Private Law Writing Prize

Private Law faculty at U of T Law

The University of Toronto is widely acknowledged as among the world's leading centers for the interdisciplinary study of private law.  It is unique in the breadth and depth of its coverage of private legal relations from diverse theoretical perspectives.

The Private Law Writing Prize is awarded for the best student paper on a topic in private law. The competition is open to JD students currently enrolled at the University of Toronto. Prize-winning papers will be published on the U of T Law’s law and philosophy webpage. Prize-winning papers will also be awarded an honorarium of $250.

To be eligible for consideration, the paper must be written during the current academic year in conjunction with a course or directed research project at the Faculty of Law. Students should include a brief abstract along with the paper. Papers must not exceed 30 pages, double-spaced (Times New Roman, 12 point font).

Past winners

2022 Prize: 

• Michael Law-Smith (JD/PhD, Philosophy): "The Tort of Malicious Prosecution: A Principled Account" 

2021 Prize: 

• Ivy Xu (JD 2023): "A Principled Approach to Battery in Forced Sterilization Cases"

2020 Prizes:

• Gerard (Kees) Westland (JD 2020): "Fundamental Rights and Canadian Private Law: A Private Law Account of the Horizontal Effect"
• Amitpal C. Singh (JD 2020): "The Body as Me and Mine: The Case for Property Rights in Attached Body Parts"