The Freedom From Religion Foundation has announced its 2026 essay competition for freethinking law students.
Each of these four contests has 10 top prizes: First place $3,500; second place $3,000; third place $2,500; fourth place $2,000; fifth place $1,500; sixth place $1,000; seventh place $750; eighth place $500; ninth place $400; and 10th place $300. FFRF also offers optional honorable mentions of $200.
The contests cater to students in various age and class ranges.
Students may only enter one FFRF contest annually and may not enter a contest if they have previously won an award in that particular contest.
Requirements: Winners may be asked to send verification of student enrollment. Students will be disqualified if they do not follow instructions, including the word limit and the deadline. Students must submit their essays via the online application and carefully review all contest rules. FFRF monitors for plagiarism. Include links or footnotes for quotes, studies cited, or significant facts relied upon. Entrants must verify that the essay is their original work and that AI was not used in the writing of the text (beyond grammar and spellcheck).
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- David Hudak Memorial black, indigenous and persons of color student essay competition – watch for announcement in 2026
- William Schulz high school essay contest – watch for announcement in 2026
- Kenneth L. Proulx Memorial essay contest for ongoing college students – watch for announcement in 2026
- Cornelius Vander Broek graduate/older student essay competition – watch for announcement in 2026
- Diane and Stephen Uhl Memorial essay competition for law students – Now open. Deadline: January 30, 2026
Diane and Stephen Uhl Memorial Essay Competition for Law Students
2026 First Amendment Scholars – Law Student Essay Competition Generously Donated by Diane and Stephen Uhl
This Year’s Topic: Analyze how the principle of “parental rights” has changed.
Prompt: In 2025 the Supreme Court extended Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), citing it repeatedly in Mahmoud v. Taylor, where the Court sided with religious parents who objected on religious grounds to public school instruction that included books with LGBTQ themes or characters.
In 1,500 words or fewer, analyze how the principle of “parental rights” changes from Yoder to Mahmoud. What other constitutional or societal interests might conflict with this expanded understanding of parental rights in the First Amendment context? Discuss how the Court could or should balance these competing interests in future cases.
DEADLINE: January 30, 2026
The full rules can be found here. Please reach out to FFRF with any questions.
All eligible entrants will receive a digital year-long student membership in FFRF.
FFRF appreciates its members who make the effort to contact local high schools, colleges and universities to help publicize its competitions.
FFRF has offered essay competitions to college students since 1979, high school students since 1994, grad students since 2010 and one dedicated to students of color since 2016. A fifth contest, open to law students, began in 2019.
“FFRF is happy to see another generation of freethinkers raising their voices in protest against the continuing threat of Christian nationalism,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The next generation promises to have the greatest population of freethinkers yet, and FFRF is proud to lend its support to keep student advocacy alive and thriving.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With over 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe.
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