Enter FFRF’s 2025 law student essay contest

FFRF is proud to offer, for the seventh consecutive year, its annual Stephen and Diane Uhl Memorial Law Student Essay Contest, with a top prize of $4,000!

If you are a current law school student at a North American school, we urge to write an essay on this topic and prompt:

Under the First Amendment, may states require religious organizations that receive government funding to comply with anti-discrimination laws? Following the Supreme Court ruling in Carson v. Makin, religious organizations seeking to participate in government funding programs have argued that requiring them to comply with anti-discrimination laws in order to receive public money violates their constitutional rights. Respond to the argument that anti-discrimination laws cannot be enforced against religious schools receiving public funds. Your argument must be supported by clear well-researched legal analysis, including case law.

Deadline is Jan. 27, 2025.

The first-place winner will earn $4,000, second place $3,000 and third place $2,000. Any honorable mention(s) will get $500. The prizes are generously donated by the late Diane and Stephen Uhl.

All eligible entrants will also receive a full one-year complimentary student membership to FFRF, which includes a digital version of 10 issues of Freethought Today, FFRF’s newspaper (which publishes the winning student essays).

The grading of essays will be blinded to avoid unintentional bias. A selection of FFRF attorneys will be on the review panel.

The contest is open to all ongoing law school students attending a North American law school. You remain eligible to enter this contest if you will graduate from law school by spring or summer of 2025. You remain eligible if you graduated law school in December 2024. You are not eligible to enter if you will be starting law school for the first time in the fall of 2025. You may not reenter if FFRF has already awarded you for a law student essay.

Essay must be no longer than 1,500 words (not including footnotes), double spaced, standard margins, and font size 11 to 14 point. Include page numbers and the title of your essay on each page. Choose your own title. Indicate word length at end of essay. To apply, go to ffrf.us/essay.