Rules, Rubric & Judging
Every standard your paper will be held to, in one place — the submission rules, the full scoring rubric, and exactly how the double-blind judging works. Nothing about how you are marked is a secret.
Submission Rules
Word Count
2,500 – 3,000 words, excluding footnotes. The limit is part of the test: concision without redundancy is scored.
Citation
Bluebook citation, used consistently throughout. Citation accuracy is scored. Never used it? See the FAQ.
Double-Blind Anonymity
No identifying information anywhere in the document. Your Registration ID must appear in the header of every page.
Format
PDF only, submitted through the portal before the deadline. Maximum file size 10 MB.
Closed Universe
Your paper may rely only on the official case packet. Outside research, outside authority, and collaboration are prohibited.
Originality
Papers are screened with plagiarism and AI-detection software. The use of AI tools in any capacity results in immediate disqualification.
Scoring Rubric
Every paper is marked against the same rubric, by at least two judges, blind.
| What the judges read for — in order of importance |
|---|
| Legal reasoning — the strength and rigour of the argument; ambiguities identified, precedents compared, counterarguments met |
| Depth of analysis — command of the packet's facts and authorities; interpretation rather than summary |
| Organisation & structure — a disciplined, navigable argument from question to conclusion |
| Writing quality — clear, precise, economical prose; concision is rewarded, redundancy is penalised |
| Citation accuracy — correct, consistent Bluebook form |
The best papers do not summarise the law — they identify ambiguities, compare precedents, and explain why one interpretation is stronger.
Judging
Anonymised
Every paper is identified only by its Registration ID. Judges never see names, schools, or countries.
Double-Blind Panel
Papers are marked independently by at least two members of a volunteer panel of law professors, postgraduates, and graduates — strictly against the published rubric.
Rank & Shortlist
Papers are ranked across the whole field. The top 20% are shortlisted and honoured with graded awards; the top three overall take the Grand Prizes. The judges' decision is final. The shortlist is announced 1 June 2027; the three Grand Prize winners are announced at the Symposium in August 2027.
Rules Questions
Can I do outside research?
No. Papers may rely only on the official case packet, and citing authority from outside it is a rules breach. This keeps the competition fair for every entrant regardless of what library or subscriptions they can access.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
A late-entry window runs until 10 April 2027, 11:59 PM BST. Papers submitted in that window are judged identically but carry a £15 late-entry fee. After 10 April, no papers are accepted for any reason.
Can I use AI tools when writing my paper?
No. The paper must be entirely your own work: the use of AI tools in any capacity — drafting, outlining, rewriting, editing, or summarising the packet — is prohibited. Every entry is screened with plagiarism and AI-detection software, and AI-assisted work results in immediate disqualification. The competition measures your reasoning and your prose; there is no authorised use.
What is Bluebook citation? I've never used it.
The Bluebook is the citation system used by American law reviews and courts — the legal world's answer to Harvard or Chicago style. No prior experience is expected: your paper cites only the handful of authorities in the case packet, and the forms for those are learnable in an afternoon. Start with Cornell Law School's free Introduction to Basic Legal Citation, and to see it in the wild, open any student Note in the Harvard Law Review.
Can I change my paper after submitting?
Yes. You may resubmit through the portal as many times as you like until the deadline; only your latest upload is sent to the judges.
How will I hear the results?
The shortlist is sent by email after 1 June 2027 and published on this site using Registration IDs only — the top 20%, each with their graded award. The three Grand Prize authors are contacted privately at that stage, and the winners are announced publicly at the Symposium in August 2027. Names are published only with their consent (and a parent or guardian's consent for entrants under 18).
Take Your Place
Registration opens 1 September 2026 — free, worldwide, both divisions.