Seminar Research at WVU College of Law

The following resources provide information on law student writing awards nationwide. Students should discuss writing award considerations with pertinent professors or other academic advisors prior to submitting work. For information on publishing your work in law journals, see the Publishing Student Work page on this guide.

AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank – Writing Competitions 

Search across a databank of law student writing awards with deadlines and submission guidelines. 

Legal Writing Competitions – By Topic 

This guide published by the Legal Research Center at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law provides comprehensive coverage of law student legal writing competitions organized by topic.

ABA Writing Competitions for Young Lawyers and Law Students 

This American Bar Association page provides an overview and submission guidelines on numerous ABA-sponsored law student writing awards, including the William W. Greenhalgh Student Writing Competition, James B. Boskey Law Student Essay Contest (Dispute Resolution), SEER Law Student Writing Competitions (Environmental & Energy Resources), Schwab Writing Contest (Family Law), Health Law Section Law Student Writing Competition, K. William Kolbe Writing Competition (Infrastructure and Regulated Industries), Section of Public Contract Law Writing Competition, Law Student Writing Competition (Real Property Trusts & Estates Law), Law Student Writing Contest of the Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law, Ed Mendrzycki Essay Contest (Professional Responsibility), Admiralty and Maritime Law Writing Competition, and the Aviation and Space Law Writing Competition. 

Lolly Gasaway Faculty-Student Writing Award 

The Order of the Coif presents one award each year for exceptional scholarship authored collaboratively by a student and a faculty member. Submission information is available on this page.