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Writing Competitions for Law Students: Legal Medicine

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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.  

Legal Medicine

Hirsh Student Writing Competition in Legal Medicine (annual) - In future, check this website for information about a 2025 Competition.

  • Sponsor: American College of Legal Medicine
  • Topic of 2024 Competition was: "May deal with any aspect of legal medicine, including medical licensure; regulation of the profession; business aspects of medical practice; liability of physicians, hospitals, & managed care organizations; ethics; bio-pharmaceutical/medical devices; public health law; physician-patient relationships; care of special patients; food and drug law; medical research; forensic science; or the history of legal medicine."  "Must contain the entirely original work of the individual contestant."  "Can have been submitted for academic credit but cannot have been submitted for publication."  "May relate to other work done by the author."
  • Format requirements in 2024 Competition included: "There is no limit in the length of articles for submission - there is no minimum or maximum words to join the competition." 
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Contestants must have received a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution and must be currently enrolled in an accredited medical, law, dental, nursing, podiatric, or other health-related program in the United States or Canada."
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "The writer of the winning paper will be presented the Hirsh Award and will receive $1,000.00, round trip economy airfare to San Diego, 1-night hotel accommodations during the conference, and conference registration to attend the ACLM 2024 Annual Conference where they will have an opportunity to present their paper, receive their award, and meet with experts in the field of legal medicine.  The winning paper will be published in The Journal of Legal Medicine, and all other papers entered for the Hirsh Award will receive consideration for publication in The Journal of Legal Medicine.  The second-place winner will receive $500.00.  The third-place winner will receive $250.00.  The top three winners will receive complimentary one-year membership in the American College of Legal Medicine and will be invited to serve on the 2025 Student Awards Committee."
  • Deadline for submission was extended to: February 8, 2024.