09/19/2026
Lex:lead's essay competition is open for registration!
September 2026
Lex:lead's 2026 essay competition is now open for registration! Law students from eligible countries are invited to enter this year's competition answering the following question:
How can artificial intelligence (AI) be regulated to reduce poverty and support economic development?
Competition details and registration are available at www.lex-lead.net. Registrations by 31 October 2026 (late registrations accepted on a discretionary basis) with 5-page essays accepted between 1-31 December 2026 (no late or unregistered submissions accepted). A panel of international judges will assess submissions in January 2027 with up to 15 awards of US$500 announced in February 2027. All efforts will again be made to publish the winning essays.
Eligible countries: Asia/Pacific: (1) Afghanistan; (2) Bangladesh; (3) Cambodia; (4) Kiribati; (5) Laos; (6) Myanmar (Burma); (7) Nepal; (8) Papua New Guinea; (9) Solomon Islands; (10) Timor-Leste; (11) Tuvalu; (12) Yemen;
Americas: (13) Haiti;
Africa: (14) Angola; (15) Benin; (16) Burkina Faso; (17) Burundi; (18) Central African Republic; (19) Chad; (20) Comoros; (21) DR Congo; (22) Djibouti; (23) Eritrea; (24) Ethiopia; (25) Gambia; (26) Ghana; (27) Guinea; (28) Guinea Bissau; (29) Lesotho; (30) Liberia; (31) Madagascar; (32) Malawi; (33) Mali; (34) Mauritania; (35) Mozambique; (36) Niger; (37) Rwanda; (38) Senegal; (39) Sierra Leone; (40) Somalia; (41) South Sudan; (42) Sudan; (43) Tanzania; (44) Togo; (45) Uganda; (46) Zambia; (47) Zimbabwe. To be eligible, students must be both a citizen of one of these countries and enrolled in studies at an accredited educational institution in one of these countries at the time of the award.
Certificates of Participation: All registered students who timely submit an essay will receive a Certificate of Participation.
Lex:lead is a group of international lawyers and friends who support economic development focusing on the world's least developed countries. We offer an annual essay competition on topics of law and development to students from eligible countries for one-time US$500 awards. In 2015 we also started p...