The Western Region of the National Black Law Students Association (WRBLSA) is thrilled to be hosting the

2026 WRBLSA Writing Competition

in collaboration with the Washington Law Review. 

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Submissions for the Competition are limited to your original writing.

 

We are seeking a 20-30 page article on a question of legal and/or policy significance related to the advancement of Black people in America.

This can include, but is not limited to, topic areas relating to voting rights, criminal legal reform, education law, and community and economic development. The decision of whether a particular essay qualifies as to subject matter is entirely within the discretion of the Host.

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Requirements for competition submissions are as follows:

The Competition is open to any law student who, at the time of entry in the

Competition: (1) is enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school during the academic year of the Competition; (2) is a member in good standing with WRBLSA and, if applicable, active in their local BLSA chapter; and (3) is at least 18 years old.

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You can only enter ONE submission.

• This applies even if you are submitting a completely different essay topic. 

• Any duplicate submissions or duplicate authors will be automatically disqualified from the competition. 

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Winners for competition submissions:

1st Place: $1,000 cash prize and Article Publication in Washington Law Review

2nd Place: $750 cash prize

3rd Place: $250 cash prize

 

All three articles will also be published on the WRBLSA.org website.