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Student Animal Law Research Paper Contest 2023

Animal Justice is pleased to be hosting the fourth annual Student Research Paper Contest, offering cash prizes and a presentation spot at the next Canadian Animal Law Conference for the top three winners who submit outstanding law school papers.

Prizes for the top three papers are:

  • First place prize – $350
  • Second place prize – $250
  • Third place prize – $150

The contest is designed to encourage student scholarship on the growing field of animal law, and support law students who have done outstanding research into the pressing legal issues facing nonhuman animals. The contest is part of Animal Justice’s work to support animal law clubs at Canadian law schools and foster the next generation of animal lawyers.

The Student Conference will take place on Friday, September 29 2023 in the lead up to the Canadian Animal Law Conference, at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in Toronto, Ontario. The Student Conference is a chance to network with other students interested in animal law, learn from Canada’s leading animal lawyers, and brainstorm on how to optimize the 2023-2024 school year. The Student Conference is aimed at law students participating in Animal Justice clubs at Canadian law schools, although others are welcome to attend.

The Student Conference will feature a Student Scholarship Panel, where selected students present their academic papers in a conference format. Three presenters on the Student Scholarship Panel will be chosen from this summer’s student Essay Contest. This means that students who enter the Essay Contest should be willing and able to present their work at the Student Conference.

The Essay Contest is open to members of Animal Justice student clubs in Canada, and submissions must meet the following requirements:

  • Topic: Although there is no specific topic, submissions must predominantly address animal law in Canada and be academic in nature.
  • Authors must be current law school students or graduating from law school at the time of submission. We will not accept submissions from students in non-law or graduate programs.
  • Essays must be 5,000 – 10,000 words in length (exclusive of footnotes and bibliography).

Submissions must be emailed to Kip Phillips, by email at [email protected] by Friday, June 2 at 11:59 PM ET. The subject line should read “Student Essay Contest Submission.” Applicants will receive a confirmation of receipt within two days. Submissions must be attached as a Microsoft Word document (not PDF). In the body of the email, please include your name, law school, year in school, Animal Justice student club affiliation, and email address for correspondence.

Note that Animal Justice does not publish these papers, but the Student Conference is a great opportunity to get feedback on your work if you wish to pursue publication with an academic journal.

Best of luck!