1. Overview & Agreement

By registering for and participating in LexHack 2026, all participants ("Hackers") agree to abide by these Official Rules, the Devpost Terms of Service, and all decisions made by the event organizers and judges, which are final and binding in all respects.

2. Eligibility Requirements

  • Student Status: Open globally to all high school, secondary, undergraduate, and non-traditional (bootcamp, homeschool) students aged 13 and older.

  • Exclusions: Organizers, core event staff, and direct judges are prohibited from submitting projects for prize evaluation.

  • Cost: Participation is 100% free. No entry fees or purchase requirements are necessary to compete or win.

3. Team Formation & Submissions

  • Team Size: Participants may compete individually or in teams of up to four (4) members.

  • Single Submission Rule: Participants may only belong to one (1) team and submit one (1) primary project for evaluation.

  • Outside Collaboration: All official team members who contributed to the design, code, or presentation must be explicitly listed on the Devpost submission team page.

4. Technical & Project Requirements

  • Original Work: All primary design and core software code must be created during the official hackathon timeframe.

  • Pre-Existing Code & Frameworks: Pre-existing open-source libraries, public APIs, UI frameworks, and LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic) are permitted, provided they are publicly available and explicitly declared in the submission tech stack.

  • Working Prototype: Submissions must feature a functioning software prototype (e.g., web app, mobile app, API, browser extension, or working script). Theoretical-only pitch decks without code or practical implementation will not be eligible for technical awards.

  • AI & Tool Disclosure: The use of AI code-generation tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude) is allowed, but participants must be capable of explaining how their code operates during evaluation.

5. Submission Requirements

To be eligible for judging, each team must submit their entry through Devpost before the posted submission deadline with all required fields completed:

  1. Project Title & Short Description: A clear explanation of what the project does.

  2. Problem & Solution Summary: A brief write-up describing the civic, legal, or AI problem addressed and how the software solves it.

  3. Repository / Live Link: A link to a public code repository (GitHub, GitLab, Replit) OR a live deployed URL for testing.

  4. Demonstration Video: A video demonstration lasting no longer than three (3) minutes (hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or Loom) showing the working software in action.

  5. Tech Stack & Credits: A comprehensive list of all APIs, frameworks, and third-party tools used.

6. Intellectual Property & Ownership

  • 100% Creator Ownership: Participants retain complete ownership and intellectual property (IP) rights to all code, assets, designs, and content created during LexHack 2026.

  • Devpost / Organizer License: By submitting, participants grant LexHack 2026 a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display project screenshots, video demos, and descriptions on official media channels solely for promotional, educational, and archival purposes.

7. Disqualification & Code of Conduct

Organizers reserve the explicit right to disqualify any team or submission at any point for:

  • Plagiarism & Dishonesty: Submitting pre-built projects created prior to the hackathon start date or submitting work created entirely by someone outside the team.

  • Malicious Code: Submissions containing spyware, malware, viruses, or intentional security vulnerabilities.

  • Misconduct: Any form of harassment, discrimination, hate speech, or inappropriate behavior in official event channels (Discord, Devpost, Zoom).

8. Rule Modifications & Fair Play

  • Deadlines: Organizers will strictly adhere to published submission deadlines. Extensions will only be granted globally in the event of documented technical platform outages.

  • Updates: In the event of minor rule updates or clarifications, notice will be communicated immediately via the official Devpost Discussion Board and community Discord server to ensure all teams remain on equal footing.

9. LexHack Builders Fellowship, Fly-Outs & Post-Hackathon Opportunities

  • Non-Guaranteed Status: Admission into the LexHack Builders Fellowship, NYC event travel fly-outs, mentorship programs, and partner internship referrals are discretionary and not guaranteed to any participant, early registrant, or hackathon prize winner.

  • Competitive Evaluation Pool: Priority consideration is extended to early registrants and top-performing teams; however, final selection is competitive. Candidates are evaluated holistically across a broader applicant pool that includes participants from other current and past initiatives, events, or programs hosted by the organizing team.

  • Selection Criteria & Sole Discretion: Winning a primary hackathon track or prize does not constitute automatic acceptance or guaranteed travel funding. Organizers reserve sole, final, and unappealable discretion over all Fellowship admissions, event fly-out allocations, and internship introductions based on project viability, team commitment, budget constraints, visa eligibility, and participant conduct.

  • No Cash Equivalent: Fellowship seats, travel opportunities, and mentorship access carry no cash value, are non-transferable, and cannot be redeemed for cash or alternative compensation if unawarded or unredeemed.

10. Liability

LexHack and its organizers are not responsible for:

  • Technical issues, submission failures, or platform outages
  • Lost, incomplete, or corrupted submissions
  • Any damages, losses, or disputes arising from participation in the event

Participation in LexHack is voluntary and at the participant’s own risk.