Call for Papers: Annual International Refugee Law Student Writing Competition

December 9, 2021

Annual International Refugee Law Student Writing Competition

The American Society of International Law's International Refugee Law Interest Group (IRLIG) is pleased to announce the eighth annual International Refugee Law Student Writing Competition, co-sponsored by:

• American Society of International Law (ASIL);
• Global Migration Centre, ASIL Academic Partner Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies;
• International Law Students Association (ILSA);
• International Journal of Refugee Law; and,
• Oxford University Press.

Eligibility and Requirements

1. Papers may address any topic related to international law and refugees, stateless persons, internally-displaced persons (IDPs), and/or forced migrants.
2. Student authors must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited university at the time of submission.
3. Papers must be written solely by the candidate, in English, and may not have been submitted for publication elsewhere.
4. Citations should be in footnotes, rather than endnotes. If the paper is eventually selected for publication in the International Journal of Refugee Law (see below), it must comply with the Journal's style guide  and the OSCOLA footnote style. For that reason, students should consider adopting this style in their submission.
5. Submissions may range from 7,000 to 12,000 words, including footnotes.
6. Each candidate is limited to a single submission.
7. Candidates should only resubmit previously unsuccessful submissions following substantial revision. 

Deadline and Method of Submission

1. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, 15 January 2022.
2. Articles should be submitted to irlig@ilsa.org as Microsoft Word attachments. Questions should be directed to the same address.
3. By submitting papers, candidates represent that they fulfill the eligibility requirements of the Competition. The organizers may request formal proof of eligibility.
4. No later than 72 hours after the submission deadline, candidates will receive an e-mail confirming that their submissions have been received.

Competition Procedures and Selection Criteria

1. The author's name and affiliation, the paper title, and word count should be written on a separate first page. Nothing identifying the author should be included in the paper itself.
2. The administrator will detach the first page, and each submitter will be assigned a number. Reviewers will refer only to those numbers in their communications.
3. The Competition will be judged by reviewers named by IRLIG, in consultation with ILSA and the other co-sponsors. In assessing papers, reviewers will take into account: (a) contribution to the literature; (b) knowledge of facts and law; (c) proper and articulate analysis; (d) extent of research, innovation, and scholarly creativity; (e) clarity and organization; and, (f) style, grammar, and proper citation of sources.
4. A message announcing the name of the winner of the Student Writing Competition will be sent to all members of the International Refugee Law Interest Group following the final selection, as well as to the co-sponsors and to the IRLIG forum on www.asil.org. The winner's name will also appear in the program of the ASIL Annual Meeting. An e-mail with the final outcome will also be sent to all who submitted papers.

Award and Announcement

1. The winner of the eighth annual International Refugee Law Student Writing Competition will receive from IRLIG a $100 cash award, as well as complimentary admission to the 116th ASIL Annual Meeting, to be held in Washington, DC, from 6-9 April 2022; a complimentary one-year student membership provided by ASIL; and a £300 book credit with Oxford University Press.
2. If the winner subsequently chooses to submit the paper to the International Journal of Refugee Law, it will be promptly reviewed by the Editorial Board and independent reviewers. If deemed suitable for publication, the Board will work with the winner with a view to bringing the paper forward to publication.
3. The award will be formally presented at the 116th ASIL Annual Meeting.
4. To enable the winner to attend the 116th ASIL Annual Meeting, the Global Migration Centre at ASIL Academic Partner Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies Geneva will contribute up to Sfr 1,500 toward travel expenses.

For more information, click here.