The Robert Walker Prize for Essays in Law is an essay competition run by Trinity College Cambridge, open to students in their final or penultimate year of secondary school worldwide. The competition has two separate divisions — one for UK students and one for international students — each with its own prizes.
Published 2026 essay requirements:
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Topic | A legal topic of importance to modern society (student's choice) |
| Word limit | Up to 2,000 words, including footnotes |
| Referencing | Any consistent style acceptable |
| Authorship | Must be the student's own work; discussion with teachers is permitted |
Published 2026 prize terms:
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| First | £300 (may be shared) |
| Second | £200 (may be shared) |
The rules anticipated separate prizes in each division, possibly shared, and anticipated inviting the authors of ten top essays per division to a ceremony. The 2026 winners are now published; no future prize or invitation is guaranteed.
About the prize:
The Robert Walker Prize is one of several undergraduate essay prizes offered by Trinity College Cambridge to pre-university students worldwide. Trinity College is one of the largest colleges of the University of Cambridge.
The official page explicitly says the 2026 competition is closed and its submission form unavailable. The verified deadline was April 2, 2026 at 1 p.m. UK time. Its eligibility excluded anyone who had previously entered, with one essay per student. Those terms are retained as published history, rather than assumed 2027 rules.
Checked November 4, 2026 against the law prize page and essay-prize overview. Trinity says 2027 information will be posted in February 2027; that is an information release, not an opening date or deadline. No explicit entry fee or free-entry policy is stated in the checked sources.