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Writing Competitions for Law Students

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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.  

Dispute Resolution

American Journal of Mediation National Dispute Resolution Writing Competition [the alternative dispute resolution field]

  • Sponsor: American College of Civil Trial Mediators
  • Topic in 2025-2026 Competition: "Subject matter focus for entries can embrace the full range of the alternative dispute resolution field– consensus-based dispute resolution (e.g., negotiation, mediation), adjudicative processes (e.g., early neutral evaluation, binding or non-binding arbitration and private judging), or mixed processes (e.g., arb-med, med-arb, high low arbitration, baseball arbitration).  Papers can also focus on ADR process design, practice techniques, specific case studies, related legislation, and ethical dilemmas and standards for dispute resolution professionals."
  • Format requirements in 2025-2026 Competition include: "While there are no firm page limits, there is an expectation that submitted works will be between fifteen and thirty double spaced pages, including footnotes." 
  • Eligibility requirements in 2025-2026 Competition include: "The competition is open to all North American JD and LLM law students enrolled as of January 01, 2025.  Students who graduated with their JD or LLM degree in 2025 are still qualified to enter the competition."
  • Prizes in 2025-2026 Competition: "The College will award a $5,000 CASH PRIZE for FIRST PLACE and a $2,000 CASH PRIZE for SECOND PLACE, ranking submittals as determined by a panel of judges of ACCTM Fellows together with the Editorial Board of the Journal. Winning entries along with a selection of submissions separately chosen by the Judges will be published in the ACCTM Journal."
  • Deadline for submission: Entries are due no later than 11:59pm (EST) on May 31, 2026,

James B. Boskey Law Student Essay Contest on Dispute Resolution (annual)

  • Sponsor: American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution
  • Topic in 2025 Essay Competition was: "The essay may address any aspect of dispute resolution practice, theory, or research that the contestant chooses."
  • Format was: "Essays must be 20 to 30 typewritten pages, including footnotes or endnotes.  The text of the essay must be double-spaced, with twelve-point font and one-inch margins."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2025 Essay Competition included: "The competition is open to anyone, age 21 or older, who was a full-time or part-time J.D. law student, including students in joint J.D. degree programs, at an ABA-accredited law school during the 2024-2025 academic year.  Officers, directors and employees of the American Bar Association and their immediate household and family members are ineligible to enter the competition."  "Previously published essays are not eligible."  "By entering, participants agree that the ABA shall have the right of first publication of the winning essay. Only one entry per participant."  "Each entry shall be the original work of a single individual."
  • 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 writing or editing phase.  Use of Generative AI in the research phase is acceptable.  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.  By entering a submission in the contest, contestants are affirming that they did not utilize AI in the writing and editing phases of creating their written work product.  The ABA reserves the right to screen submissions for use of AI through an AI detector. Contestants utilizing AI to write or edit their written work product will be disqualified.  If it is determined after the winner is announced and the prize is awarded that the winning contestant utilized AI to write or edit their 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 in 2025 Essay Competition was: "One prize of $1,000 dollars will be awarded for the best entry as judged by the Boskey Essay Committee, comprised of representatives from the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution.  In addition, the winning essay will be published on the Dispute Resolution Website."
  • Deadline in 2025 Essay Competition was: June 6, 2025.