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.
Sponsor: , American Bar Association Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section
Topic in 2024 Contest was: "To enter, submit an essay on a current topic dealing with real property, trust and estate law." (See contest rules and entry form for additional useful information.)
Format in 2024 Contest was: "Original essay." "Essays must not exceed 50 pages of double-spaced typed text, including footnotes."
Eligibility requirements in 2024 Contest were: "Open to any law school student in good standing, over the age of 21, who is currently attending an ABA-accredited law school within the United States and its possessions, and who is a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States. Officers, employees, and agents of the ABA and their immediate family or household members are not eligible to enter or win."
Prizes in 2024 Contest were: "The first-place winner will receive $2,500 cash, a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Miami School of Law’s Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning OR Robert Traurig-Greenberg Traurig Graduate Program in Real Property Development for the 2024-2025 or 2025-2026 academic year, a one-year free membership in the Section, and free round-trip economy-class airfare and weekend accommodations to attend the Section’s 37th Annual RPTE National CLE Conference, May 1-2, 2025 in Las Vegas (airfare, hotel accommodations, and luncheon ticket are valued at approximately $1,000). The first-place winner will also be announced in an upcoming issue of Probate & Property, the Section’s magazine, and RPTE eReport, the Section’s electronic newsletter. The second-place winner will receive $1,500 cash, one-year free membership in the Section, and will be announced in Probate & Property and eReport. The third-place winner will receive $1,000 cash, one-year membership in the Section, and will be announced in Probate & Property and eReport....Any taxes are the responsibility of the winners."
Format requirements in 2024 Competition were: "Only papers that have not been previously published are eligible. Papers accepted for publication, but not yet published, are eligible, as are papers prepared for law school credit." "The body of the paper must be between twenty and thirty double-spaced pages in length...." (See Mary Moers Wenig Student Writing Competition 2024 Rules for more key information.)
Eligibility requirements in 2024 Competition were: "This competition is open to any law student in good standing (full-time or part-time) who is currently enrolled at the time of submission or was a student within the past 90-day period prior to submission as a J.D. or LL.M. candidate in an ABA-accredited law school within the United States or its possessions."
Prizes in 2024 Competition were: "1st Prize: A Full Tuition Scholarship to the Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning at the University of Miami School of Law for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic year (candidates must apply and be admitted as full-time students to be considered for the scholarship), $5,000 award and publication in the ACTEC Law Journal. 2nd Prize: "$3,000 award, online publication on The ACTEC Foundation’s website, and possible publication in the ACTEC Law Journal. 3rd Prize: $1,000 award, online publication on The ACTEC Foundation’s website, and possible publication in the ACTEC Law Journal."