The LegalEagleBee Policy Brief Competition is an international writing competition for high school students (grades 9-12), now in its third edition. Students select one of five civil rights and social justice topics and write a 5–10 page evidence-based policy brief proposing a realistic legislative or regulatory solution. The $10 registration fee funds LegalEagleBee scholarships.
The August 2026 topics covered: maternal mortality and healthcare deserts, algorithmic pricing in rental housing, forced arbitration and workplace harassment for low-wage immigrant women, language access barriers in domestic violence shelters, and graduate loan caps and the public service workforce pipeline. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of attorneys, law students, and LegalEagleBee staff on clarity, depth of research, policy creativity and feasibility, equity considerations, and writing quality.
Winners are published on the LegalEagleBee blog and distributed to civil rights partner organizations. Top finishers receive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place worldwide recognition; two winners are named per topic (10 total) and two per grade (9th through 12th plus gap year, 10 total); and the top 25% of all submissions are named on the winners page. For the January 2027 competition, registration closes January 16, 2027 and submissions are due January 23, 2027.