Legal Essay Contest Catalog

Competition Website: http://www.richmondbar.org/business_law.htm

Sponsor: The Business Law Section of the Bar Association of the City of Richmond

Deadline: March 1, 2013

Essay Topic: Practice Notes shall be on a subject of interest to Virginia busniess lawyers and may focus on current legal issues, practical concerns to business lawyers or developers in the law. Suggested topics may include corporate finance, securities law, commercial transactions, creditors' reights, busniess entities, contractual relationships, indemnification, business regulation, and mergers and acquisitions. For examples of Business Law Practice Notes, see the Business Law Section's website: http://www.richmondbar.org/business_law.htm

Prize Information: The winning entry will receive a $400 award and an invitation to attend and be recognized at an event held by the Business Law Section or the Bar Association of the City of Richmond. The First Runner Up will receive a $100 award and an invitation to attend and be recognized at an event held by the Business Law Section of the Bar Association of the City of Richmond. The Practice Note and resume of the Winner and the First Runner Up will be disseminated at all members of the Business Law Section.

Notes:

Regularly enrolled Law Students at Virginia Law Schools are eligible to submit a Practice Note to the Business Law Section of the Bar Association of the City of Richmond.

Submissions shall be the original work of the Law Student and shall be no longer than 500 words.

All submissions will become the property of the Business Law Section and may be distributed to the members of the Bart Association of the City of Richmond or published in its publications.

The submissions will be judged on the basis of originality, clarity of writing and usefulness to the members of the Business Law Section. The decision of the Awards Committee of the Business Law Section will be made on or before April 1, 2013 and will be final. Only winner will be notified.

Submissions shall be made on or before March 1, 2013, to: Megan Martz Gilliland, Christian & Barton, L.L.P., 909 East Main Street, Suite 1200, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or by email to: mgilliland@cblaw.com, and shall include:

a. The Law Student's resume, including at a minimum name, address, contact information, Law School and class;

b. The Practide Note; and

c. The following statement signed by the Law Student: "The enclosed Practice Note is my own work and is submitted as an entry in the 2012-2013 Business Law Practice Note Competition conducted by the Business Law Section of the Bar Association of the City of Richmond. I have read the Rules of the competition and understand that the decision of the Awards Committe of the Business Law Section is final. The Bar Association of the City of Richmond and its Business Law Section are hereby granted rights to use my submission in any way they deem appropriate including without limitation publication and dissemination to their members in any form."

_____________________________        __________________________________

Date                                             Signature of the Law Student

Submissions will not be returned to the submitting Law Students.

Competition Website: http://

Sponsor: The American College of Legal Medicine

Deadline: January 4, 2013

Essay Topic: Legal medicine is the professional and academic discipline that concerns itself with legal aspects of medical science, medical practice and other healthcare delivery. Practitioners of the specialty have sufficient training, knowledge and expertise to address the scope of the specialty from a scholarly, scientific and practical perspective. As the subject matter of legal medicine is broad, we are looking for quality papers that cover any aspect of legal medicine. 1. All authors must have previously achieved a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution and must be currently enrolled in an accredited law, medical, podiatric, nursing, dental, health science or healthcare administration program in the United State or Canada. 2. No paper that has been previously published in any form will be considered; however, papers written for scholarly classes will be allowed as long as they have not been published. 3. All papers submitted will receive consideration for publication in the Journal of Legal Medicine or other medical legal publications.

Prize Information:

Hirsh Award Winner - $1,000

2nd Prize - $500

3rd Prize - $250

The first place paper will be named the Hirsh Award Winner. In addition, the ACLM will pay the Hirsh Award Winner's costs of travel & lodging to present his or her paper at the ACLM 2013 Annual Meeting in Law Vegas, NV.

Notes:

Format:

1. The format rules below must be followed exactly. PAPERS THAT DO NOT FOLLOW ALL OF THESE RULES WILL NOT BE GRADED.

2. The paper's length must not exceed 5000 total words, and must not exceed 15 pages. The word count is applicable to the total paper; the words on the title page, footbotes, figures and tables are to be included.

3. All papers are to be submitted in Word document format, using 12 point Times New Roman font for all text. Papers must be typed double-spaced, with one-inch margins and all pages are to be numbered. All citations are to be as footnotes, which should be in 10 point Times New Roman font, single-spaced, and with one-inch margins.

4. The first page must be the cover page, which must include the following information: the author's name and contact information, including a telephone number, email address and the name of the author's school. The cover page must also contain the final work count obtained from Word.

5. At the top of page #2 the author must place the title of the paper all in capitals. After the title, two lines must be skipped and the text of the paper should begin.

6. If tables or figures are included, they are to be placed after the text according to the following rules: On the first page, after the end of the text, a list of all tables and figures will be provided. Each table and figure will then be placed on a separate page.

7. If an author wishes to acknowledge an individual or institution this can only be done on the cover page.

Content:

1. Papers must contain only uncollaborated original work.

2. Papers may relate to research done by the author.

3. Papers may deal with any aspect of legal medicine, including medical lecensure and regulation of the profession, busniess aspects of medical practice, liability of physicians, hospitals, managed care organizations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers, public health law, the physician-patient relationship, care of special patients, food and drug law, medical research, forensic science and the history of legal medicine.

4. Although papers may have been submitted for a grade at the author's school, the author may not have submitted the paper elsewhere for publication.

5. It is assumed that the author had no financial interest (direct or indirect) with the material presented. If the author does have a conflict this should be disclosed on the last page of the document.

Judging:

1. All papers will be judged by the Student Awards Committee of the American College of Legal Medicine in a blinded review process. The decision of the judges is final.

2. All prizes may not be awarded each year if the ACLM and/or Student Awards Committee determines that no entry meets the standards of a winning paper.

Papers will be judged in the following areas:

1. Appropriateness of subject matter for the contest

2. Originality, thoughtfulness

3. Quality of legal and bioethical, medical, law, dentitry, podiatry, nursing, pharmacy, health science, healthcare administration or publich health analysis

4. Quality of writing

5. Citation of authority/support for arguments

Deadline and Submission:

1. The papers must be submitted only via email to info@aclm.org. Papers transmitted or sent in any other form will not be considered for the writing competition.

2. Authors must submit their papers by the end of the business day, Jaunary, 2013. Under no circumstances will any paper be considered unless it is submitted by the dealine and in the required format.

3. Direct questions to:

Student Writing Competition, American College of Legal Medicine

Two Woodfield Lake, 1100 E Woodfield Road, Suite 520, Schaumburg, IL  60173

Phone: (847) 969-0283 Web: www.aclm.org Email: info@aclm.org

4. Winners other than the Hirsh Award Winner will be announced at the ACLM 2013 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, and may appear personally at their own expense if they wish to be recognized.

