Civics Essay Contest
- Submissions are Now Closed -
A press release announcing the contest winners can be accessed here.
Information on the 2025-2026 contest will be available in the fall.
The New Hampshire Bar Foundation is pleased to announce its first annual high school civics essay contest. Students enrolled in grades 11 and 12 (or their equivalent) in the State of New Hampshire during the 2025-2026 academic year are invited to submit an essay based on the prompt below for the chance to win a prize of up to $5,000. The top 3 essays will be chosen in March by a panel of attorneys and judges. The author of the first-place essay will receive a $5,000 prize, while second and third-place winners will each receive a $2,500 prize. All three award recipients will be honored at a ceremony on April 4th, 2026 at the Merrimack Superior Court. Check back for more details to be announced regarding ceremony date and location. All winning essays will be featured on the Bar Foundation’s website.
Essay Topic: Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) companies create services such as ChatGPT by scanning books and articles, which often contain intellectual property that results from years of hard work, study, and expertise. These companies then generate profits by either selling their services or providing them for free and profiting from the data obtained from users.
As our country nears its 250th birthday, how should the freedoms and rights identified in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution shape the way Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT are regulated? Should AI companies be required by law to pay the authors whose work they use? In answering this question, consider the balance of this country’s constitutional commitments to free speech, privacy, and property rights (including intellectual property). Identify and weigh the positive and negative effects of AI. Cite two or three court cases that have informed your thinking.
Word Count: 750-1,000 words
Submission Deadline: February 6, 2026, at 5pm
Prizes: 1st prize: $5,000 cash, 2nd and 3rdprize: $2,500 cash
Each entry must include a completed Contest Entry Form and completed Essay Release Form. Questions? Contact Cindy Roberts at croberts@nhbar.org or (603) 715-3210.
Essay Prompt
Contest Rules
Essay Prompt
New Hampshire Bar Foundation
High School Civics Essay Contest
2026 Essay Prompt: Should Artificial Intelligence companies be required to compensate authors whose works they use?
Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) companies create services such as ChatGPT by scanning books and articles, which often contain intellectual property that results from years of hard work, study, and expertise. These companies then generate profits by either selling their services or providing them for free and profiting from the data obtained from users.
As our country nears its 250th birthday, how should the freedoms and rights identified in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution shape the way Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT are regulated? Should AI companies be required by law to pay the authors whose work they use? In answering this question, consider the balance of this country’s constitutional commitments to free speech, privacy, and property rights (including intellectual property). Identify and weigh the positive and negative effects of AI. Cite two or three court cases that have informed your thinking.
Essay Requirements
- Write a well-structured essay of 750–1,000 words, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- Ensure your essay is your own original work that reflects your thoughts and analysis.
- Take a clear position on whether AI companies should be required to compensate authors whose works they use.
- Discuss both sides of the argument, addressing the opposing viewpoint and explaining why your position is stronger.
Judging Criteria
- Essays will be judged on a 100-point scale, using the following criteria:
- Understanding of constitutional principles – 60 points
- Originality, clarity, and depth of analysis – 30 points
- Grammar, spelling, composition, and citations – 10 points
Contest Rules
NEW HAMPSHIRE BAR FOUNDATION
HIGH SCHOOL CIVICS ESSAY CONTEST
2026 CONTEST RULES
The contest is open to all New Hampshire students who are enrolled in grades 11-12 in public, private, parochial, charter schools located within the State of New Hampshire. The contest is also open to all New Hampshire homeschooled students of equivalent grade status.
Students should be mindful of the contest topic and should review the essay prompt carefully; essays not responsive to the topic will be disqualified from the contest.
Students (including homeschooled students) may submit essays directly to the New Hampshire Bar Foundation (the Foundation). The name of a responsible adult familiar with their work (such as a teacher, guidance counselor, administrator, parent, tutor, or mentor) must be listed on the Student Entry Form.
Each student may only submit one entry.
Entries must be submitted via email no later than 5:00 pm on February 6, 2026. We highly encourage submission before that date to allow time for confirmation that submitted materials are complete. Late entries after 5:00pm will not be accepted.
All entries must be the student’s original work with no outside help. Any passages paraphrased or quoted from other sources must be referenced in a “Works Cited” page in MLA or APA format. Failure to do so may result in the disqualification of the essay. Such disqualifications may be made at the discretion of either the staff of the New Hampshire Bar Foundation or the contest judges.
Email the essay, the Student Entry Form, and the Student and Parent/Guardian Release Form to nhbfessaycontest@nhbar.org. All forms must be received by the deadline to be eligible.
Criteria:
- Use of 12-point Cambria or Times New Roman font, double-spaced text with one-inch margins.
- Length must be between 750 – 1,000 words.
- Include page numbers. Do not include a title page or page headers or footers.
- Please save and submit the essay in PDF format. Submissions should be named as follows: First name Last name.pdf (example: John Smith.pdf). Each submission will then be assigned an identification number by the Foundation. This is so that entries may be screened and judged anonymously.
- Student’s name CANNOT be included in the essay itself.
- Any submission that includes identifying information (school, teacher/counselor, grade level, age, etc.) in the body or title of the essay will be disqualified.
- Essay submissions must include a completed Student Entry Form and completed Student and Parent/Guardian Release Form to be considered. If both forms are not received by the deadline the entry will be disqualified.