Catalog

The Law Review invites continuing students who are not extended membership invitations based on GPA to participate in the annual Write-On Competition, subject to the following exceptions. Evening students may participate in the Write-On competition only if they have completed two academic years (four semesters) of law school. Students who are in the Comprehensive Curriculum Program (CCP) are not eligible to participate until they have completed two years (four semesters) of law school.

The competition requires students to demonstrate their writing and substantive legal analysis skills by drafting a paper based on a problem that is developed by the Law Review. A brief substantive editing exercise may also be included. Please note that this is not intended to be a research project. Rather, the problem is designed to allow you to demonstrate your writing and analytical skills based on an analysis of a series of cases and/or other relevant law.

The Law Review editorial board and its Publisher will review all submissions and extend membership invitations to those students whose papers exhibit excellent writing and analysis. All submissions are reviewed anonymously, and invitations are extended based on the merit of the written submission only. There is no limit to the number of students who may write-on. Last year, the Law Review received approximately sixty-five write-on submissions and extended invitations to three students.

Competition Dates
The Write-On Competition will be held from Thursday, July 28 at 9 am to Thursday, August 4 at 5 pm. The problem will be available on the Law Review's website starting at 9 am on July 28. Participants will have one week to complete and submit their papers. Participants shall submit 2 copies of their paper to the Registrar’s Office no later than 5pm Thursday, August 4.

In order to accommodate the participation of students who spend their summers outside of the New York City area, students will have the option of submitting their papers by overnight mail delivery to be received no later than Friday, August 5 (i.e., postmarked August 4 by 5 pm).

Submission Requirements
All submissions will be limited to 3000 words and should contain footnotes in Bluebook (19th ed.) format. The NYLS Library staff will conduct citation workshops this summer, which you may find helpful. Full instructions for participating in the Write-On Competition and additional requirements for submissions will be posted on the Law Review website prior to the start of the competition.

Membership Invitations
All students who are selected for membership on the Law Review as a result of the write-on competition will receive formal invitations during the week of August 8, 2011. The Law Review does not distinguish between grade-on and write-on students once invitations are extended. All student editors will have the same membership status as well as the same opportunities and responsibilities as part of their Law Review participation.

Students who receive an invitation based on their first-year GPA will be required to join the Harlan Scholars program and affiliate with one of the school's seven Harlan academic centers. To be a Law Review member, a student must affiliate with a center as a Harlan Scholar, with the exception of students selected through the write-on competition or based on their second-year GPA; these will not be part of the Harlan Scholars program and are not required to affiliate with a center. For more information about the Harlan Scholars program, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs.

Law Review Membership Requirements
All students invited to join the Law Review, except second-year evening students whose participation in Law Review will not begin until August 2012, will be required to attend our Orientation, to begin on Monday, August 15 and extending through Thursday, August 18. In addition, all Law Review members will be required to register for either the day or evening section of “Legal Scholarship,” a seminar course that will meet during Orientation and continue during the Fall semester.

Questions?
For questions relating to the Write-On Competition, please contact Usheevii King, Law Review Publication Manager, at usheevii.king@nyls.edu.

For general inquiries about the Law Review, please contact Sarah Ferguson, Editor-In-Chief, at sarah.ferguson@law.nyls.edu.

The 2011-2012 New York Law School Law Review editorial staff wishes you the best of luck on your upcoming exams and, for those of you who will participate in the Write-On Competition, we look forward to reading your submissions.

Click 2010 Write-on Competition Problem to view an example of a Write-on Competition problem.