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Writing Competitions for Law Students: Tax 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.  

Tax Law

IFA USA Branch 2024 Writing Competition

  • Sponsor: International Fiscal Association (USA Branch)
  • Topic: "Any topic relating to U.S. taxation of income from international activities, including taxation under U.S. tax treaties."
  • Format: See IFA USA Branch 2024 Writing Competition.  "Papers must be no more than 40 typewritten pages in length (double-spaced in 12 pt. font), including footnotes and appendices (both of which may be single-spaced), and in proper citation form."  
  • Eligibility: "Open to: All students during the 2023-24 academic year (including independent study and summer 2024 school courses) pursuing a graduate degree (J.D., L.L.M., S.J.D., M.S.T., MTA, Masters of Taxation, or similar program). Any appropriate papers written in fall 2023 or spring and summer 2024."
  • Note: "Each submitted paper must be sponsored by a professor of the student."  "The same professor may serve as the faculty sponsor of no more than three papers submitted for the current Competition."  "No more than five papers may be submitted by students from the same school or university for the Competition."  
  • Prize: "$5,000 cash, plus expenses-paid invitation to the IFA USA Branch Annual Meeting to be held in 2025 for the competition winner as well as the faculty sponsor.  The award winner and the academic institution of the competition winner will each receive a one-year membership in the IFA USA Branch."  "The winning author, if not already published, will be given publishing opportunities."
  • Submission Deadline for the 2024 Writing Prize: September 30, 2024.

2024 Tannenwald Writing Competition

  • Sponsors: The Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship & The American College of Tax Counsel
  • Topic: "Papers on any federal or state tax-related topic may be submitted in accordance with the Competition Rules."
  • Format in 2024 Competition was: Competition Rules stated: "Papers shall be 25 - 50 typewritten pages in length double-spaced (Times New Roman or Arial typeface), including footnotes and appendices (both of which may be single-spaced)...."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition were: "The Competition is open to (i) law students, undergraduate (J.D.) or graduate (L.L.M. or S.J.D.), enrolled full or part-time in a U.S. law school during the academic year; and (ii) other students enrolled during such academic year in a U.S. law school tax course as part of an MBA or other non-law degree program."
  • Per-school Limits in 2024 Competition were: "No more than 8 papers may be submitted by J.D. students from the same law school. If the school also has an L.L.M. or other graduate tax program, up to an additional 8 papers may be submitted by students in those programs."
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "Cash prizes of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,500 for the top three papers."
  • Deadline for submitting papers in 2024 Competition was: July 10, 2024.

Tax Notes Student Writing Competition

  • Sponsor: Tax Notes
  • Topic: "Submissions should focus on an unsettled question in federal, state or international tax law or policy."
  • Format in 2024 Competition was: "Entries should be at least 2,500 words and no more than 12,000 words, including footnotes."
  • Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition were: "The competition is open to any student enrolled in a law, business, or public policy program during the 2023-2024 academic year."
  • Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "Winning entries are published in Tax Notes’ weekly magazines and will be eligible to receive a 12-month subscription to Tax Notes’ daily and weekly products. Winners’ names and schools will be prominently featured on the Tax Notes website."
  • Deadline for submission in 2024 Competition was: June 30, 2024.