Essays are evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Quality of analysis (is it convincing, substantiated, understandable?)
• Thoroughness of research (types and varieties of source material)
• Originality (even though the topic may have been discussed in various publications, is the author's approach innovative?)
• Interest of the subject matter
• Quality of writing (style, clarity, organization)

First Prize essays for preceding years are listed below in order of award.

• Kevin Bell [United States], "The Sphere of Application of the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods"
• Camilla Baasch Andersen [Denmark], "Reasonable Time in Article 39(1) of the CISG: Is Article 39(1) Truly a Uniform Provision?"
• Pilar Perales Viscasillas [Spain], "Battle of the Forms Under the 1980 United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods: A Comparison with Section 2-207 UCC and the UNIDROIT Principles"
• Peter A. Piliounis [Canada], "The Remedies of Specific Performance, Price Reduction and Additional Time (Nachfrist) under the CISG: Are these worthwhile changes or additions to English Sales Law?"
• Joern Rimke [Germany/South Africa], "Force majeure and hardship: Application in international trade practice - with specific regard to the CISG and the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts"
• John Felemegas [Australia], "The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods: Article 7 and Uniform Interpretation"
• Djakhongir Saidov [Uzbekistan], "Methods of Limiting Damages under the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods"
• Bruno Zeller [Australia], Four Corners: "The Methodology for Interpretation and Application of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods"
• Francesco G. Mazzotta [Italy], "Article 78: Endless Disagreement Among Commentators, Much Less Among the Courts"
• Peter J. Mazzacano [Canada], "Canadian Jurisprudence and the Uniform Application of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods"
• Fan Yang [China], "The Application of the CISG in the Current PRC Law and the CIETAC Arbitration Practice"
• Keith William Diener [United States], "The Recovery of Attorneys' Fees under CISG Article 74: A Critique of the Case Law and Commentary with an Interpretation of Article 74"
• Nathalie Hofmann [Germany], "Interpretation Rules and Good Faith as Obstacles to the UK's Ratification of the CISG and to the Harmonization of Contract Law in Europe"
• Katrina Winsor [New Zealand], "The Applicability of the CISG to Govern Sales of Commodity Goods"
• Rodrigo Momberg Uribe [the Netherlands], "Change of circumstances in international instruments of contract law. The approach of the CISG, the PICC, the PECL and the DCFR"
• Elizabeth Simos [England], "The CISG: A Lost Cause in the UK?"