Advocacy Writing Programs & Competition
The National Advocacy Writing Lab (in-person)
This fall, the Stetson University College of Law will host the first annual National Advocacy Writing Lab (NAWL). This year’s NAWL will be at and co-hosted by the University of Texas School of Law on Friday, October 30, 2026. It is free to attend and lunch will be provided.
Each year, the lab will be held in a different region of the country and be co-hosted by a different law school within that region. The NAWL is intended to provide an in-person opportunity for advocacy professors, instructors, and staff to come together in a casual setting to discuss pending writing projects in all stages of development. Receiving direct feedback from a variety of perspectives in the middle of the writing process is essential to getting projects across the finish line. Despite its importance in the practice of law, advocacy related topics remain underrepresented in legal scholarship. Stetson hopes to bridge that gap by promoting additional opportunities for those actively working on such scholarship to share ideas, brainstorm, and collaborate. No matter how rough the draft or small the project, please join us! Register here.
The Advocacy Writing Workshop (online)
This winter, the Stetson University College of Law will again host its annual online Advocacy Writing Workshop. This year's workshop will be held online on Tuesday, December 8, 2026 and is free to attend.
The workshop is designed to provide a remote opportunity for advocacy professors, instructors, and staff to promote and develop legal scholarship in advocacy related topics. It is open to anyone interested in polishing their writing skills and learning about the legal publication process. The workshop also includes a draft review for interested participants. Please join us! Register here.
The Advocacy Writing Competition
Submissions are due February 1, 2027.
Each contestant should enter an article related to teaching advocacy skills or discussing contemporary issues related to oral and written advocacy. Submissions must be 3,000 to 10,000 words with no more than 99 footnotes, single-spaced, and in 12-point font. Articles must be submitted to [email protected] to be considered.
The winner of the competition will present their winning article or a topic related to the article at the annual Educating Advocacy Teachers Conference (EATS) which takes place at Stetson in June each year. The winner will also receive an award of $1,000.00 and be guaranteed publication in the Stetson Journal of Advocacy and the Law.
- The Stetson Journal of Advocacy and the Law was founded in 2014 and is the first online law review designed to be read online. It is a student-produced legal journal dedicated to discussing, exploring, and influencing contemporary issues related to oral and written advocacy. We publish articles on all facets of advocacy (including Alternative Dispute Resolution, Trial Advocacy, and Appellate Advocacy) written by pre-eminent practitioners, judges, law professors, and students. The Journal aims to bring outstanding techniques and cutting-edge ideas in advocacy to the rest of the legal community in a readable and informative publication.
This competition is open to legal practitioners, judges, professors, and law students. Spread the word!
Congratulations to previous Advocacy Writing Competition winners!
2026
Adam E. Sokoloff, JD
Supervising Attorney, Project for Innocence & Post-Conviction Remedies
Instructor, Trial Advocacy and Mock Trial
The University of Kansas School of Law
2025
Alexandria Serra, JD, MBA
Advocacy Teaching Fellow
University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law
2024
Christopher W. Behan, JD, LLM
Professor of Law
Southern Illinois University School of Law
2023
Davis G. Yee, JD
Special Trial Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel for the IRS
Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco School of Law
2022
Vania M. Smith, M.P.A., JD
Coach, National Mock Trial Team
The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
2021
Laura Anne Rose, JD
Associate Professor of Law and the Heidepriem Trial Advocacy Fellow
University of South Dakota, Knudson School of Law
Questions?
Feel free to reach out to Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy at [email protected] or 727-562-7317.