ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Student Writing Contest

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law

Number of Awards & Eligibility: Three awards offered annually.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This award is for U.S. students.
  2. Must be 18 years of age or older.
  3. Must be a law student at an ABA-accredited law school within the United States and its possessions.
  4. Must submit an essay on a current topic dealing with real property, trust and estate law. Entrants are encouraged to write on subjects of national interest.
  5. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: Students attending an ABA-approved law school in the United States who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter this writing contest. The goal of this contest is to encourage and reward law student writings on real property, probate, and trust law subjects of general and current interest.

Application requirements for the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Student Writing Contest are:

  • Essay
  • Cover page
Additional Information: The goal of this contest is to encourage and reward law student writings on real property, probate, and trust law subjects of general and current interest. The essays will be judged on the basis of research and analysis, choice of topic, writing style, originality, and contribution to the literature available on the topic. Winners will be selected on or before Sept. 1, by a panel of six judges that will include academics and practitioners appointed at the discretion of the Section's Publications Committee. The decision of the judges shall be final. The ABA will attempt to notify all winners by mail and announce the awards through a news release nationally distributed prior to Sept. 15.

Award Amount: The first-place winner will receive $2,500 cash and a one-year free membership in the American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, plus free round-trip airfare and weekend accommodations to attend the section's fall leadership meeting (airfare, hotel accommodations, and luncheon ticket are valued at approximately $1,000). The recipient will also be eligible for full-tuition scholarships covering additional law-related graduate studies. The first-place winner's essay will be considered for publication in the 'Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Journal', and may appear in an upcoming issue. The first-place winner will also be announced in an upcoming issue of 'Probate & Property', the section's magazine. The second-place winner will receive $1,450 cash and an honorable mention in 'Probate & Property'. The third-place winner will receive $1,000 cash and an honorable mention in 'Probate & Property'. All cash prizes are awarded annually and are non-renewable.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $1,650.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Friday, May 31

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Friday, May 31

This is a writing contest. Application information is available on the American Bar Association (ABA) website. To enter the contest, the student must submit an original essay on a current topic dealing with real property, probate, or trust law. An expanded definition on the appropriate essay writing subject is available on the entry form. Essays must be typed and double-spaced, formatted for 8.5" X 11" paper with one-inch margins. Essays must not exceed 50 pages, including footnotes, and conform to the 17th edition of 'The Bluebook-A Uniform System of Citation' and the 'Texas Law Review Manual on Style'. If the applicant does not have access to these books, he/she should use William Strunk, Jr. & E.B. White's 'The Elements of Style'. Entrants should write essays in traditional law review style, presenting a scholarly discussion with full citation to authority in footnotes. Essays submitted must have been created by the entrant, must never have been published in any other medium, and must have been written after Sept. 1. In addition to the essay, the applicant must submit a cover page with the title of his/her essay and his/her social security number. The applicant's name must not appear on the essay itself. The applicant must also submit an official entry form (available online). Entries must be submitted electronically, with the essay and all other forms sent as attachments, to the email address provided with the subject line "Writing contest entry". Only one essay may be submitted by each entrant. Forms that require signatures should be printed, signed, scanned, and then attached to the email message. Complete entries must be received by the deadline date.
About American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law:
Contact Information: Monica Larys, American Bar Association
Address: 321 N. Clark St. Chicago, Illinois 60654-7598

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