Human Rights Essay Award 2027

Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, American University Washington College of Law

Closes 3 February 2027, 104 days left No fee to apply Last checked 21 Oct

At a glance

Deadline: Closes 3 February 2027, 104 days leftThe posting gives a date, not a time. Days left are counted in Lagos time.
Fee: No fee to apply
Who may apply: a law degree (JD, LLB or equivalent)
demonstrated experience or interest in international human rights law; write a cited academic article on Democracy, Human Rights and Participation
Where: Washington, DC

A winning essay earns a free place on a human rights law programme at a US law school.

The facts

What you get: Full tuition for the Program of Advanced Studies on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law; travel and living not paid
Where: Washington, DC
How long: Essay by 3 February 2027, winners announced 1 April 2027
What it costs you: Nothing to enter; travel and living are yours

Where you stand

This one is free. There is no fee to apply, and nobody should ask you for money at any point. In their words, what it costs you: Nothing to enter; travel and living are yours.

What they ask for

a law degree (JD, LLB or equivalent)
demonstrated experience or interest in international human rights law; write a cited academic article on Democracy, Human Rights and Participation

Get ready to apply

Built only from what this listing states.

A long application, by our reading.

1. What to get ready

The listing does not say what it needs. When you open their page, write down everything it asks for before you start.

2. Dates

Closes 3 February 2027, in 104 days.
Aim to send it by 31 January 2027. Websites slow down near a deadline, and data runs out. Our advice

3. What it costs you

Nothing to enter; travel and living are yours.

Download checklist (.txt) Send to WhatsApp

The download is a small text file. You can read it later without data. It also lists each condition they set, so you can tick yourself against them. WhatsApp sends the same list to you, or to somebody helping you.

No CV yet? Make a plain one from your answers. Nothing you type is kept.

Tips for applying for a competition

General advice from us, the same for every competition. It is not what this organisation says; that is above.

Read the rules and the judging criteria first, and write to them.
Check who owns your work after you enter. The rules usually say.
Submit a day early. Upload pages are often slow near a deadline.

If there is an interview or a test

If there is a final or a pitch, practise out loud and time yourself.

All our tips and messages to copy. Practise answering, with nothing kept. Received an offer? Check whether it is real, then read before you say yes.

How to apply

You apply on Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, American University Washington College of Law's own website, not here. We never send an application for anybody and we never ask you for anything to pass on. Check their page for anything not shown here.

Go to the application

How we checked this

This was opened and verified at Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, American University Washington College of Law's own website on 21 October 2026: it was real, still open, and open to people from African countries. If anything here is wrong, tell us.