Competition Website: www.innsofcourt.org

Sponsor: American Inns of Court

Deadline: July 15, 2013

Essay Topic: The Warren E. Burger Prize is a writing competition designed to encourage outstanding scholarship that "promotes the ideals of excellence, civility, ethics and professionalism within the legal profession," the core mission of the American Inns of Court. Interested authors are asked to submit an original, unpublished essay of 10,000 to 25,000 words on a topic that addresses issues of legal excellence, civility, ethics, and professionalism.

Prize Information:

The author of the winning essay will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and the essay will be published in the South Carolina Law Review.

Notes:

The submission deadline for the 2013 Warren E. Burger Prize is July 15, 2013.

For more information please contact Cindy Dennis:

Cindy Dennis

American Inns of Court

1229 King St Fl 2

Alexandria, VA 22314

(800) 233-3590 ext. 104

Fax: (703) 684-3607

cdennis@innsofcourt.org

Rules for the Warren E. Burger Prize writing competition are available on the American Inns of Court website at www.innsofcourt.org/burgerprize.

Please contact our office to request an informational wwrite-up for your website, e-newsletter, or magazine.

Competition Website: www.americanbar.org/groups/antitrust_law/awards_fellowship/l_student_writing_competition.html

Sponsor: American Bar

Deadline: February 1, 2013

Essay Topic: The Annual Law Student Writing Competition is deisgned to encourage and reward student-written articles in the areas of antitrust law, competition policy, and consumer protection law. Eligible articles must be written by a currently enrolled or graduating student and published between January 1, 2013, and March 1, 2013.

Prize Information:

The winner will be be announced in March 2013 and will receive a check for $2,000, and an invitation to the Antitrust Section's Spring Meeting (April 10 - 12) in Washington, D.C., where the award will be presented. Airfare (if living outside DC area), accommodations, and registration will be paid by the ABA.

Notes: For more information, contact Deborah Morgan at 312-988-5606 or deborah.morgan@americanbar.org.

Competition Website: http://bit.ly/Levit2013

Sponsor: The ABA Standing committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability, Long & Levit LLP, Law Students and Young Lawyers

Deadline: February 22, 2013

Essay Topic: This year's contest hypothetical involves an international law firm and ethics questions concerning how the firm handles engagement letters, office restructuring, and taking on new matters in a cross-jurisdictional scenario.

Prize Information:

The winner of the Levit Essay Contest will be awarded a cash prize of $5,000, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to New Orleans, LA in April 2013, which will include free admission to the Committee's National Legal Malpractice ConFerence, attendance at the Committee dinner as our guest, and the prize presentation.

Notes: The contest is open to law students and young lawyers who will have enrolled as members of the American Bar Association no later than February 22, 2013. Contest rules and information, as well as the contest hypothetical, are posted online at http://bit.ly/Levit2013.

Competition Website: http://www.tls.edu/writing-competition

Sponsor: The Center for Human Rights at Trinity Law School

Deadline: March 25, 2013

Essay Topic: The topic for this year's writing competition is: The evolving tension between the freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and hate speech and blasphemy laws. There is a growing tension, both domestically and internationally, between the freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and the judicial or legislative restrictions on those freesoms. Many state and national constitutions provide for the protection of speech and religion, as do many international treaties. However, the scope of these freedoms has been the subject of increasing debate and limitation, with such limitations often being couched in terms of "hate speech" and "blasphemy"laws. Scholars are invited to address this growing tension in a manner that best expresses the depth and scope of this continually evolving issue.

Prize Information:

A First, Second, and Third place will be chosen from the eligible submissions. The prizes will be awarded as follows:

First Place: $3,000

Second Place: $1,000

Third Place: $500

All prizes will be paid in U.S. Dollars.

The First, Second, and Third place winners will also receive expedited consideration for publication in the 2013/2014 Trinity Law Review. However, "expedited consideration" should not be viewed as a guarentee of publication.

Notes:

Submissions are due on or before March 25, 2013. No papers will be accepted after that date.

Winners will be announced by April 30, 2013, via e-mail.

Please submit all papers, questions, or inquiries to: CHR@tiu.edu

The Center for Human Rights at Trinity Law School provides exceptional research and educational opportunities for the promotion and understanding of international human rights. The Center provides a forum by which students and faculty can discuss and address the relationship between man and God, as well as the rights, durites and oblications that flow from that relationship. The Center supports the Human Rights Program in Strasbourg, France, that brings academics, philosophers, theologians, attorneys, NEGO's, and students together to address vital Human Rights Issues.

Competition Website: http://law.richmond.edu/students/essay-catalog.html

Sponsor: Journal of Global Law and Business

Deadline: January 18, 2013

Essay Topic: The topic of this year's competition is the looming domestic and international financial regulation in the wake of the worldwide economic crisis. All entries must pertain to timely legal issues concerning financial regulation in the U.S. or abroad, or the relationship between the two. Authors are expected to strongly include and analyze the topic material within their written work. Entries focused more generally on areas of global law and business will be considered, but preference will be given to those that address the topic substantively.

Prize Information:

Submission Procedures:

1. All interested MUST email emily.woodley@richmond.edu to request an anonymous submission number. Please place "Anonymous Number Request" in the subject line.

2. Students must mail TWO copies of their submission to:

Richmond Journal of Global Law and Business

University of Richmond School of Law

28 Westhampton Way

University of Richmond, VA 23173

3. Students who attend the University of Richmond School of Law may choose to hand deliver their work. A drop box will be located outside the Richmond Journal of Global Law and Business office during the week leading up to the due date. Any submission prior to that may be placed in the folder of Emily Woodley (3L).

4. Each submissions must contain a cover page containing the anonymous number of the author. The anonymous number must be included on each page of the submission. DO NOT place your name or school anywhere on the submission.

5. Entries must be postmarked by January 18, 2013.

Notes:

The Richmond Journal of Global Law and Business requires that all submitted entries conform to the following guidelines:

1. All law students of an ABA accredited law school are eligible;

2. Entries which have been submitted for a class are acceptable; however, any such ebtry must not have been extensively edited by a professor or other teaching assistant;

3. Co-authorship is acceptable; all authors must be jointly identified when requesting an anonymous number. Any alteration to the authorship must be given to the Annual Survey Editor;

4. All entries must be between 20 and 30 pages in length (including citations), double spaced, and must be original, unpublished academic work of the person submitting the entry;

5. All entries must be in 12 point, Times New Roman font, and must have default one-inch margins all around;

6. Pages must be numbered;

7. Citations must be in footnote format and be in accordance with the rules of The Bluebook, A Uniform System of Citation, Nineteenth Edition;

8. The Richmond Journal of Global Law and Business reserves the right to decline to publish any submitted entry, and also reserves the right to publish more than one submitted entry.

Competition Website:

Sponsor: The Michigan State University College of Law Jounal of Business & Securities Law

Deadline: January 7, 2013

Essay Topic: Submit a journal style article on any current topic concerning business or securities law.

