2025-2026 Essay Contest
The contest is open to all Connecticut students under the age of 21 who are enrolled in grades 9-12, or their equivalent, at an accredited high school, vocational-technical school or adult high school credit diploma program located within the State of Connecticut.
Essay Topic
"After the Gavel Falls: Navigating Education Policy in the Wake of Mahmoud v. Taylor"
Prizes
Winner: $2,000
(2) Runner-up: $1,000
Contest Materials
2025-2026 Contest Winners
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All entries must be submitted by February 20, 2026. Please be sure to review all of the contest rules. *Students should be mindful of the contest topic, and should review the full fact pattern carefully. **Essays not responsive to the topic will be disqualified.
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View past competitions for essay topics, winning essays, and photos from the awards ceremony, held at the Connecticut Supreme Court, in Hartford.
History of the Quintin Johnstone Statewide High School Essay Contest
CBF's James W. Cooper Fellows launched the Essay Contest in 2000 with the purpose of encouraging young people in CT to think about and explore legal issues relevant to them. In 2011, the contest was named after Quintin Johnstone, a professor at Yale Law School. Johnstone served as past president of CBF, participated in a variety of Fellows projects, and was a longtime member of the Fellows Education and Program Committee.
CBF is grateful to the 100+ Fellows who volunteer to review and score essays. CBF is also thankful to the Connecticut Supreme Court for their continued support of the Contest, and for hosting the awards ceremony.
