. Citations may be embedded in text or set out in footnotes and should conform to the current edition of The Bluebook—A Uniform System of Citation.  Submissions may not exceed 14,000 total words including footnotes, but not including end-notes, the title page, and table of contents, if any."
  • Eligibility requirements include: "The Writing Contest is open to law students who are, at the time of entry, (a) enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school and seeking a J.D. degree, (b) members of the ABA, (c) at least 21 years old, and (d) legal residents of the United States.  Directors, officers and employees of the ABA and their immediate family or household members are not eligible.  Only one entry per participant."
  • Competition Prize: "The Writing Contest winner will be eligible to receive a framed certificate signed by the SCAFL Chair.  The SCAFL Chair will formally announce the winner at a SCAFL meeting at the ABA Midyear Meeting.  Attending the ABA Midyear Meeting will be at the winner’s expense.  The winner’s name will also be announced and title of the written work will be posted on the SCAFL public website."
  • Deadline for submission: "Entries must be received on or before November 15, 2024, by 6:00 pm Eastern time by email."

National Security Law

Feb. 23, 2024: Email sent to the Air Force Judge Advocate General's School to try to obtain information about a possible 2024 National Security Law Writing Competition. 

  • Sponsors: Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School, in partnership with Air Force JAG School Foundation, Inc.
  • 2023 Competition Topic was: The Policy Boundaries between the Space and Cyberspace Domains. 
  • 2023 Competition Format was: "Original and Previously Unpublished Papers" " Entries must be a minimum of 4,000 words and a maximum of 7,000 words, including footnotes"
  • Eligibility requirements in 2023 Competition included: "The competition is open to all U.S. and international law school students and graduates."  "Members of the faculty of AFJAGS shall not participate in the contest or review any entry on behalf of an entrant."
  • 2023 Competition (closed) Prizes were: "First Place – Cash prize of $1,500; Second Place – Cash prize $1,000; Third Place – Cash prize $500"
  • Deadline for submission in 2023 Competition was: May 31, 2023.