Each year, Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, in conjunction with the University of Iowa College of Law International and Comparative Law Program, conducts an annual world affairs student writing competition. The competition is open to law students and to graduate students in all disciplines. Below are details about this year's competition. Interested students are asked to review the Official Rules carefully before submitting entries.

Topic:

Any contemporary international business or economic concern. Recent winning submissions have included such topics as recommendations the United States should follow to update its privacy laws to harmonize with international general data protection regulation commitments, why international labor organizations should adopt fair trade as an enforcement mechanism to end labor violations, and why the United States Treasury should wait for Congress to end corporate tax sheltering tactics.

Award:

Publication and a $2,000 cash prize paid upon publication of the winning submission. 

Publication:

The winning essay will be published in Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, a journal of the University of Iowa College of Law. TLCP reserves the right to work with the winner to edit the winning submission in order to meet the standards necessary for publication. 

Eligibility:

All students currently enrolled in law or graduate degree programs.

Deadline:

Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems must receive all essays no later than March 14, 2025.

The winner will be chosen on April 11, 2025.

Rules:

(1) All essays must be typed, double-spaced on 8-1/2" x 11" paper, with a 1" margin on all sides.

(2) There is no minimum page requirement. The essay must not exceed 50 pages, including footnotes.

(3) Citations should follow rules published in THE BLUEBOOK: A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF CITATION (Columbia Law Review Ass’n et al. eds., 21st ed. 2020).

(4) For submission, attach your essay (MS Word 97 or higher) to an e-mail message that includes your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, name of the school you attend, and the title of your essay. No personal identification information should appear on your essay.

(5) To be eligible essays must be standalone pieces which have have not been published or have an outstanding commitment for publication.

(6) All essays must be the work of an individual. Collaboration with others (other than the usual law review or seminar supervision) is prohibited.

(7) The judging panel will be comprised of TLCP editors and University of Iowa College of Law faculty. The panel reserves the right to make no award if a worthy article is not submitted.