American Judges Association - Law Student Essay Competition

The American Judges Association (AJA) announces its annual essay competition open to all full-time law students enrolled in and attending an accredited law school in the United States or Canada.  The first prize for the contest is $3,000; second is $1,500; and third is $1,000.  First, second, and third place winners and their law schools will be presented with an award certificate.  The winning essay may be published in AJA’s journal, Court Review.

The following rules and regulations apply:
1. Any student regularly enrolled in and attending classes at an accredited law school in the United States or Canada is eligible to enter. Submission of a paper, with one cover page and the completed entry form constitutes entry. Essays submitted for the 2013 competition MUST be under the topic of “Comparing Hearsay Rules in Different Courts.” Essays determined not to meet this qualification will be not evaluated.

2. The cover page of the paper must be submitted in a separate document and shall include the title and the author’s name, current mailing and e-mail addresses, and telephone number.  The author’s name should appear only on the cover page and the entry form.  The title and page number must appear at the top of each page of the paper. 

3. All papers shall be the original, unpublished work of an individual student, but may have been prepared as a course assignment.  Normal guidance of law school faculty is permitted.

4. Entry grants AJA the right of first publication of the paper and is agreement to hold AJA and its members harmless from, and to indemnify them for, any and all damages and costs relating to copyright infringement or plagiarism.

5. Papers become the property of the American Judges Association and may be published in the Court Review. 
6. Papers should be double-spaced and 10-25 pages in length.  Extensive footnoting or end noting is discouraged and is included in the paper’s length.  Citations, footnotes, and endnotes should be in accord with the current edition of A Uniform System of Citation.

7. Papers will be evaluated considering:  writing quality and clarity; the interest of the topic and content to a broad segment of the judiciary; analysis and reasoning; timeliness, originality, and creativity; quality and use of research; and compliance with these rules.

8. Papers will be evaluated, and prizes awarded, at the sole discretion of a panel of AJA members who will have no knowledge of the author’s name or law school.

9. Winners will be publicly announced at the Association’s 2013 Annual Educational Conference in Hawaii, September 22-27, and thereafter notified by phone or email.  All law schools and authors will also be notified by mail or email.

10. Entries must be e-mailed or postmarked no later than June 1, 2013, and sent to
aja@ncsc.org or mailed to: AJA Essay Competition, 300 Newport Avenue,
Williamsburg, VA 23185.

11. First prize is $3,000, second prize is $1,500, and third prize is $1,000.  Prize monies are contributed by the American Judges Foundation.

12. Please notify us at aja@ncsc.org if any of your contact information changes.
For more information see http://aja.ncsc.dni.us