The Princeton Legal Journal High School Essay Contest is an annual competition open to high school students worldwide. For the historical 2026 cycle, the theme was religious liberty under the US Constitution. That edition required 1,500–3,000 words (excluding footnotes), anonymous submission, and a $15 fee.
The top three essays are published in the Princeton Legal Journal and authors participate in a full editing process. For 2026, winners were scheduled to be announced in late May. The contest is run by the student editorial board of the Princeton Legal Journal.
Deadline check (2026-11-03): The official 2026 contest page confirms the historical May 15, 2026 deadline and says the submission form is closed. The religious-liberty theme, May 2026 graduation cutoff, $15 fee, and 1,500–3,000-word limit belong to that edition. No 2027 deadline, theme, or eligibility cutoff was found on the checked page; the 2026 dates and rules must not be rolled forward.