Prize Information:

Prize: $500 and your article will be published in the MSU College of Law Journal of Business & Securities Law. 

Note: The prize is contingent upon receipt of a signed publication contract.

Notes:

Submission Procedure:

If you are a law student at an ABA accredited law school submit:

(1) An electronic copy of your article in Word

(2) A brief abstract of your article

(3) Your curriculum vitae (CV) with complete contact information

Competition Website: http://www.acebc.com

Sponsor: American College of Employee Benefits Counsel

Deadline: June 1, 2013

Essay Topic: Any topic in the field of employee benefits law.

Prize Information:

Clarin M. Schwartz Memorial Award: $1,500

Sidney M. Perlstadt Memorial Award: $1,500

Prizes: Cash prizes will be awarded for up to two winning papers. The College may, in its discretion, decide to split prizes, to award additional prizes or to award fewer than two awards. Winners will be guests of the College during its annual black tie dinner to be held on November 9, 2013 in New Orleans.

Notes:

1. Eligibility/topics. Except as provided in (6) below, applicants must be enrolled full-time or part-time in law school August 15, 2012 and August 15, 2013 and seeking a J.D. or a graduate law degree (e.g. L.L.M. or S.J.D.). Papers must deal with employee benefits topics. As an illustrative example, a paper might address legal issues involving health benefits, pensions, 401(k) plans, severance, executive compensation, claims, appeals, current or former spouces' or domestic partners' benefits, collectively-bargained benefits, benefits in bankruptcy, ERISA litigation, fiduciary oblications or the tax treatment of benefits/contributions.

a) Papers should not exceed 40 pages (double-spaced, in 12 point type, with an inch margine on each side), not including footnotes. Footnotes should be single spaced endnotes starting on a separate page.

b) Papers must be submitted as email attachments to peter.kelly@bcbsa.com and should be submitted as Word or pdf documents. No information indentifying the author or law school should be included in the text, the footnotes or the filename. That information, an address, a telephone number and enrollment status information should be provided in the email message.

c) Sumissions may include papers prepared for class assignments, law journals or other purposes, as well as those written especially for the Competition.

d) Student papers submitted for publication in law reviews or other law school journals or periodicals but not yet published are eligible for the Competition, provided that (i) the version submitted for the Competition does not reflect any changes made to the paper after submission of the manuscript to any publication and (ii) the College receives any consents necessary to publish.

2. Selection of winners. Winning papers will be selected by the Writing Competition Committee based on the factors they deem relevant. Amoung other factors, the Committee will consider: (i) depth and creativity of legal analysis; (ii) thoroughness of legal research; (iii) organization and writing style; (iv) difficulty of subject matter; and (v) consideration of employee benefits policy implications. The determination of the Committee is final. It is anticipated that winners will be notified by August 31, 2013, or shortly thereafter.

3. Publication of winning article(s). The College will use its best efforts to arrange for publication of the winning papers in the BNA Pension and Benefits Reporter, the BNA Tax Management Compensation Planning Journal or other professional publications, subject to receiving any necessary consents from the author and any other journal. In addition, the winning papers will be distributed to the Fellows of the College.

5. Deadline. Papers must be submitted in the manner described in paragraph 1(b) above and must be received no later than Midnight Central Time on June 1, 2013.

6. Disclaimer. The College disclaims responsibility for any failure to give due consideration to any submission due to any email or other electronic transmission, storage or archival errors, regardless of the cause. However, the Committee may waive the eligibility requirements applicable to any student whose properly submitted paper was not afforded due consideration on account of such an error in a prior year's contest.

Questions concerning the Competition should be directed to Peter Kelly, Chair of the ACEBC Writing Competition Committee at peter.kelly@bcbsa.com.

Competition Website: http://www.abanet.org/adminlaw/

Sponsor: ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice

Deadline: May 1, 2013

Essay Topic: Discuss any topic relating to administrative law.

Prize Information: The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and round-trip airfare and accommodation to attend the Section's Fall Conference in Washington, DC. At the discretion of the Section and the respective editorial boards, the winning entry may be selected for publication in the Administrative and Regulatory Law News and/or the Administrative Law Review.

Notes:

Eligibility:

The competition is open to currently enrolled students of ABA-accredited law schools who are also members of the ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice. Submissions can include papers submitted for a law school course, law review notes and comments, or pieces written specifically for the competition. Essays must be the work of the submitting student without substantial editorial input from others. Co-authored papers are ineligible. Only one essay may be submitted per entrant.

Format:

Submissions must be in Microsoft Word. The text of the essay must be double-spaced, in twelve-point font, with one-inch margins; footnotes or endnotes should be single-spaced, also in twelve-point font and with one-inch margins. Citations may be embedded in text or set out in the footnotes or endnotes and should conform to the current edition of the Uniform System of Citation (Bluebook). Submissions may not exceed 40 double-spaced pages exclusive of footnotes and end-notes. (At the discretion of the Section, the winning student may be asked to prepare a shorter version for inclusion in the Administrative and Regulatory Law News.)

Entry Procedure:

Each submission must include two cover pages. The first should include the paper's title and the entrant's name, law school, year of study, mail and email address, and phone number. The second page should be a cover page that includes only the title of the paper. The contestant's name and other identifying information, such as school name, MAY NOT appear on any page other than the first cover page.

Entrants must email an electronic copy of their submission in Word format to Section Director Anne Kiefer (anne.kiefer@americanbar.org). Entries must be received by 7 pm Eastern time on May 1, 2013.

Staff of the Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice will assign a random number to each entry. Neither the contestant's identity nor his/her law school will be known to the selection committee.

By submitting an entry in this contest, the entrant affirms that the entry is his or her own work and grants the ABA and the ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice permission to edit and publish the entry in the Administrative Law News and/or the Administrative Law Review. Publication will be at the sole discretion of the Section and the Editors and Editorial Boards of these publications. Please direct any questions about the contest to the Section Director at anne.kiefer@americanbar.org.

Judging:

The entries will be judged anonymously by Fellows of the ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice. Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• Creativity and clarity of the proposal or thesis

• Organization

• Quality of the analysis and research

• Grammar, syntax and form

The entries will be judged anonymously by the Fellows of the ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice.

Competition Website: http://www.publicjustice.net/What-We-Do/Awards/Law-School-Essay-Contest.aspx

Sponsor: Public Justice Foundation

Deadline: March 31, 2013

Essay Topic: The topic for the 2013 Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Contest: Is Democrazy for Sale? Have Citizens United's Holding Run Amok? Legal Challenges Left to Super Pacs? Can Funding Disclosure Be Required?

Prize Information:

The Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Contest is a $5,000 cash award given to the author of the winning essay. 

Notes:

Any student currently enrolled in an accredited American law school may submit a legal essay for the competition. Essays can only be written during the academic year covered by the competition and may not be prepared as part of paid legal work outside of law school.

