"Thank you for writing to Attorney General Montgomery's Office regarding contests in the State of Ohio. I apologize for the delay in responding to your inquiry."
"In Ohio, the Attorney General may only serve as legal counsel and advisor to all state agencies, boards and commissions and the Ohio General Assembly. This means that we are precluded by law from legally advising private individuals or associations. For your purposes, I have enclosed a copy of Ohio Revised Code § 2915 which appears to address your request."
In looking over the 46 pages of the Ohio Revised Code, Section 2915, that I was sent, there is no reference to essay contests in particular. There is a reference in § 2915.05 to "A contest of knowledge, skill or endurance that is not an athletic or sporting event," but this deals with persons who "shall engage in conduct designed to corrupt the outcome" of such an event. I'm not an attorney, but it would seem to me that if it is specifically illegal to defraud or corrupt a contest of knowledge or skill, then that law tends to presuppose that those contests themselves are not illegal if conducted properly. Check with your attorney, but from the statutes that I have reviewed, it would appear that an essay contest would be legal as long as it is legitimately judged, and you DO NOT add any element of chance.