The Slaughter and May Africa Essay Prize is an exciting opportunity for law and non-law students to demonstrate their commercial and legal skills in an African context and have the chance to win a substantial prize.
Applicants are asked to submit a response to one of the following two questions:
What lessons can African nations learn from the COVID-19 pandemic?
OR
If you were tasked with drafting mining legislation for an African country of your choice, what are the key laws you would pass and why?
Background
Africa is an increasingly important part of Slaughter and May’s practice. Many of the firm’s clients have operations in African jurisdictions and it is frequently necessary for the firm to find solutions to challenging legal issues in Africa, in collaboration with outstanding local law firms across the continent. Slaughter and May also provides advice to various African governments.
In light of this, the Slaughter and May Africa Essay Prize is intended to stimulate debate among university students around the important issues to which African commerce and law give rise.
Eligibility
To enter, you must be enrolled as a current student at an educational institution on the deadline for submission of entries. Both full-time and part-time, law and non-law, undergraduate and post-graduate students (including Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course students) are eligible to enter.
Essay questions
Applicants are asked to submit a response to one of the following two questions:
What lessons can African nations learn from the COVID-19 pandemic?
OR
If you were tasked with drafting mining legislation for an African country of your choice, what are the key laws you would pass and why?
The word limit for your essay is 1,000 words.
Entries should display:
Familiarity with and interest in African commerce and law.
Imagination and originality in approach
Concision, in order to maximise the use of the available word limit.
Close attention to detail and an evidence-based approach.
You are free to focus on particular case studies in your essay.
PRIZES
A panel of Slaughter and May partners and guests will judge the competition. The winners will receive the following prizes:
FIRST PRIZE
Cash prize of £1,000
One hour one-to-one coaching with a Learning & Development specialist
(in person or virtual) Coffee with members of the Africa Practice Group
CV review
Slaughter and May goody bag
SECOND PRIZE
Cash prize of £500
(in person or virtual) Coffee with members of the Africa Practice Group
Slaughter and May goody bag
THIRD PRIZE
Cash prize of £250
Slaughter and May goody bag
*subject to eligibility T&C's
Deadline
The deadline for submissions is Monday 24 January 2022.
Note: Please do not include any personal details anywhere in your essay submission (such as your name or place of study). The essays will be judged “blind” and then matched up subsequently to the personal information you will be asked to provide when you enter via our website.
Please note the footnotes are not included in the 1,000 word essay.
The essay must be the sole creation and original work of the entrant.
Only one entry per person is allowed.
Please email AfricaEssayPrize@slaughterandmay.com
if you have questions about the competition.