Additional information about this contest is posted on the Public Justice website www.publicjustice.net/news-events/awards.

All entrants must fill out and submit the "intent-to-enter" form by January 31, 2013. To download the intent-to-enter form, visit out website www.publicjustice.net.

For more information, contact Cassandra Goings at (202) 797-8600, ext. 244 or cgoings@publicjustice.net.

Competition Website: www.ambar.org/schwab

Sponsor: American Bar Association Section of Family Law

Deadline: April 26, 2013

Essay Topic: Applicants may submit an essay on any aspect of family law and entrants are encouraged to write on subjects of national interest. However, if the law in one state reflects a significant development or trend, that too could be an appropriate subject for an entry. With the vast scope of family law, the possibilities are endless.

Prize Information: Additional information about the Schwab Memorial Essay Contest can be found at www.ambar.org/schwab

Notes:

The breadth of originality and analysis of past winners is a great testament to the quality of our nation's law schools and educators. Past topics of winning essays include transsexuals and the legal determination of sex, same-sex marriages, federal responsibility for indigent elderly, interpretation of Islamic marriage contracts, the Indian Child Welfare Act, polygamy and marital counseling laws. We look forward to an outstanding pool of entries this year as we continue to marvel at the oustanding thought produced by future attorneys.

If you have any questions regarding the essay contest, please contact Carrie Darrah of the ABA Section of Family Law at 312-988-5145 or email carrie.darrah@americanbar.org

Competition Website:

Sponsor: Institute for Energy Law

Deadline: January 15, 2013

Essay Topic: The general subject for this year's competition is any topic related to energy development. This includes, for example, topics concerning oil and gas law, alternative energy resources, energy regulation, and environmental regulation of energy industries.

Prize Information:

The Hartrick Scholar(s) selected by the Judging Committee will be notified on February 15, 2013. The Scholar(s) will receive a $2,500 cash award at the Institute for Energy Law's 64th Annual Oil & Gas Law Conference to he held February 21-22, 2013, in Houston, Texas. The Hartrick Scholar(s) also will be recognized for their work at the Career Paths for Young Attorneys in the Energy Sector Symposium to be held on March 1-2, 2013 at The University of Tulsa College of Law. Selection as a Hartrick Scholar includes, in addition to the $2,500 cash award, the cost of travel to attend the Conference in Houston and the Symposium in Tulsa. 

Notes:

Students enrolled in law school as of December 2012, and seeking a juris doctor degree, are eligible to submit an article for consideration in the IEL Hertrick Scholar competition.

The article can be any work prepared by the student while enrolled in law school and can include prior works prepared for law journal or a law school course, so long as the submitted version complies with the submission guidelines. The Hartrick Scholar Judging Committee will select one or more outstanding submissions that they deem worthy of recognition.

The article must be submitted to the Hartrick Scholar Judging Committee, at the address listed below, on or before January 15, 2013. The article should not exceed 8,000 words including footnotes (this approximates 40 double-spaced pages of text and footnotes or 25 printed pages). Footnotes should be in Blue Book format and placed at the bottom of the page where the footnoted text appears. The article should be submitted in pdf or hard copy accompanied by a cover email message or letter than contains the following information: (1) the title of your article; (2) the law school where you are currently enrolled; (3) your mailing address; (4) your telephone number; and (5) your email address. The article should not contain your name, law school, or any other identifying information.

Submit Articles to: For Questions Contact:

Hartrick Scholar Judging Committee Lully Hogarth, Project Manager

ATTN: David B. Winn, Director Institute for Energy Law

Institute for Energy Law +1 (972) 244-3424

The Center for American and International Law lhogarth@cailaw.org

5201 Democracy Drive

Plano, Texas 75024-3561

lhogarth@cailaw.org

Competition Website: www.vsb.org/site/sections/intellectualproperty/view/writing-competition/

Sponsor: Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Section

Deadline: May 24, 2013

Essay Topic: Atricles must relate to an intellectual property law issue or the practice of intellectual property law. Preference may be given to topics demonstrating particular relevance to contemporary events, addressing unsettled issues of law, or presenting novel and unique perspectives. Articles should be approximately 25 to 40 typed pages (including footnotes) in length. Entries must be double-spaced, in at least 12-point font, with one-ince margins and numbered pages. Citations should conform to the Bluebook. Entries must be submitted electronically in WordPerfect or Microsoft Word format. Entries should also include the student's name, address, telephone number, law school, expected graduation date, and the follow signed statement: "I declare that during the 2012-13 academic year, I was enrolled and in good standing (i) at a Virginia law school or (ii) at a law school outside Virginia as a Virginia resident. I further declare that this entry was written solely by me while enrolled and in good standing in law school." The student author's inclusion of this statement in the transmittal email, together with his or her typed name between two forward slashes (i.e. /Jane M. Doe/) shall constitute a signature for the purpose of the signed statement requirement.

Prize Information: $4,000 cash and publication on the Section's website. The winner will be notified by telephone and electronic mail and will be invited to the Section's 25th Annual fall Weekend Seminar, for an award presentation ceremony. Hotel accommodations for that evening will be provided to the winner by the Section.

Notes:

Entries will initiall ybe judged by members of the Section, in their sole discretion, who will select no more than five finalists. The final judge will be the Honorable Richard Linn of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Judge Linn will select the winner, in his sile discretion, from among the finalists. Criteria for judging include:

• Subject matter originality
• Relevance to intellectual property practice
• Quality of topic development
• Analysis of the subject matter
• Quality of writing
• Proper reliance on cited authorities
• Clarity of expression
• Grammar, spelling and vocabulary

The winner will be announced no earlier than August 9, 2013 and no later than September 9, 2013.

No article submitted as an entry in this competition may be published in any other forum until the competition has ended and the winner has been announced. After that time, articles submitted but not selected as the winning article may be published without limitation. The author of the wining article grants the Section a non-exclusive license to publish the artible at the Section's discretion. Other publications of the article by the author must include a footnote acknowledging the award from the Section. By submitting an artible in this competition, the student author agrees to be bound by these rules, terms and conditions governing the competition and the award of any prizes therein. The Section reserves the right not to make an award in this competition if no entries of acceptable quality are received.

Competition Website: www.wcl.american.edu/hracademy/mcourt

Sponsor: Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Deadline: May 19, 2013

Essay Topic: Since its inception, the Competition has been an important forum for the analyziz of international human rights law and a valuable educational tool. The Competition challenges student competitors and human rights practitioners alike by engaging them in cutting-edge legal discussions concerning the Inter-American human rights legal system. Theme: The theme for the 2013 Competition will be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) Rights. The hypothetical case addressing this theme will be available on the Competition Web site December 10, 2012.

