Writing Opportunities at Law Journals

Most law journals afford their members the opportunity to write short academic commentaries for publication. These "Notes" or "Comments" vary greatly in size and content. Some comments are five pages; others are 50 pages. Some summarize and analyze a particular case or statute; others explore whole bodies of law.

For many law school students, the opportunity to write for publication is one of the most significant benefits of being on a journal. The writing process is often both educational and rewarding. A published comment can also add a nice line to your resume. And many law schools allow students to fulfill their school's writing requirement or receive academic credit for writing on a journal. The writing process can also be frustrating and time-consuming. Students can underestimate the difficulty of selecting a topic, developing a meaningful and original thesis, and of surviving their journal's editing process. Many students admit that they are somewhat disappointed with their final product, although few claim to regret writing in the first place.


One of the best things about writing a Note is that you learn how to finish a big project You have to compromise a little; I don't think your Note is ever what you want it to be. You learn how to set it aside and call it "done." I think that's a very important skill, especially if you want to be a professor or continue writing. -MARC WILLIAMS, NOTES EDITOR, Southern California

Different journals have different approaches toward student writing. First, the question of whether you get to be published is answered in different ways. On most journals, members submit completed drafts to a committee on the journal that decides which pieces will be published. At some schools, such as Boalt and the University of North Carolina, all members are required to write a lengthy Note, which then goes to a committee that approves or rejects the piece for publication. Some journals actually guarantee their members the opportunity to write for publication, assuming the author is able to meet the writing schedule and certain standards of quality.

Second, the writing process itself can be very different from journal to journal. Some journals take a very hands-on approach to student writing-assigning the particular topics to authors, providing lots of input into early drafts, and requiring heavy editing. Other journals take a more hands-off approach, allowing students to select their own topics and providing less substantive input (or at least fewer mandatory suggestions) throughout the editing process. Most journals are somewhere in between.

If you're considering joining a journal, and you fancy yourself a scribe, be sure to find out in advance how the journal handles student writing.

Socializing on Journals

Like any extracurricular activity, law journals can be a forum for meeting and interacting with interesting people. Law review editors often work closely with each other over long periods of time and form strong friendships that last beyond law school. Also, much of journal work is a team effort: Big decisions are made by committees or votes of the membership, article selection involves discussion and debate, and editing a large article will require the combined efforts of several (sometimes dozens) editors. Editors on closely knit journals often feel some bond with their fellow editors.

The best part of working on the journal is the quality of the people I am working closely with this year, I honestly anticipate that the friendships I have made on the board will be some of my longest-lasting professional friendships. -RICHARD MYERS, ARTICLES EDITOR, North Carolina

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Of course, that sort of experience varies from school to school, from journal to journal, and from member to member. An Article Notes Editor on a newly formed law journal complained about the lack of interaction among journal members: "People just walk into the office, get their work done, and leave. For the most part, I never know what other people are working on, and no one else knows what I'm working on." Such impressions tend to be in the minority. Nonetheless, it's a good idea to ask current members about their impressions of the journal's social climate.

TIP: Working on a law journal can demand a lot of time and effort from you and might stifle your social life. Many members of law review find it difficult to manage journal work while taking classes and maintaining a social life. Truth be told, sometimes classes are the first sacrifice.

Other Perks-Credit and Money

The amount of academic credit may vary from journal to journal and even from student to student. For instance, the amount of credit may depend on how much work you do (Hastings Law Journal), on whether you are a board member (University of Pennsylvania Law Review), or on whether you write something for publication (Columbia Law Review). Many schools, of course, give no academic credit at all for law journal membership. And there appears to be a trend toward limiting or eliminating such credit. (Duke Law School recently stopped giving academic credit to journal members. Boalt Hall recently reduced the academic credit that journal members received.)

Members of some journals (such as the Texas Law Review and the Iowa Law Review) receive a financial stipend. And some law schools provide other financial incentives for journal work. Vanderbilt Law School, for instance, gives financial writing prizes for the best student Note or Comment written for publication. For the most part, however, financial rewards are extremely rare, and often only certain officers/board members are eligible. Usually, there is no combat pay for fighting in the front lines of legal journalism.