NEW MEMBER SELECTION:
1. What are the requirements for Law Review?
Admission is available to all 1L students, even those who will be taking coursework in other programs next year (e.g., an MBA program). In addition, the following requirements apply:
- Satisfactory completion of Bluebook exercise (including those who plan to grade-on)
- A Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least a 3.33 during fall/spring coursework during the 1L year.
- Final approval by the Editor-in-Chief and Senior Notes Editor after a review of all submitted materials
Failure to satisfy these requirements will disqualify you from consideration. There are no exceptions or extensions for any reason.
Beginning Spring 2022, there is no longer a write on competition. LCR I and LCR II grades will be averaged together to fulfill the previous write on requirement.
2. When are the important dates that I should remember?
The Bluebook exercise occurs during the Spring semester.
Spring 2022 Bluebook exercise will be Saturday, March 26th and Sunday, April 3rd.
The deadline to sign up is Tuesday, March 22nd at 11:59 PM (EST)
3. What is the Bluebooking exercise, and how much weight is it given in the write-on competition?
The Bluebooking exercise will require students to edit an article checking for form and accuracy (following the 20th edition Bluebook’s format for law reviews, not practitioners). It is important because it closely resembles the tasks that 2L editorial staff undertake. The exercise is remote; there is no in-person portion.
The scoring will not affect those students who receive automatic invitations based on their class rank. However, all students seeking a position on Law Review are required to take the Bluebooking exercise, and students grading-on to Law Review who score low on the Bluebooking exercise will be subject to remedial citation lessons next year.
4. How many students are selected for Law Review?
Typically, Law Review aims to accept around 30-40 students. The top 10% of the class at the end of this semester will receive an automatic invitation, so long as they have met the requirements listed under question (1). Approximately 15-20 students will receive automatic invitations from grading-on, and the 15-20 students with the highest average LCR grades will receive an invitation. More offers may be extended to fill the positions as necessary at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.
5. Is there a minimum GPA requirement for being accepted to Law Review?
Yes. After the fall and spring semester 1L grades are computed, any student who has a Grade Point Average (GPA) of lower than 3.33 will be ineligible for selection onto Law Review.
6. When will I find out if I am selected for Law Review?
Offers will be extended as soon as all of the 1L grades are received. This has historically taken place in mid to late July. Offers for Law Review, Syracuse Science and Technology Law Reporter, the Journal of International Law and Commerce, and the Journal of Global Rights and Organizations are generally extended the same day.
7. What if I am not selected for Law Review?
All offer decisions are final. Individual submissions may not be reviewed.
8. Can transfer students apply to Law Review?
2L transfer students are considered for membership on a case-by-case basis which depends on the Law Review’s editing schedule and when the transfer student completes the Law Review’s application process. Students interested should email LawReview@law.syr.edu as soon as they have applied to the College of Law, or sooner, even if they have not heard whether they have been accepted yet. If the transfer student finds out they have been accepted and have completed the Law Review application process before the end of June, then the transfer student will likely be considered with the existing rising 2L class.
Alternatively, should the transfer student contact the Law Review after July 1st, the Law Review cannot guarantee that spots will be available. Transfer students should note that invitations for currently enrolled rising 2Ls are extended by mid-July and acceptances or rejections are received within one week. At that point, there may or may not be spots available, depending on the amount of rejections received. Furthermore, the Law Review begins training the new Editorial Staff at the beginning of August, and for that reason, the Law Review typically does not allow transfer students to start the Law Review application process past July 31st, regardless of whether spots are available.