Abstract Competition FAQs
1. What can I submit?
If your abstract is accepted, you must submit an original piece of work that is between 2,500 and 3,000 words. This includes work you have already submitted as part of your studies, like past essays that have done well.
2. Do I have to study law to be eligible to submit?
This year we have extended eligibility to interested University of York students from all departments, so you do not have to study Law to be eligible to enter the competition. Our only requirement is that your essay must be law related.
You can look through examples of previous winning submissions that have been published in past volumes on our webpage.
3. What is meant by an ‘unedited writing sample’?
By an ‘unedited writing sample’ we mean a piece of writing for which you have not been given any professional help in writing and editing (essentially a piece of writing that has not undergone an editing process to be published). The sample may not exceed 1,000 words and may be a fragment from a previous academic essay. The sample will be used by the editorial team to understand your writing skills and see what the tone and style of your proposed piece might be once fully submitted.
4. What happens if my abstract is chosen?
If your entry has been selected, you will be notified about this by the 14 February 2025. You will then be invited to send in a full draft (2,500 to 3,000 words) by the 14 March 2025. During this period we will liaise with you regarding editing details, and you will be expected to alter your work so that it complies with the style and demands of a journal publication.
The edited articles will be published in Volume 6 of the York Law Review and the winning authors will each be awarded a cash prize of £50 upon publication!
5. How many entries can a single student submit?
You may submit as many entries as you wish but regardless of the number of submissions only one entry may be selected for publication per student.