Law Student Writing Awards Program

The IIC sponsors an annual competition for full-time undergraduate students in Canadian Law Schools.The purpose of the IIC Law Student Writing Awards Program is to stimulate interest among law students in the research and development of papers based on corporate insolvency and restructuring topics and to recognize outstanding achievement in this endeavour.   

The awards program gives undergraduate students the opportunity to research insolvency issues, develop ideas, and bring proposals for reform to the attention of the business and legal community.

Past winning papers are available to members through the members-side of the website.

Congratulations to our 2020-2021 Award Winners

Please join the IIC Board of Directors and Judges Panel in congratulating the following winners:

IIC members can access copies of the papers by request or through the members-only side of the website in the Document Library.

First prize

(Recognition at the 2021 AGM on October 7, 2021 and invited guest to the 2022 IIC Annual Conference in Kelowna, BC, Sept. 8-11, 2022)     

Maria Belykh
Western University
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Thomas Telfer
Paper: CCAA Supplier Protection: A System in Need of Reform

Second prize ($5,000)    

Kristen Robertson
Queen's University
Faculty Sponsor: Kevin McElcheran
Paper: It's all the Effect: The Anti-Deprivation Rule Post-Chandos Construction

Third prize ($2,500) 

Candace Formosa
Thomson Rivers University
Faculty Sponsor: Richard Butler
Paper: Dampening the Effect of Redwater through a Reverse Vesting Order

IIC 2021-2022 Law Student Writing Awards

The 2022 program is now closed. Thank you to all the students who submitted papers and their faculty sponsors for your support. We will be announcing the winners in mid-August. The 2022-2023 Awards Program will launch in September 2022.

First, second and third prizes of $7,500, $5,000 and $2,500 will be awarded. 

Both the first place winner and their faculty sponsor will be invited guests at the 2022 IIC Conference which will be held in Kelowna, BC, September 8 - 11, 2022. Complimentary conference registration (including accommodations) and travel costs will be provided. They will be joined by the first-place winners and their faculty sponsors from the 2020 and 2021 program as the 2020 & 2021 Annual Meeting & Conferences were postponed.

If a co-authored paper is selected for first place, the division of the prize and the reimbursed travel costs will be entirely at the discretion of the winners.

Eligibility

  • The competition is open to law students in full-time undergraduate law programs at Canadian universities. Entries may be submitted in English or French.
  • Each student is limited to one entry. There is no limit to the number of entries that may be submitted from one university, but each paper must bear the endorsement of a law faculty member.
  • Papers must be no longer than 3,000 words (exclusive of footnotes) and must be typed. Papers may be jointly written.
  • Papers must be submitted electronically to the Executive Director at the email provided in the entry form by the deadline.
  • The paper must be focused on restructuring in an insolvency context.