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Writing Competitions for Law Students: Planning & Law

Tip

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.  

Planning & Law

Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition (annual) + page w/ link to Smith-Babcock-Williams Writing Competition Rules

  • Sponsor: Planning & Law Division of the American Planning Association
  • Topic in 2024 Competition was: "The Competition, which honors the memory of three leading figures in American city planning law (R. Marlin Smith, Richard Babcock, and Norman Williams) is open to law students and planning students writing on a question of significance in planning, planning law, land use law, local government law or environmental law."  2024 Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition Rules specified: "Entries should demonstrate original thought on a question of significance in either city planning or associated areas of law (e.g., land use, local government or environmental law) and will be evaluated based on: (1) originality; (2) contribution to the understanding or development of the fields of planning and law; (3) quality of scholarship; and (4) quality and organization of writing."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition included: "The competition is open to law students at ABA accredited law schools and planning students at schools listed as member schools with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (https://www.acsp.org/page/Members) who are enrolled in or who will complete a program of study leading to the J.D., LL.M., Masters, or Ph.D. degree during the 2023-2024 academic year.  The competition is also open to any graduate of such program, provided the entrant graduated on or after August 1, 2019.  All entries must be the work of an individual. Jointly-authored entries will not be considered.  Entries may have been written for another purpose within the last year – e.g., a paper submitted for a course or internship.  Entries that have been previously published must be accompanied by written permission for the Division to reproduce the paper from the publisher."
  • Format requirements in 2024 Competition included: "Entries can include articles written for academic journal or law review publication, long essays, or shorter essays (at least 2,000 words).  In a change from past years, entries may already be published, or in the process of pursuing publication, if the applicant secures permissions from the publishing journal or magazine."  2024 Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition Rules specified: "Entries may be between 2,000 and 12,000 words."
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "The winning entry in the competition will be awarded a prize of $3,000, the second-place paper will receive a prize of $1,000, and one honorable mention prize of $500 will be awarded.  All three winning entries will be published in the semi-annual newsletter of the Planning and Law Division.  Depending on the format of the winning entry and the interest of the author, the Competition Committee may also work with the winner to place the article in a journal or coordinate and present a Division webinar."
  • Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: June 30, 2024.