HOW TO JOIN
CANDIDATE MEMBERSHIP SELECTION PROCESS
First year day and evening students and second year evening students with a GPA of 2.75 or higher are eligible for membership. To apply, all eligible students must participate in the end of year Write-on Competition. The Civil Rights Law Journal will select 15-30 students on the basis of their weighted scores. Each student’s write-on submission will compose 50% of their weighted score, their Bluebook exam 40%, and their GPA 10%. Additionally, reserves the right to select as much as 10% of its incoming Candidate Member class based on an overall evaluation of the Candidate Member’s application.
REASONS TO JOIN THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW JOURNAL
The Civil Rights Law Journal offers students an important opportunity to build their resumes while also honing their research, writing, and editing skills. Law firms, government agencies, judges, and other employers weigh journal membership heavily in their hiring decisions because of the practical training it provides and the hard work and dedication it demonstrates. In addition, membership provides an opportunity to meet new people and build close relationships while learning about exciting areas of law. While members are hard working, the environment is relaxed and friendly. Fellow journal members serve as a valuable source for class outlines and notes; recommendations on fall and clerkship hiring; and mentoring on Candidate Member notes or comments. Finally, in completing their casenote or comment, each Candidate Member has an opportunity to compete for the honor of being published in the following year’s volume.
CANDIDATE MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES
Candidate Members have several responsibilities. First, a Candidate Member is required to write a scholarly article exploring a body of law pertaining to civil rights from a unique perspective. The typical article is anywhere from 25-50 pages double-spaced. To help Candidate Members write their first scholarly article, the law school offers a one-credit course, aptly titled “Scholarly Writing,” in which all Candidate Members can enroll. Candidate Members may also get credit for participating in a seminar or Independent Study. Candidate Members are also assigned several “spading” assignments throughout the year. Spading consists of reviewing the footnotes in a forthcoming article to ensure that the cited material supports the statement the author asserts and that the citations follow proper Bluebook formatting. A typical spading assignment takes 3-4 hours, and is usually due within 10 days of being assigned. Full membership is contingent upon satisfactory completion of all spading assignments and composition of an article of publishable quality.
QUESTIONS
If you have any further questions regarding the Civil Rights Law Journal, the membership selection process, or candidate member requirements, please do not hesitate to contact the Senior Notes Editor, Maeve Neville, at mnevill4@gmu.edu.