Prize Information:

Registration:

Teams, observers, bailiffs and judges should register online. Team registration fees are $450 (for two competitors and one coach), or $650 (for two competitors and two coaches). Observers pay $200 to attend all Competition events. Judges and bailiffs do not pay a registration fee.

Housing:

All participants may stay at the American University dormitories during the Competition at a lower cost than local hotels. Exact costs will be determined in February 2013 and posted on the Competition's Web site.

Costs:

The cost for each participant to attend the Competition for seven days and six nights is approximately $700. This estimate includes food, local transportation, and university accommodation, but does not account for registration fees or transportation to and from Washington, D.C.

Notes:

Laguages:

The Competition is conducted in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Participants need not be bilingual. Simultaneous interpretation is available during the oral rounds.

U.S. Visa:

It is important to contact your local U.S. Consulate and apply for a tourist visa as soon as possible. It may take up to several months to schedule a visa interview. Each visa applicant must provide all personal information to the Consulate in accordance with U.S. regulations.

www.wcl.american.edu/hracademy/mcourt

Contact us by email at iamoot@wcl.american.edu or by phone at +1-202-274-4215

Competition Website: http://www.iadclaw.org/publications/contest.aspx

Sponsor: International Association of Defense Counsel

Deadline: May 17, 2013

Essay Topic: Entires must be the original work of a single author, not previously published, and they must cover the fields of tort law, insurance law, civil procedure, evidence, or other areas of practical convern to lawyers engaged in the defense or management of the defense of civil ligitation. While entrants are free to take positions on issues, their artibles should be expository in nature, and an author's ability to make a thoughtful and balanced presentation will be considered. There is no strict limitation on the length of entries, but succintness and the frugal use of footnotes are encouraged. (Suggested word limit: 12,000 words, including footnotes.)

Prize Information: An IADC committee will judge the contest and will award monetary prizes of US$2,000 for first place, US$1,000 for second, and US$500 for third place. The judges also may award honorable mentions. Winning and honorable mention entries will be considered for publication in the IADC's quarterly Defense Counsel Journal.

Notes:

I. Substance

• Choice of Subject. Rule 2 allows for a broad range of topics, provided it is one of practical concern to lawyers engaged in the defense or management of the defense of civil litigation. Unusual subjects are desirable if of sufficiently widespread interest beyond the borders of any state or province.
• Balance. Entries should be of law review type and quality, not briefs. Authors' opinions should reflect the consideration of both sides of the issues.
• Original Work. Compliance with this requirement of Rule 2 permits borrowing from the writings of others, provided due attribution is given. An article must not parallel its sources too closely in form or contect, and direct quotations must always be showin as such.
• Sole Authorship. Entries must be the work of a single author. An entry does not fail the "single author" test merely because it has been graded by a professor who has offered advice on it. Sole authorship cannot be claimed, however, if, for example, a paper has been rewritten in part by another person, or if another has contributed research to the paper.
• Legal Analysis. A major factor is the quality of legal analysis reflected by an artible. Clear thinking and expression are key faculties of a good lawyer. While lawyers and judges alike are seldom capable of resolving questions of law solely by the cool light of reason, unclouded by predilections or prejudices, they must justify their conclusions with sound reasoning and pertinent authorites.

II. Form

• Organization. Any well-written article must be organized and presented in a logical and orderly manner. This is best accomplished by initial preparation of an outline that (1) disciplines the author's thought processes; (2) provides a table of contents; (3) supplies headings for quick reference; and (4) eliminates the need for lengthy introductions and conclusions.
• Hallmarks of Fine Writing. The three hallmarks of fine legal writing are simplicity, clarity and brevity.
  • Simplicity. A simple writing style befits legal writing because it is easily understoof and des not overtax the reader's powers of concentration. Just as long sentences, laden with dependent clauses, should be avoided, so, too, lengthy paragraphs should be avoided.
  • Clarity. Yale Professor John Berdan used to tell his English composition class that a fine writing is like a windowpane: seen throuhg, but never seen.
  • Brevity. While the IADC Legal Writing Contest imposes no strict word limitation, brevity is to be desired, although it is a mixed virtue. A well-written law entry should include all points necessary to full treatment of the subject. Past experience has shown that most entries are unnecessarily prolix and repetitions. Trim off the fat; leave the bone and sinew. (Suggested word limit: 12,000 words, including foonotes)

III. Miscellany

• Entries must be submitted via email in English in Microsoft Word format to Melisa Maisel at mmaisel@iadclaw.org. Footnotes should appear on the page referenced in the text. Avoid excessive footnotes. Use The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (19th edition) for style.

IV. Cicero's Advice

• The winning entries will be those that best heed the 2,000-year-old advice of the Roman orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero: "Be clear, so the audience will understand. Be intersting, so the audience will listen. Be persuasive, so the audience will agree."

Competition Website: www.WCLCenterforHR.org

Sponsor: American University Washington College of Law Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the American Society of International Law's Lieber Society

Deadline: January 31, 2013

Essay Topic: This competition aims to promote interest and enhance scholarship in international humanitarian law among students as well as deepen their understanding of this important area of international law.

Prize Information: The two winning authors will present their papers at an expert conference at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC, with travel and accommodation expenses covered. Winners will also receive a complementary registration at the ASIL Annual Meeting on April 3-6, 2013 in Washington, DC, and will receive a one-year student membership with ASIL.

Notes:

Students must currently be enrolled in a law degree program at a U.S. or foreign law school as of the sumbission deadline. Students may choose a topic within the scope of international humanitarian law. Submissions must be unpublished academic papers written solely by the candidate in English. Articles should be submitted online, as Microsoft Word attachments, to teachingihl@wcl.american.edu.

The deadline for submissions is Thursday, January 31, 2013, by 12 PM Noon (EST).

For detailed competition rules, please visit www.WCLCenterforHR.org

Contact:

Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law

American University Washington College of Law

4801 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20016

Tel: 202.274.4180

Fax: 202.274.0783

teachingihl@wcl.american.edu

www.WCLCenterforHR.org

Competition Website: http://www.it-lex.org

Sponsor: IT-Lex Technology Law Writing Contest

Deadline: February 1, 2013

Essay Topic: IT-Lex, a new technology law educational and literary not-for-profit, is seeking submissions for its inaugural writing competition, which opens today! Write about any issue within the areas of electronic discovery, privacy, social media, security, or wherever your technology interests lie. Your 10-15 journal page (approximately 5,000-7,000 word) papers will be read by a distiguished panel of articles editors, and the top three entries are guaranteed publication in the IT-Lex Journal, though other meritorious papers may also be published. Entries must be submitted online at our website by February 1, 2013.

Prize Information:

First place will receive $5,000, second place $1,000 and third place $500. Plus, the winners will receive invitations to become Members of IT-Lex and to join the IT-Lex Law Review. Head over to http://www.it-lex.org, sign up to be our friend - it's free - and check out the full rules and requirements at http://it-lex.org/writing-contest/.

