A-LAW’s Annual Student Essay Competition is the perfect way to put your animal law research and writing skills to the test.
The competition opens in [month] each year and closes the following March.
Our prizes are:
- First Place: £100 book voucher and winning article published in The UK Journal of Animal Law
- Second Place: £70 book voucher
- Third Place: £30 book voucher
The 2026 Competition is open
Question: What are the primary challenges in enforcing animal protection laws and what practical steps can be taken to address underenforcement?
The deadline for submission is: 28 March 2026, 11:59pm
Competition rules
Essays should be no more than 1,500 words long. The competition is open to all students of any subject during any stage of their studies. Submissions should use OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities) for references. If you have any questions, please email studentgroup@alaw.org.uk.
Please send your essay as a Word document to studentgroup@alaw.org.uk by the deadline.
Meet the winners of our 2025 Student Essay Competition
Our 2025 question was: Is breeding companion animals with extreme conformations contrary to the UK Animal Welfare Acts?
First Place: Luke McLaughlin
Luke is a second-year Solicitor Apprentice pursuing an LLB at The University of Law. He also contributes regularly to The Student Lawyer as a volunteer writer, with a focus on emerging trends in the legal sector.
Read Luke’s award winning essay here.
Second Place: Julia Kadas
Julia is a third-year Law with French Law student at University College London. She is passionate about using the law to support those in need through pro bono. She was awarded second place in A-LAW’s annual essay competition for her piece on the applicability of extreme animal conformations to the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Exploring this topic challenged her thinking and sparked a deeper curiosity about how law can shape our treatment of animals and other vulnerable groups.
Read Julia’s winning essay here.
Third Place: Tilly Green
Tilly is an undergraduate LLB student at Oxford Brookes University, entering her penultimate year of study. With a strong interest in criminal advocacy and a commitment to rigorous legal analysis, she intends to undertake the Bar Practice Course upon graduation, with the aim of pursuing a career at the Criminal Bar. She entered the A-Law essay competition to deepen her understanding of current legal challenges and is thrilled to have been awarded third place.