Law Student Writing Competition
Through this competition we endeavor to encourage and recognize scholarship in cultural heritage law by recognizing law students for superior papers in the field.
***THE 2021 WRITING COMPETITION HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
UPDATES REGARDING THE NEXT COMPETITION WILL BE POSTED HERE***
Submission Deadline: TBD
Who is Eligible to Submit a Paper
The competition is open to U.S. law students at law schools approved by the American Bar Association and recent law graduates who were students at the time they wrote their papers. Students enrolled in a JD, LLB, or other first-degree program in law at an accredited faculty outside the United States may also participate. Students must be in good standing at their institutions. They are encouraged, but not required, to be a member of the Lawyers' Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation.
Papers must be the work of one student author alone (joint submissions will not be considered). Each author may submit only one paper to this year’s competition.
What Papers are Eligible for Consideration
To be eligible for consideration, the paper must have been written between January 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. Papers that have been published or accepted for publication are eligible for consideration as long as the other eligibility and formatting requirements are satisfied. A paper may only be submitted once to LCCHP (i.e., not in two consecutive competitions).
Papers may address any aspect of cultural heritage law relating to art, terrestrial and submerged cultural property, historic preservation, indigenous peoples, and intangible cultural heritage, but not intellectual property or family law issues, except as they relate to material cultural heritage.
What are the Formatting Requirements for Submissions
- Submissions must be at least 20 and no more than 40 double-spaced pages, including footnotes, and must be paginated.
- The text must be in 12-point Times New Roman font.
- The footnotes must be in 10-point Times New Roman font. DO NOT USE ENDNOTES.
- Use 1-inch margins on all sides.
- Citations must conform to the current Harvard Law Review Association's Uniform System of Citation.
- Submissions must be in the form of a seminar paper or law review article, not a memorandum, brief, judicial opinion, or other type of legal document.
- Submissions must not include the author’s name, law school, or any other identifying information.
** Papers that fail to conform to these formatting requirements will not be considered.
What is the Submission Process
To submit your paper, please send an email with your paper as a Word or PDF email attachment to director@culturalheritagelaw.org.
**Remember, papers must not include any identifying information.
Judging
The papers will be judged anonymously by a panel of experts in the field. The judges will base their decision on the student's ability to perform original research and demonstrate critical thinking. The panel will focus on:
- Originality of thought
- Originality of topic
- Organization
- Analysis/Persuasiveness
- Quality of writing
- Citation form
- Appropriateness of authorities cited
Awards
The judges will determine the winner(s) in September and announce them as soon as possible thereafter. The First Place winner will receive a cash award of $500. If a tie occurs, the First Place winners will split the cash award. LCCHP reserves the right not to select a First-Place winner if a majority of the judges so recommends. LCCHP may also award a Second-Place prize of $500, at its discretion, if it determines that such a prize is appropriate.