Notes:

If your law school has any faculty members who have an interest in technology law, kindly pass this along to them, as we are looking for facutly advisors to each law school campus, to whom we can refer interested students to in order to duscuss potential paper topics. We are also soliciting involvement from any faculty members that would like to be a part of our organization, and welcome any technology law scholars to contact us for more information about how to get involved.

Competition Website: http://www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool/StartingLawSchool.aspx?articleid=272

Sponsor: LexisNexis

Deadline: June 3, 2013

Essay Topic: The principal subject of the submitted paper must be federal civil practice and procedure, including the civil jurisdiction and venue rules of the federal courts. Submissions on the topics of federal courts management, federal appellate procedure, and alternative dispute resolution will also be acceptable. However, papers that deal primarily with criminal procedure will not be acceptable. Papers focusing on the procedural aspects of certain types of substantive federal litigation are acceptable. For example, LexisNexis will accept an article on the scope of permissable discovery in an employment discrimination case, so long as the article focuses on interpretation of the applicable procedural rules. Papers on purely substantive issues that may arise in federal litigation (e.g., the scope of a particular defense to an antitrust action) are not eligible.

Prize Information:

One entrant submitting a paper will be selected based upon the Judging standards set forth above by the Board of Editors for Moore's Federal Practice on or about October 1, 2013. The name of the entrant winner will be announced within 30 days after the selection date, provided however that the selected individual meets all qualifications and eligibility criteria.

Except where prohibited by law, entry and/or acceptance of the award by the winner constitutes permission for LexisNexis to use, without further compensation, worldwide, for advertising/publicity purposes worldwide and in any and all forms of media, now known and hereafter devised, including without limitation online, entrant winner's name, address (city and state), photo, likeness, voice, biographical information, and statements.

The entrant whose paper is selected will receive (a) a cash prize of $2,000 and (b) a four-volume set of Moore's Federal Rules Pamphlets (total approx. retail value: $350). In addition the winning entrant's law review or journal will receive $1,000. If applicable, all Federal, state and local taxes, and all income and any other taxes, fees and surcharges will be the sole responsibility of the entrant winner and law review.

Notes:

Eligibility requirements:

Only students enrolled in law school through the end of the current school year (2012-2013) will be eligible to participate.

Entrants' papers must have been either submitted for publication in a student publication, or prepared as course work in connection with a course at law school. Entrants' papers need not have been actually published.

Papers that have been submitted to professional or for-profit publications will be ineligible.

All papers must be the original work of an individual student, although normal comment and guidance by law school faculty and journal editors is permitted. Joint papers are not eligible for the award.

By submitting a paper for the James William Moore Federal Practice Award, the entrant and the law review grant to LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc., and its parents and its and their affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively "LexisNexis") the right to hyperlink from a LexisNexis web site page to the paper.

By submitting a paper to LexisNexis pursuant to this James William Moore Federal Practice Award the entrant and law review or journal hereby expressly consents to the terms and conditions contained herein.

Entry Procedure:

The Author of a paper may directly submit his or her paper for consideration.

In addition, each law review may submit up to four (4) papers for consideration.

Papers, along with fall 2013 contact information (address, phone number, and email address) for the author and the law review (including name of the incoming editor-in-chief) should be submitted to:

Editor, Moore's Federal Practice

LexisNexis Matthew Bender

201 Mission Street, 26th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94105

In order to be considered for this year's Award, articles must be postmarked no later than June 3, 2013. The winner will be selected on or around October 1, 2013.

Format requirements:

All papers should follow the citation form set out in the Eighteenth Edition of A Uniform System of Citation ("The Harvard Bluebook"). Papers should be double-spaced (footnotes single-spaced), presented on one side of 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper. Times New Roman, 12-point, is the preferred font for both footnotes and text.

Submitted papers should be a minimum of 20 pages when formatted as indicated above.

One electronic copy and six paper copies of each paper should be submitted. Electronic copies should be submitted on a CD-ROM.

Judging standards:

Factors considered in the judging of papers will include:

• Quality of writing, including style and organization
• Thoroughness of research
• Persuasiveness of the argument made in support of the author's hypothesis
• The extent to which the article will assist the legal community in understanding a difficult issue of federal practice and procedure
• The significance to federal litigators of the issues addressed

The decision of the judges will be final and binding.

Competition Website: www.thesovereigntysymposium.com

Sponsor: Supreme Court of Oklahoma and the Sovereignty Symposium, Inc.

Deadline: May 1, 2013

Essay Topic: The subject matter of the paper may be on any area of the law relating to Native Americans or other indigenous peoples.

Prize Information:

First, second, and third prizes in the amounts of $750.00; $500.00; and $250.00 will be awarded. The winning entry will also be published in the 2013 Symposium compendium of materials. Second and third place entries will be published if space permits.

Notes:

Entires must be received no later than May 1, 2013. Publication releases will be required prior to payment of prize money.

The submission requirements, formatting, length and grading requirements are found at www.thesovereigntysymposium.com. All entries must conform to the Symposium standards. Entries that fail to do so in the opinion of the competition judges will be disqualified. For further information, contact Julie Rorie at (405) 556-9371, or email jule.rorie@oscn.net.

Competition Website:

Sponsor: Law School Competitions Team of the Phoenix School of Law

Deadline: January 18, 2013

Essay Topic: The competition is open to current law students in good academic standing and will occur Janurary 18-20 in Phoenix, Arizona. There is no limit to how many teams each school may bring, although registration will close when the competition is full. Please do not make travel arrangements until your team's registration is confirmed.

Prize Information: Students will compete in teams of two, with one student serving as an attorney and the second student serving as a client. They will compete against an opposing team during the course of a simulated mediation. For each competition problem both teams will be given general facts as well as confidential facts for their side of the dispute. Students will alternate their role as attorney or client throughout the competition.

Notes:

For complete rules and a registration form, please email lawmonster@live.com. The registration deadline is December 15, 2012 and all registration fees are due at that time. The competition problems and confidential information for each team will be distributed no later than December 20, 2012.

Law Monster is a 100% student-owned corporation formed for the benefit of the Law School Competitions Team of the Phoenix School of Law. Proceeds of this event for toward funding the LSCT for the 2012-2013 year. Students from Phoenix School of Law and Arizona State University are not eligible to compete in this event.

Competition Website:

Sponsor: Jackson Lewis LLP and IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, The Institute for Law and the Workplace

Deadline: January 22, 2013

Essay Topic: Judges will consider papers on any topic relating to the law governing the workplace, such as employment law, labor law, employment law, labor law, employee benefits, or employment discrimination.

Prize Information:

One top honors award of $3,000 and two $1,000 awards will be presented to the top three entries. In addition to the cash awards, the top three entries will be published on the Institute for Law and the Workplace website. (Electronic versions of winning papers will be required.)

