Law Student Writing Competition on Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, and the American Constitutional Order

Event Details

  • Date:
  • Venue: George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
  • Division: The Henry G. Manne Program in Law & Economics Studies

Announcing
A Law Student Writing Competition on
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations,
and the American Constitutional Order

The Law & Economics Center (LEC) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School in Arlington, Virginia invites law students from across the country to submit an original, law review-style paper for a nationwide Writing Competition on:

The Continued Relevance and Modern Insights of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations on Debates in Law and Policy Today—On the Occasion of Its 250th Anniversary, with a Particular Focus on Adam Smith’s Impact on the Founders’ Enduring Constitutional Design

Students have broad discretion to interpret that topic as they see fit, including narrowing their focus to a very specific subtopic or painting with a broader brush to develop a survey of a variety of subtopics. As with all good scholarship, the goal should be to develop a paper that makes a unique and valuable contribution to the literature – much like a student would be expected to do when picking a topic for a law journal note or comment that they hope to get published, including conducting preemption checks to ensure the student is offering a fresh perspective.

Why Participate?

Win a Cash Prize

The competition will award:

First Prize: $7,500
Second Prize: $5,000
Third Prize: $2,500
Honorable Mentions:
Additional papers may receive honorable mention
if the judges determine that other submissions merit recognition.

Receive Feedback from Leading Scholars
A five-member “jury” of leading scholars drawn from top universities across the world who are experts in constitutional law, Adam Smith, economics, and related fields will evaluate the submissions and provide winning students with substantive feedback to strengthen their papers.

Present Your Scholarship at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
Winning students will present their papers at a one-day public conference at Scalia Law School in April 2027. Winning students will sit on panels alongside established scholars also writing on the topic. Travel and lodging to the conference will be covered by the LEC.

Network with Judges and Scholars and Strengthen Your Professional Credentials
The conference and accompanying closing reception will bring together leading academics, federal judges, lawyers, government officials, and other members of the legal and policy community, providing students with valuable networking opportunities rarely available to law students.

Winning a national writing competition, presenting original scholarship and honing public speaking skills, receiving feedback from leading scholars, and potentially having your work published can also provide a valuable credential as you begin your legal career.

Join a Broader Scholarly Conversation
The competition is part of a larger project supporting an additional five to seven professors in developing new scholarship on Adam Smith and his influence on American law and policy, with those scholars presenting their work alongside the winning students at the conference.

Publication and Broader Impact
Winning students will have the opportunity to revise their papers based on the feedback they receive, with the potential for publication, as part of a collection of scholarship generated by the project, by the Journal of Law, Economics & Policy (JLEP) or another prestigious journal or publication venue.

The conference will also be recorded, and conference proceedings and all papers will be publicized widely through the LEC’s YouTube channel, website, and social media channels, providing participating students with an additional opportunity to have their scholarship presented to a broader audience.

Dates and Deadlines

  1. Submission of Student Papers by January 18, 2027
    • Students must submit their papers by Monday, January 18, 2027 at 5:00 pm eastern time using [This Submission Link].
    • Papers should be law review-style, publication-worthy papers addressing the competition’s overarching theme. While there is no specific word count requirement, winning submissions are likely to be no less than 15,000 words and no more than 25,000 words.
    • The competition is open to law students nationwide, and students from all law schools are encouraged to participate. Early submission is encouraged.
    • Students may submit a paper written for a class, law review, or other academic purpose.
    • No portion of the written paper may be generated in draft or final form with the assistance of AI. All papers will be run through state-of-the-art AI detection technologies. Detection of AI assistance in drafting the paper may subject the paper to disqualification.
  2. Selection of Finalists/Winners by February 15, 2027
    A five-member “jury” will review the submissions and select the winning papers. Winning students will be notified by February 15, 2027.
  3. Feedback and Paper Revision by March 1, 2027
    Winning students will receive substantive feedback from the competition judges and will have the opportunity to revise their papers before the conference.
  4. Student Writing Competition Conference in April 2027. Exact date will be announced later in Fall 2026.
    The winning students, participating academic authors, and competition judges will convene at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School for a one-day public conference in April 2027. Students will present their scholarship alongside established scholars, with panels moderated by invited federal judges.
  5. Submission of Final Paper Draft and Publication by June 14, 2027
    Students will have the opportunity to incorporate feedback into their papers before final draft submission for publication by June 14, 2027. The LEC will facilitate publication of the collection of scholarship generated by the project.

What Should Students Write About?

Submissions should address the competition’s overarching theme:

The Continued Relevance and Modern Insights of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations on Debates in Law and Policy Today—On the Occasion of its 250th Anniversary, with a Particular Focus on Adam Smith’s Impact on the Founders’ Enduring Constitutional Design.

Students are encouraged to develop original arguments and fresh insights rather than simply summarize Smith’s economic or political ideas.

Papers might, for example, explore Smith’s influence on the Founders, the relationship between Smith’s ideas and constitutional design, or the relevance of Smith’s insights to contemporary questions of law, regulation, markets, government institutions, individual liberty, or public policy. Papers that focus on a particular subtopic of law or policy are also encouraged.

The competition is intentionally broad. Students should pursue questions that genuinely interest them and that allow them to make a unique, original, and valuable contribution to legal and policy literature.

How to Submit

To submit a paper for consideration, please use the link below:

 

 

Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions about the competition.