Workers’ Compensation Law Writing Competition – Cash Money!!
Law Student Writing Competition
Submissions are now being accepted for the 2025 John F. Burton Jr. College of Workers’ Compensation
Lawyers Law Student Writing Competition.
TOPIC
The scope of permissible topics is broad, i.e., any aspect of workers’ compensation law. Students
are encouraged to present:
• a public policy issue (for example, “coverage for undocumented workers”);
• a critique of a leading case or doctrine (for example, “your state’s criteria for exclusive
remedy”); or,
• a comment on a statute or the need for a statutory modification (for example, “criteria for
mental-mental injury claims”).
ELIGIBILITY
All students who have graduated from college and are admitted to law school but not yet enrolled,
or students currently enrolled in accredited law schools in the United States, and all those who
recently graduated from them (graduation in 2025).
PRIZES
► First prize – $3,000, (An additional $1,000 to winner’s law school scholarship fund)
► Second prize – $1,500
► Third prize – $1,000
► The winner’s article will also be considered for publication in the Workers’ First Watch, the
Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group (WILG) magazine, and the ABA Tort and Insurance Practice
Section Law Journal.
► The winner will also be invited (expenses paid) to the Annual College Induction Dinner to be
honored during the program.
John F. Burton Jr. College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Student Writing Competition Rules
1. Articles must be original from the applicant and limited to one entry. Articles must not
presently be under consideration for any other publication or written as part of paid employment.
2. All articles are to be submitted in the following format:
• Submitted by email (no author name in body of article, only in cover letter to
susan.wan@cwclawyers.org (Please reference ‘Writing Competition” in the subject line);
• All articles are to be submitted by January 31, 2026;
• Double-spaced, on 81/2 Inch by 11 inch paper, 1 inch margins;
• Entries should be between 10 and 20 pages in length (including bottom of page footnotes);
• Citations are to conform to “A Uniform System of Citation” (The Bluebook).
3. If published by the College, the articles become the property of the College. No submitted
article may be published elsewhere until after announcement of the winners of the competition.
Announcement of the winners will be made at least 30 days in advance of the Annual College
Induction Dinner scheduled for March 2026.
3. Include a cover letter with your entry stating your name, mailing address and phone number (both
school and permanent), name of school and year of graduation.
Judging
The evaluation standards will be organization, quality of research, depth, originality of analysis,
clarity of style and readability. The College reserves the right not to award and/or to reject any
or all submissions.
