CBA Business Law Section Essay Contest

McInnes-Cooper-Logo_resized-(1).jpg

The CBA Business Law Section has established English and French Law Student Essay Contests related to general topics in Canadian business law. The objectives of the contest are to promote and reward interest in business law in Canadian law schools and to promote participation by Canadian law students in the national Business Law Section. The contest is sponsored by McInnes Cooper.

Enter Today

CRITERIA & ELIGIBILITY

The award is presented on an annual basis for the best English and French scholarly papers received relating to Canadian business law. The essay must be submitted by an individual who is a full-time university student currently enrolled at a Canadian law school at either an undergraduate or graduate level.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Papers must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Papers must be no more than 30 pages in length, including references (12 point Times New Roman, double-spaced), excluding the title page and bibliography.
  • Papers must address a theme of significance in the field of Canadian business law, public policy or public affairs related to Canadian business law.
  • Papers must be appropriately referenced; all referencing methods in the legal field will be accepted.
  • Papers may be written in English or in French. There will be two prizes in total: one for a French-language paper and another for an English-language paper.
  • Papers must be researched and written by one author. Papers must be the author’s own original, unpublished work. Papers that are submitted for a law school course are eligible, however we encourage students to be selective in their submission and only send papers of significant quality.
  • The author’s name and identifying information must not appear on the paper itself.
  • A brief abstract (max. 150 words) and author biography (max. 150 words) must also be submitted.
  • Additional formatting requirements.

Papers will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Originality
  • Theoretical or practical value
  • Soundness of argumentative or expositive thread, including clarity of thesis statement
  • Effectiveness of organization and structure, including clarity of introduction and conclusion
  • Quality of prose, with value ascribed to gracefulness and clarity
  • Creativity and persuasiveness

PLAGIARISM POLICY

Submissions must not infringe the intellectual property rights of others, and must not plagiarize another’s work. Plagiarism is deliberately presenting the ideas, expression of ideas, or work of others as one’s own. Plagiarism includes reproducing or paraphrasing portions of someone else’s published or unpublished material, regardless of the source, and presenting these as one’s own without proper citation or reference to the original source. The CBA reserves the right to assess all submissions for content that potentially infringes on or plagiarizes the work of another, and will disqualify any candidate that submits such content.

SELECTION PROCESS

Papers will be evaluated by a jury of 3-5 members, including members on the executive committee. The selection committee may decide not to offer an award in any one year.

Deadline for submission

May 2

Entries received after the deadline will not be considered.

Enter Today

CONTACT:

CBA Sections
The Canadian Bar Association
Phone: (613) 237-2925 or
Toll Free: (800) 267-8860
E-mail: CBABusinesslaw@cba.org

AWARD

The English and French language essay contest winners will each receive a $500 prize, sponsored by McInnes Cooper. There will be no formal award presentation. As required, the National Section executive will work with the award recipients corresponding CBA branch to organize the presentation of a certificate.

The winner will be announced on the section’s webpage and through Section and CBA communications as appropriate. The winning article will be published on the Business Law Section webpage.

The author will grant the CBA the non-exclusive right to produce, reproduce and publish and sell the work. The CBA will acknowledge in any publication the authorship as noted in the work. The author authorizes the CBA to make minor revisions that the CBA may judge necessary for the purpose of such publication. The author warrants that the appropriate acknowledgement has been given and consent obtained for quotes or extracts from other sources that, except as noted, the work is original and its use and publication by CBA will not expose CBA to any claim or liability for breach of confidence or copyright.

Award Winners