The ABA Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources has some terrific writing prize opportunities for law students, well designed for submission of course papers. Many of them have a 20 page length limit on submissions. All of them have a submission deadline of May 31, 2021, with a $1000 cash prize for the top paper. For additional requirements and details, see the links.

• Constitutional Law Writing Competition
  Entry Deadline: May 31, 2021
  Award: First place: $1,000 cash prize
• Endangered Species Writing Competition
  Entry Deadline: May 31, 2021
  Award: First place: $1,000 cash prize, second place: $750 cash prize, third place: $500 cash prize
• Energy Law Writing Competition
  Entry Deadline: May 31, 2021
  Award: First place: $1,000 cash prize, second place: $750 cash prize, third place: $500 cash prize
• Environmental Transactions and Brownfields / Superfund and Natural Resources Damages Litigation Writing Competition
  Entry Deadline: May 31, 2021
  Award: First place: $1,000 cash prize
• Forest Law Writing Competition
  Entry Deadline: May 31, 2021
  Award: First place: $1,000 cash prize
• International Environmental and Resources Law  Writing Competition
  Entry Deadline: May 31, 2021
  Award: First place: $1,000 cash prize
• Public Land and Resources Writing Competition
  Entry Deadline: May 31, 2021
  Award: First place: $1,000 cash prize
• Waste and Resource Recovery Writing Competition
  Entry Deadline: May 31, 2021
  Award: First place: $1,000 cash prize