Best Brief Competition
Nicholas Surprise is the winner of the Spring 2022 Best Brief Competition. The finalists included Stephen Goettsche, Catherine Harding, Taylor Hatridge, and Laura Yurs. Congratulations to these great legal writers!
The Best Brief Competition is an annual event that recognizes outstanding legal writing by first-year students. The Legal Research and Writing faculty selected the best appellate briefs written by their spring semester students. Next, Wisconsin attorneys evaluated the semi-finalists' briefs to determine the finalists. A panel of Law School faculty then evaluated the finalists' briefs to decide the winner.
Other Writing Competitions for Students
One of the most comprehensive collections of law student writing competitions can be found at: http://www.suffolk.edu/icompetewriting
For information about how law students can submit papers for publication in law reviews outside their own law school, see Submission of Law Student Articles for Publication.
Competitions on the following table are listed by deadline date. Only the first prize is listed.
| Deadline | Prize Details | Competition Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Feb. 28, 2023 (6:00 p.m. EST) |
First prize is $1,500 and publication in the American Indian Law Review, published by the University of Oklahoma College of Law. |
American Indian Law Review National Writing Competition Papers will be accepted on any legal issue specifically concerning American Indians or other indigenous peoples. For complete information about eligibility, paper format, etc., click on the name of the competition above. |
|
April 30, 2023 |
First prize is $5,000 and publication of the winning article. |
NYSBA Section of Antitrust Law: Annual Law Student Writing Competition (Word document) Basic information about the writing competition can be found in the Word document above. To enter the competition, use the NYSBA Writing Competition Entry Form (Word document). The paper may address any topic of general interest to the antitrust law community, including civil and criminal antitrust law, competition policy, consumer protection, and international competition law. Maximum of 50 pages with footnotes. |
|
Postmarked no later than May 31, 2023 |
First prize is $15,000 |
The Judge John R. Brown Scholarship Foundation 30th Annual Brown Award The topic must be on a legal subject. No page limit. |
|
June 15, 2023 (by midnight EDT) |
First prize is $3,000, possible publication in the ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law, and guest attendance at an ABA section conference. |
College of Labor & Employment Lawyers 2023 Law Student Writing Competition (PDF) The topic should be relevant, engaging, and useful to labor and employment lawyers in their practices. The topic should be nationally relevant and have a balanced legal analysis. To see the detailed rules, click on the name of the competition above. |
Legal Resources
American Legal System
Writing Resources
Avoiding Plagiarism
- UW-Madison Academic Misconduct »
- Defining & Avoiding Plagiarism (CWPA) »
- Plagiarism: Types & Consequences »
General Writing Skills
Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage
