THE NORRISON I. QUAKERS, SAN NATIONAL LEGAL WRITING TOURNEY, 2021

Zenith Associates, University of Nigeria in partnership with Jireh & Greys Attorneys presents maiden edition of the Norrison I. Quakers, SAN National Legal Writing Tourney.

Topic:

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA):
A boost to Nigerian commerce?

INTERESTED APPLICANTS CLICK HERE Write-up Submission

A. ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS

• Papers are to address the topic - Continental Free Trade Area Agreement: A boost to Nigerian Commerce.
• Student authors must be enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree program at an accredited university within the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time of submission.
• Papers must be written solely by the candidate, in English, and may not have been submitted for publication elsewhere.
• Citations should be in footnotes, rather than endnotes.
  Submitted papers are to comply with the OSCOLA footnote style. Click to view
• Submissions may range from 1500 to 1,800 words, including footnotes.
• Each candidate is limited to a single submission. Co-authorship is not permitted.
• Candidates should only resubmit previously unsuccessful submissions following substantial revision.

B. DEADLINE AND METHOD OF SUBMISSION

• The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM West African Standard Time, 11 January 2021. Late and hardcopy submissions will not be accepted.
• Papers are to be uploaded on the website as Microsoft Word attachments, with questions to be directed to essay@nquakerslaw.com.
• By submitting papers, candidates represent that they fulfil the eligibility requirements of the Competition. The organizers may request formal proof of eligibility.
• No later than 72 hours after the submission deadline, candidates will receive an e-mail confirming that their submissions have been received.

C. 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 drawn from across the country, in consultation with Jireh & Greys Attorneys. In assessing papers, reviewers will take into account:
• contribution to the literature;
• knowledge of facts and law;
• extent of research, innovation, and scholarly creativity;
• clarity and organization; and,
• 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 Zenith Associates following the final selection, and will be posted on the website. The winner's name will also appear on the website of Jireh & Greys Attorneys. A notification regarding the final outcome will be sent to everyone who submitted papers.

D. AWARD

1. Cash prizes to be won

• NGN200,000 for the first prize winner
• NGN100,000 for the second prize winner
• NGN50,000 for the third prize winner
• NGN100,000 to be given to 10 runners up as consolation prizes

2. Additional Incentives

• A mentorship chat with Mr. Norrison I. Quakers SAN
• Certificates for participation

About the Competition

The Norrison I. Quakers National Legal Writing Tourney is an initiative of Zenith Associates, University of Nigeria. The tourney is aimed primarily at providing law undergraduates with the platform to learn and engage legal research skills and scholarship. This is the first of its kind— cutting across 54 law faculties throughout the federation — and is bound to be the largest writing engagement among law students. The tourney envisages the growth of the research and writing culture while offering incentives for participation.

The tourney aims at bridging the existing gap between law students and legal experiences beyond classroom knowledge hence aiding the development of well-informed law students.

The sequence of the tourney would see participants from across various faculties in the country submit well-written essays. Participation is open to all law undergraduates in Nigeria. The essays shall address a topic designated for the tourney.

Essays which meet laid down guidelines and demonstrate in-depth research and analytical writing skills may be published. The essays would be reviewed by a carefully selected panel.

Upon completion of grading, the top ten essays would be ranked and thereafter published in the competition website. In the end, we yearn to be persuaded that an effort has been made to consciously improve the reading, legal research and writing skills of prospective lawyers.

The Tourney would round off with a mentorship chat with the sponsor, Mr. Norrison I. Quakers SAN — a topping to the already large cake. It promises to be a rewarding experience!

About the organiser

ZENITH ASSOCIATES is a top tier student law firm practicing under the auspices of the University of Nigeria Student Bar Association (UNSBA). Zenith Associates is propelled by a quest for excellence and astuteness in the acquisition of requisite skills and knowledge required for the practice of law. Over the years, the firm has consistently demonstrated these traits, leading to its outstanding performance as one of the leading student law firms in the University and indeed, the country.

Notable achievements of the firm in recent years include: