One of the requirements of all Law Review Staff Members is to write a student note or comment. Below is a summary of this year's milestones and deadlines, as well as some resources that may help you in the process.

If you have any questions about the Staff Writing Program, contact Kristin Weber.

Outline of Staff Writing Program 2007-2008.

Orientation
Meeting for Grade-On Members: July 9, 2007
Meeting for Write-On Members: August 6, 2007

Preliminary Timeline

• ENCE announces weekly office hour– begins week of August 20
• Topic Selections; Track One/Two Designation; Faculty Adviser Designation – due August 27
• Assign Research Librarians – August 29
• Circulate topic proposals to NCEs to determine any matching interests (August 27 – 31)
• Assign NCEs by September 3
  

Monday, August 27, 2007: Topic Proposal
A topic proposal should include background on the topic, a preliminary thesis formulation, and a short description of the scope of your analysis. If possible, the topic proposal should include the name of your faculty advisor. After the topic proposal is received, the Executive Notes & Comments Editor (ENCE) will assign you an NCE.

The topic proposal should also indicate which of the two "tracks" you have elected to follow. After this first deadline, each track will have its own set of deadlines.

No page or endnote requirements.

For one example of a past topic proposal, click here.

TRACK ONE

Students electing "Track One" will complete their note or comment several months earlier than those electing "Track Two." This track is advantageous for those students who are committed to pursuing publication. Notes and comments completed by the Track One Deadline will be considered for publication at the end of the first semester or beginning of the second semester. Those which are not selected at this time will be returned to the author for revision and may be resubmitted at the deadline for Track Two notes and comments. Those who follow this procedure will have the advantage of having incorporated the critique of the Editorial Board into their finished product. In the past, such papers have had a high rate of publication.  However, it is crucial to stress that every note or comment will be considered on its merits alone, and following the Track One timeline by no means guarantees publication.

Week of September 3, 2007: All staff members on Track One must meet with their Research Librarians

Monday, September 10, 2007: Research Plan
A few weeks prior to this deadline, we will email you the name of a reference librarian who has been assigned to assist you in developing a research strategy. These meetings are mandatory and we suggest you schedule them as early as possible, because the reference librarians’ appointments are likely to fill up quickly.

There is no minimum page requirement. For an example of a past Research Plan, click here.

Week of September 17, 2007: All staff members on Track One must meet with their NCEs during this week

Monday, October 1, 2007: Preliminary Draft
This can be a fairly rough draft, but it should reflect a good faith effort to make a significant start on your note or comment. It should be at least 10 pages long, but there is no minimum endnote requirement. You should submit your Preliminary draft to your NCE and faculty advisor.

For examples of past preliminary drafts, click here, here, or here.

Week of October 8, 2007: All staff members on Track One must meet with their NCEs during this week

Monday, October 22, 2007: First Draft
For this draft, the bulk of your note or comment should be in place, supported by a strong framework of endnotes. It should be at least 18 pages long, and have a minimum of 80 endnotes. Obviously, if you are planning a paper which is significantly longer than the 25 page minimum, you will want to have more than 18 pages completed by this time. You should submit your First Draft to your NCE and faculty advisor.

Week of October 29, 2006: All staff members on Track One must meet with their NCEs during this week

Monday, November 12, 2006: Final Draft
Minimum 25 pages, 125 endnotes. Should represent the completed product, adequately supported with endnotes, and edited for style and citation format. You should submit your Final Draft to your NCE and faculty advisor.

 

TRACK TWO

Week of September 10, 2007: All staff members on Track One must meet with their Research Librarians

Monday, September 17, 2007: Research Plan
A few weeks prior to this deadline, we will email you the name of a reference librarian who has been assigned to assist you in developing a research strategy. These meetings are mandatory and we suggest you schedule them as early as possible, because the reference librarians’ appointments are likely to fill up quickly.

There is no minimum page requirement. For an example of a past Research Plan, click here.

Week of September 24, 2007: All staff members on Track Two must meet with their NCEs during this week

Monday, October 8, 2007: Preliminary Draft
This can be a fairly rough draft, but it should reflect a good faith effort to make a significant start on your note or comment. It should be at least 5 pages long, but there is no minimum endnote requirement. You should submit your Preliminary Draft to your NCE and your faculty advisor.

For examples of past preliminary drafts, click here, here, or here.

Week of October 15, 2007: All staff members on Track Two must meet with their NCEs during this week

Monday, November 12, 2007: First Draft
For this draft, the bulk of your note or comment should be in place, supported by a strong framework of endnotes. It should be at least 18 pages long, and have a minimum of 80 endnotes. Obviously, if you are planning a paper which is significantly longer than the 25 page minimum, you will want to have more than 18 pages completed by this time. You should submit your First Draft to your NCE and your faculty advisor.

Week of January 28, 2008: All staff members on Track Two must meet with their NCEs during this week

Monday, February 4, 2008: Final Draft #1
25 pages, 125 endnotes minimum. You should submit your Final Draft to your NCE and faculty advisor.

Monday, March 5, 2008: Final Draft #2
25 pages, 125 endnotes minimum. You should submit your Final Draft to your NCE and faculty advisor.

The Editorial Board will meet once at the end of the first semester to consider notes/comments completed pursuant to Track One for publication. The Board will also meet in February and March to consider notes/comments completed pursuant to Track Two, as well as Track One papers which have been revised and resubmitted for consideration. In order for a note or comment to be considered for publication, the student's Faculty Advisor and NCE must both agree that the paper is of publishable quality.

Last Updated: September 4, 2007