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Writing Competitions for Law Students: International Trade Law & Customs 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.  

International Trade Law & Customs Law

Andrew P. Vance Memorial Writing Competition (annual)

  • Sponsors: Customs and International Trade Bar Association (CITBA) & partner law schools.
  • Topic: "Papers submitted for consideration provide thorough analysis of a current issue relevant to customs and international trade law."
  • Format in 2023 Competition was: "The paper shall not exceed 40 pages in length, including footnotes."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2023 Competition included: "Entrants must be enrolled in a J.D. or L.L.M. program at any of U.S. law school during the 2022-23 school year."
  • Prizes in 2023 Competition were: "Two prizes will be awarded by CITBA: $1,000 First Prize.  $500 Second Prize."
  • Deadline for submssion in 2023 Competition was: June 12, 2023.  Feb. 22, 2024: Wrote to ask when material about the Twenty-Fifth Annual (2024) Andrew P. Vance Memorial Writing Competition might become available.

2024 George Hutchinson Writing Competition (annual)

  • Sponsor: Federal Circuit Bar Association
  • Topic in 2024 Competition was: "Papers must deal with a topic that lies within the substance, procedure, or scope of the specialized jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit."  See: United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: Court Jurisdiction.  (This Court's jurisdiction includes: international trade.) 
  • Format requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Papers are typically about 20-30 pages in length. Papers shall not exceed 50 pages, including footnotes."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Students enrolled for the 2023/2024 school year in any law school accredited by the American Bar Association are eligible to enter.  Pre-registration is not necessary.  Submission of a paper in accordance with these rules constitutes registration."  "Submission of a paper grants the FCBA the right to consider publication of the paper in the Federal Circuit Bar Journal. Previously published submissions will not be accepted. The FCBA reserves the right to publish the paper first, at which point the author may proceed with publication elsewhere.  Failure of the student to preserve this grant may result in disqualification."
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "A cash prize of at least three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) will be awarded for the entry deemed by the judges to be the best entry that merits the award.  Second and third place cash prizes may also be awarded at the judges' discretion.  Winners will be publicly announced at the FCBA’s November 2024 Annual Dinner in Washington, D.C. The prize-winning paper may be considered for publication in the Federal Circuit Bar Journal."
  • Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: July 1, 2024.

John D. Greenwald Writing Competition (annual)

  • Manager & Supervisor: Institute of International Economic Law, Georgetown Law 
  • Topic & Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Novel & innovative note submissions from JD, LLM, and SJD students on current issues in international trade law."
  • Format in 2024 Competition was: "25-35 pages, double-spaced" + "1-4 page summary"
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "$2,500 and publication in the GJIL [Georgetown Journal of International Law] for first place, $1,500 for second place, and $1,000 for third place."
  • Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: February 25, 2024.