7th Edition of the Adavize Alao Essay Competition on Privacy and Data Protection
Lawyard is pleased to announce the 7th Edition of the Adavize Alao Essay Competition on Privacy and Data Protection, held annually in memory of our co-founder, Adavize Alao.
Essay Topics
Student Category:
The Invisible Audience: Can Online Platforms Safeguard Youth Privacy?
Lawyer Category:
The Erasure Problem: Reconciling the ‘Right to be Forgotten’ with the Immutability of AI Model Training Data.
Prizes
Student Category
First Place – ₦350,000
Second Place – ₦250,000
Third Place – ₦150,000
Lawyer Category
First Place – ₦550,000
Second Place – ₦350,000
Third Place – ₦200,00
Terms and Conditions
1. The first page should be a separate page and must include the full name, year of call, phone number, and email address of the author: For law students, indicate your current school of study (undergraduate or law school).
2. Submissions must be in Microsoft Word format (Font Size: 11, Font type: Arial, Spacing:1.5, Alignment: Justified, Referencing style: OSCOLA)
3. Submissions must be original, independent, and unpublished works. Co-authored essays will not be considered.
4. Submissions will be judged blind. The decision of the judging panel is final.
5. The names of the winners of the competition and their essays may be published by Lawyard after all participants have been contacted and notified of the decision by the judging panel.
6. The winners may be asked to provide an additional biographical note, providing brief details of their legal studies and future professional appointments.
7. Lawyard holds the right to publish any selection of the papers submitted to this competition, including, but not limited to, the winning paper(either the full texts or extracts thereof) up to 18 months after the competition has ended; this includes, but is not limited to, the publication on the Lawyard website or any other Lawyard publication. In any event, the author will be indicated appropriately.
8. Past winners in both categories and previous years are prohibited from participating.
9. Any use of Al tools in the preparation of the essay must be disclosed on the first page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can individuals who have completed their law degree but have not yet attended the Nigerian Law School participate in the essay competition?
A: Yes, they can participate but under the student category. The lawyer category is only
for those who have been called to the Nigerian bar.
Q: Are previous runner-ups allowed to submit entries for this year’s competition?
A: Runner ups from previous years cannot participate because they are already
considered as winners.
Q: Would footnotes and references be counted in the total word count for the essay?
A: No, footnotes would not be counted as part of the word count.
Q: What is the maximum word count allowed for the essay?
A: Lawyers category-2,500, Students category -2,000
Q: Is it acceptable to submit the essays in PDF format?
A: No, all essays must be submitted in Microsoft word format.
The submission window opens on 10th August 2025 and closes on 7th September 2025 (new date). All entries must be received within this period to be considered.
Entries should be sent to submissions@lawyard.org and must comply with the stated Terms & Conditions and Submission Guidelines.
Participants are encouraged to follow Lawyard’s social media platforms for updates, submission tips, and detailed information on the competition process.
For sponsorship inquiries, please email editor@lawyard.org or contact Daphne at +234708 4204715.
