ESSAY COMPETITION
Annual Student Essay Competition!
Our 2025 Annual Student Essay Writing Competition has closed! Our 2026 competition will open November 2025.
Our Annual Student Essay Competition is the perfect way to put your animal law research and writing skills to the test! Click on the pictures below for more information about the competition.
Click to learn more about the essay competition
A-LAW Animal Law Student Essay Competition
2025 question:
Is breeding companion animals with extreme conformations contrary to the UK Animal Welfare Acts?
The deadline for submission is:
March 28, 2025 [11:59pm]
Essays should be no more than 1,500 words long. The competition is open to all students during any stage of their studies. Submissions should be reasonably compliant with OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities). If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. Please submit your essay to [email protected].
Congrats to our 2024 winners!
Read our 2024 Annual Student Essay Competition Question
Our 2024 question was:
In 2020, in his renowned witness statement in “David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet”, Sir David urged people to “rewild the world” in order to save it, but what legal implications does rewilding bring, particularly in relation to existing wildlife management legislation in the UK?
Archie: First Place
Archie studied a BA in Classics at the University of Cambridge, during which he wrote a dissertation exploring the impact of classical thought on the emergence of vegetarianism in 19th century Britain. Intent on a career as a criminal barrister, he shall begin the GDL at City, University of London this year.
Hannah: Second Place
Hannah is currently studying the LPC LLM in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Exeter. She graduated with first-class honours from the University of Worcester in Law with Forensic Psychology. During her studies at Worcester, she won the David Hallmark Public Law Essay Prize. In college, she came 7th in the Kinglsey Napley Legal Apprentice competition. She volunteers with Dogs Trust and is passionate about using her legal career to advocate for animal rights and welfare.
Sylvia: Third Place
Sylvia is currently studying for her law conversion with masters at the University of Law. Sylvia graduated last year with a first class undergraduate degree in social and political sciences from the University of York and will begin her Bar Practise Course in September before commencing pupillage in October 2025. Alongside her studies, Sylvia is a singer and singing teacher and last month represented team England at the Dance World Cup in Prague. She has recently been appointed as a trustee to the board of Sing Inside, a charity that delivers singing workshops in prisons, and is delighted to have been awarded third place in Alaw’s essay competition 2024.
Our Essay Competition Prizes!
An opportunity to win a prize for the best animal law essay!
£100 book voucher and winning article published in our UK Journal of Animal Law
£70 book voucher
£30 book voucher