Notes:

Requirements and Eligibility

Entires must be the law student author's own work and must not be submitted for publication elsewhere. Authors must have completed or be currently taking course work in employment or labor law, and must be enrolled in an accredited law school during the Fall 2012 semester. Only the first two submissions per law school will be accepted as entries for consideration.

Format

Entries must be suitable for publication in a law review. Citations must conform to the current Bluebook style. Papers must be printed on 8 1/2 by 11 inch white paper and must not exceed 35 pages in length, including footnotes, set in 12 point Times Roman font with double spacing and one inch margins.

An entry consists of three copies of the paper, submitted as a packet with three removable cover sheets indicating the law student author's name, address, telephone number, email address, law school, paper title, labor and employment law couse work history, and a brief paragraph describing the genesis of your interest in the field. Judging will be blind, so the only indentification that may appear on the first or subsequent pages of the paper is the paper title.

Judging

Entries will be blind-judged by an independent panel of law professors from across the United States. The determination of the judges' panel is final. Neither Jackson Lewis LLP nor the Institute for Law and the Workplace will be involved in judging the competition.

Submission

The deadline for submission is Tuesday, January 22, 2013. Entries received after the deadline will not be considered. Entries should be mailed to:

Questions may be directed to Professor Martin H. Malin by e-mail to mmalin@kentlaw.edu.

Competition Website: www.americanbar.org/groups/business_law/initiatives_awards/mendes_hershman.html

Sponsor: American Bar

Deadline: January 11, 2013

Essay Topic: Papers should be written on a business law topics and will be judged on research and analysis, choice of topic, writing style, originality, and contribution to the literature available on the topic.

Prize Information:

First place: $2,500

Second place: $1,000

Third place: $500

All three winners also receive all expenses paid to attend the 2013 Business Law Section Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C., April 4 - 6, 2013.

Notes: DEADLINE: January 11, 2013

Competition Website: http://law.richmond.edu/about/centers/environmental/index.html

Sponsor: University of Richmond's Merhige Center for Environmental Studies and the Virginia State Bar's Environmental Law Section

Deadline: March 8, 2013

Essay Topic: The topic must be about an environmental, energy, or natural resources issue, defined broadly.  Past topics have ranged from local land use and transportation issues to the national food system and global climate change. Choose a topic that is current and that will be of interest to a general public with little expertise in environmental law. It should be a topic that a newspaper or website would actually print now. Within these topic areas, we have found that effective op-eds focus on a relatively narrow issue, tied to something in the news, such as new legislation, a pending proposal, new technology, or a government or business decision.

Prize Information: The winner will receive a $1000 prize. The winner will be notified by the end of March, 2013.

Notes:

ELIGIBILITY: The competition is open to any student currently enrolled in a Virginia law school.

RULES: The op-ed should be written individually. No co-authored work may be submitted, and you may not collaborate on the initial formulation of the idea or argument. You may not submit writing that has been previously published, in full or in part. However, you are free to modify your own prior work (research papers, briefs, etc.) into an op-ed format. Participants should not receive writing assistance of any kind (including proofreading) from any student, faculty member, attorney, or other person prior to submitting the op-ed. You must be able to provide, upon request, a source for any fact in the op-ed. Newspapers routinely fact-check op-eds for accuracy, so keep a careful record of your sources for facts. There is no need to provide footnotes in this submission, however. Submissions with unverifiable facts will be disqualified.

FORMAT: There is a 750 word limit for the op-ed. Submissions should be single spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman. Please include a title, which will count towards the final word count. Do not include your name on the submission.

RESOURCES: For resources on writing op-eds and sample op-eds from major newspapers, see http://law.richmond.edu/centers/environmental/op-ed-writing-competition.html

NO PROMISE OF PUBLICATION: All participants are encouraged to submit their pieces for publication in newspapers, magazines, websites, and blogs. The sponsors do not publish the entries or provide assistance in publication, however.

JUDGING CRITERIA: Judging criteria will include persuasiveness of your argument, impact of your opening and closing paragraphs, overall quality of writing, and contribution to an ongoing debate. Judging will be done by a panel that will include faculty from the University of Richmond School of Law and environmental lawyers from the Virginia State Bar.

SUBMISSIONS: Please submit your op-ed as a Microsoft Word document attached to an email by 5:00 pm on March 8, 2013 to Lucy Sprague, lsprague@richmond.edu. Do not include your name in the text of the submission.

QUESTIONS: Contact Professor Noah Sach, nsachs@richmond.edu.

Competition Website:

Sponsor: The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL)

Deadline: May 1, 2013

Essay Topic: Entrants should submit a paper on an issue concerning women's rights or the status of women in the law. The most recent winning paper was "All Things Being Equal, Women Lose. Investigating the Lack of Diversity Among the Recent Appointments to the Iowa Supreme Court" written by Abigail Rury, Michigan State University School of Law.

Prize Information:

The author of the winning essay will receive a cash prize of $500. NAWL will also publish the winning essay in NAWL's Women Lawyers Journal in the summer of 2013.

Notes:

Essays will be accepted from students enrolled at any law school during the 2012-2013 school year. The essays must be the law students author's own work and must not have been submitted for publication elsewhere. Papers written by students for coursework or independent study during the Summer, Fall or Spring semesters are eligible for submission. Notwithstanding the foregoing, students may incorporate professional feedback as part of a course requirement or supervised writing project.

FORMAT: Essays must be double-spaced in 12-point font, Times New Roman font type. All margins must be at least one inch. Entries must not exceed fifteen (15) pages of text, excluding notes, with footnotes placed as endnotes. Citation style should confirm to The Bluebook - A Uniform System of Citation. Essays longer than 15 pages of text, excluding notes, or which are not in the required format may not be read.

JUDGING: NAWL Women Lawyers Jornal designees will judge the competition. Essays will be judged based upon content, exhaustiveness of research, originality, writing style, and timeliness.

QUESTIONS: Questions regarding this competition should be addressed to the chair of the Writing Competition, Professor Jennifer Martin at jmartin@stu.edu.

SUBMISSION AND DEADLINE: Entries must be received by May 1, 2013. Entries received after the deadline will be considered only at the discretion of NAWL. Entries must provide a cover letter providing the title of your essay, school affiliation, email address, phone number and mailing address. Entries must be submitted in the following format: email an electronic version (in Microsoft Word or PDF format) to jmartin@stu.edu.

Competition Website: http://www.tannenwald.org/rules/

Sponsor: The Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship, Inc. and The American College of Tax Counsel

Deadline: July 1, 2013

Essay Topic: Submitted papers must focus primarily upon technical or policy-oriented tax issues relating to any type of existing or proposed U.S. federal or state tax or U.S. federal or state taxation system (including topics relating to tax practice ethical and professional responsibility matters).

Prize Information:

Cash prizes are awarded of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,500 for the top three papers.

