Professional Development
There are a range of annual competitions which give you the opportunity to win accolades and prizes whilst showcasing your excellence/talents/creativity.
Commercial Awareness Competitions
Aspiring Solicitors鈥 Commercial Awareness Competition
Chance to win work experience at a top law firm.
Enter as an individual and go through various 鈥檙ounds鈥 before being placed in a team for the finals.
You will need to be a member of Aspiring Solicitors to enter but this is free and comes with lots of benefits so sign up today.
Find out more:
Enter in September.
BIUCAC Commercial Awareness Competition
Chance to win work experience, mentoring and more with top law firms.
Find out more:
Enter in Aug/Sept.
Essay competitions
There are several essay competitions every year with prizes that include money and work experience. Entry dates given are based on previous years - make sure you check.They are listed in approx. date order.
Autumn Term:
- Richard Drabble KC Essay Prize for Human Rights Law - top prize includes money, conference tickets, possible public law mini-pupillage and publication. Opens during the summer with a closing date in October.
- Time Awards competition 鈥 top prize 拢3500. Opens in autumn term.
- The Property Bar Association 鈥 essay competition for future property barristers. Advertised in November term with an entry deadline of January.
- there are no details on the website until the competition is live.
V/Lexjustis 鈥 International Law and Technology Writing Competition 鈥 win 拢2000 + publication. Enter in Autumn term.
: - there are no details on the website until the competition is live.
Spring Term
- UK Environmental Law Association, Andrew Lees Essay Prize 鈥 win tickets to the annual conference (think of the networking opportunities) and publication. Goes live in January.
- UK centre for Animal Law 鈥 prize is publication.Closing date in 2026 was March.
- National Uehiro Oxford Essay Prize in Practical Ethics. Essays on any topic relevant to practical ethics. Check for exact dates.
Summer term & holidays
- Human Rights Lawyer鈥檚 Association 鈥 usually opens around May. Essay title is different each year.
- The Gide, Gray鈥檚 Inn French-English Law Essay Prize. Win 拢1500 +2 week paid internship 鈥 The topic of the essay will be comparative law relevant to commercial transactions in the French and English legal systems. Launches in June with a September deadline.
- The Guru Nanak Social Mobility Scholarship Essay Prize 鈥 win a 拢4000 scholarship and mentoring. For aspiring barristers. There are entry criteria to fulfil 鈥 you do not need to be Sikh. Deadline in August.