Notes:

Eligibility:

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 2011-12 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.

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). 12 point font size shall be used for text and appendices; 10 point or 12 point font size may be used for footnotes. All margins (top, bottom and sides) shall be at least 1". Same-page footnotes are strongly preferred instead of endnotes. Proper citation forms must be used.

Papers should be clipped or stapled; do not hole-punch or place in a binder.

Papers written in connection with a law school course or seminar (including independent study and summer school course) are eligible fo the Competition.

Papers based on research or work done in connection with law firm or other employment are eligible for the Competition, as are papers evolving from moot court or legal clinic involvement. Any such papers, however, must be in the form of a scholarly article. Client-specific work products (e.g., briefs, legal memoranda, opinion letters, etc.) are not acceptable.

Student papers submitted for publication in law reviews or other legal journals or periodicals, or for on-line publication, are eligible for the Competition, provided that the version submitted for the Competition shall not reflect any changes (substantive or editorial) made to the paper after the submission of the manuscript for any such publication.

No more than one paper may be submitted by the same student. Co-authored papers will not be accepted.

Papers previously submitted to an earlier Competition may not be again submitted for a subsequent Competition unless (i) the paper has been revised to reflect the impact of one or more significant legislative, case law or administrative developments relevant to the subject matter of the paper; (ii) the paper is sponsored by the same or another law professor; and (iii) all of the Competition Rules have otherwise been satisfied.

Faculty sponsors:

Each submitted paper must be sponsored by a law school professor.

Consistent with normal levels of professor supervision with respect to student papers prepared for law school courses, the faculty sponsor may (i) assist the submitting student in selecting a topic; (ii) discuss outlines or drafts of the paper with the student; and (iii) offer suggestions with respect to organization and substantive content of the paper.

The faculty sponsor shall furnish to the Foundation, along with each submitted paper, a signed letter or other written communication confirming that he or she reviewed the final draft fo the paper and consents to being named as faculty sponsor of the paper.

The same professor may serve annually as the faculty sponsor of no more than 5 papers submitted for the Competition.

Per-school limits:

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.

Where the number of students desiring to submit papers exceeds the permitted limits, the involved faculty sponsors shall coordinate regarding the selection of which papers to submit.

If more than the permitted number of papers are received by the Foundation from the same school, only those papers up to the permitted number, as determined in the order received, will be accepted for the Competition.

Selection of winner:

Winning papers will be selected by the Foundation's board of directors based on, among other factors, (i) depth and creativity of legal and tax analysis; (ii) thoroughness of legal research; (iii) organization and writing style; (iv) difficulty of subject matter; and (v) consideration of tax policy implications.

Prizes:

Cash prizes will be awarded for the winning paper ($5,000), first runner-up ($2,500) and second runner-up ($1,500). Appropriate recognition will also be given to the faculty sponsors of winning papers. The Foundation may, in its discretion, decide to split prizes or award additional prizes. Provided that the first-prize paper has not be published or accepted for publication elsewhere, the Foundation will use its best efforts to facilitate the publication of such paper in The Tax Lawyer.

Deadline for submission:

All papers submitted for the Competition must be received by the Foundation no later than 9:00 p.m. EST, July 1, 2013. The original of each paper (but no additional copies), along with the signed faculty sponsor communication, should be mailed or hand-delivered to the following address:

In addition, each paper and faculty sponsor communication should be transmitted electronically, in MS Word, to Ms. Moore at melnie.moore@sutherland.com.

Cover page information:

Each submitted paper shall have a cover page which includes (i) the title of the article; (ii) the name, law school and class, address, phone number and e-mail address of the submitting student; and (iii) the name, address, phone number and e-mail address of the faculty sponsor. The names of the student, faculty sponsor or their school should not otherwise appear in the paper text or footnotes of the paper.

Inquiries:

Any inquiries regarding the Competition should be directed to Nancy Abramowiz at (202) 274-4164 (nabramo@wcl.american.edu).

Competition Website: www.culturaldiplomacy.org

Sponsor: Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD)

Deadline: January 9, 2013

Essay Topic: "Options on the Table: Soft Power, Intercultural Dialogue and the Furture of US Foreign Policy" Conference Participants: Participation in the conference is open to government & diplomatic officials, academics & scholars, economists, journalists, artists, civil society practitioners, private sector representatives, young professionals and students, as well as other interested individuals from across the world.

Prize Information:

Speakers:

The speakers during the conference will include leading figures and experts from international politice (including head of states and ministers), academia, the diplomatic community, civil society, and the private sector. These speakers will include a number of individuals from the ICD Advisory Board. To learn more about the ICD Advisory Board, please visit www.culturaldiplomacy.org.

Notes:

Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD)

info@culturaldiplomacy.org

Competition Website: http://

Sponsor: Planning & Law Division of the American Planning Association

Deadline: June 7, 2013

Essay Topic: 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. 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.

Prize Information:

The winning entry will be awarded a prize of $2,500 and submitted for publication in The Urban Lawyer, the law journal of the American Bar Association's Section of State & Local Government Law. In addition to the first prize, the Competition offers a second place prize of $500 and a third place prize of $250. Other entries judged to be of special merit may be awarded Honorable Mention in the Competition.

Notes:

The competition is open to law student at ABA accredited law schools and planning students at schools listed in the current Guide to Undergraduate and Graduate Education in Urban and Regional Planning who are enrolled in or who will complete a program of student leading to the J.D., LL.B., Masters or Ph.D. degree during the 2012-13 academic year. 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 -- but must not have been previously published.

As a condistion of publication, the author grants to the American Bar Association the following rights: 1) the exclusive right of first publication of the Work throughout the world as part of the publication The Urban Lawyer; 2) the nonexclusive right to reprint the Work whenever necessary and to license use of the Work, or any part thereof, in any medium or form of communicaton in the English language, to others; and 3) the right to use the Work, or any part thereof, in any other publication produced by the American Bar Association. The author shall reserve all exclusive rights not specifically granted to the American Bar Association and will have the rights not specifically granted to the American Bar Association and will have the rights, after the Work has been published, to print the Work in any publication, provided that the author included in the publication the proper credit to the American Bar Assocaiton for prior publication of the work.

Entries shall not exceed forty-five (45) pages with 1" margin on all-sides. Text should be double-spaced in a minimum ten-point pitch. Manuscripts should follow the stylistic guidelines of the Chicago Manual of Style (latest edition) published by the University of Chicago Press. All citations should be footnoted adn should conform to A Uniform System of Citation (latest edition) published by the Harvard Law Review Assocaiton (the Blue Book).

To enter the competition, send five (5) copies of your entry, postmarked no later than June 7, 2013, to Professor Alan Weinstein at the address below. Each copy must have two titles pages: the first should contain the title of the entry, the name/address/e-mail of the student, and identify the student's school and date of graduation; the second should contain only the title of the entry.