How to write a law review comment

How to write a law review comment

A Comment, in contrast, should present a concise yet still original argument and have minimal literature review. Comments often (but need not necessarily) respond to a recent development in the law, such as cases, legislation, law review articles, lawsuits, File Size: KB  · To begin, understand that first impressions are important. Thus, before you begin writing, take some time to glance through some law journals and law review articles. You will doubtless notice a few things. First, there is usually a catchy title that both captivates the reader and encapsulates the whole heart of the piece  · In general, all notes should include four key components, which Jonathan Burns outlines in “How to Write a Law Review Note Worthy of Publication: Writing the Note”: an introduction, objective portion, subjective portion, and a conclusion. Burns advises students to pay special attention to their introduction as it will set the tone of your note for the selection committee

3 Steps to Writing a Standout Law Review Note

The Girl's Guide to Law School®. His first posts were on picking a great Note topic and actually writing the Note.

To begin, understand that first impressions are important. Thus, before you begin writing, take some time to glance through some law journals and law review articles. You will doubtless notice a few things. First, there is usually a catchy title that both captivates the reader and encapsulates the whole heart how to write a law review comment the piece. Next, there is also usually a relevant quote of some meaningful significance that further solidifies the heart of the How to write a law review comment. When it comes to the publication decision of your Note, now is not the time to be modest, how to write a law review comment.

Next, treat the organization of your Note with the utmost sincerity. After the reader reads your introduction, she should be able to flip through your Note and — based solely on the organization and the text of the headings and subheadings — have a complete understanding of what your Note is saying and why it is important. That is, the use of one-word headings and subheadings should be extremely rare. Finally, how to write a law review comment, absolutely do not submit a Note without a table of contents.

This will help the reader to quickly digest the overarching structure of your Note but, most importantly, if the organization of the table of contents does not appear completely logical and cogent to you, you can assume that your whole Note will be indecipherable to the Selection Committee. The manner in which these two concepts are met in a law review Note is largely dependent upon the research which the author undertook in preparing for and writing the Note.

An expert on international law, for example, will probably not cite to Yahoo! News, how to write a law review comment, About. Rather, he will probably cite mostly to, for example, documents from the UN or other international bodies, how to write a law review comment, treaties, cases before the ICJ, or even domestic law regulating international relations as well as books, treatises, and law review Articles from recognized experts in the field.

To be sure, sources such as online news websites serve a beneficial purpose and help to increase access to information in short, readily available formats, but they generally do not contain the depth of analysis that is required when researching a complex issue for a law review Note. Thus, beware the temptation to Google your assertions and cite to whatever website appears first in the search results.

Next, show your reader that you engaged in a meaningful analysis when you wrote your Note. For example, when your Note touches on a topic that is relevant but not entirely important, consider offering an expanded explanation of the topic in a footnote.

Further, when you make an assertion in your Note for which there is an equally valid counterargument, consider citing to a source supporting that counterargument and include a parenthetical explaining it.

If your Note is selected for publication, the law review victims to follow in your footsteps next year will take care of getting your sources in compliance with the Bluebook.

Thus, the Selection Committee will probably not place much emphasis on that aspect of your Note though, doubtless, no one will ever tell you that.

The only situation where Bluebook compliance would matter is if two or more Notes were competing for the last publication slots. Next and relatedly, throw your Chicago Manual of Style out the window not really. Again, as long as the grammar, style, and punctuation of your Note are minimally comprehensible, English major level writing is not necessary. More about Jonathan Jonathan G, how to write a law review comment. Burns J. Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, ; Evangel University, is the author of The Banking Sector in Post-Revolution Egypt: Is Islam the Solution?

After he sits for the Indiana bar examination in JulyJonathan will begin his legal career with the international law firm Dentons in the Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia office. Want helpful law school tips in your inbox? Concerned about your law school grades? Get the feedback and support you need to succeed. Check out our law school tutoring options at the Law School Toolbox.

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How to Write a Law Review Note Worthy of Publication: Presentation and Style September 26, by Alison Monahan 1 Comment. Get started, and ensure you're spending your time wisely! Filed Under: Law Review Tagged With: law review note. Trackbacks Links We Love Weekly Round-Up — October 6, Charlotte Law Library News says:.

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How to Write a Law Review Note Worthy of Publication: Writing the Note

A Comment, in contrast, should present a concise yet still original argument and have minimal literature review. Comments often (but need not necessarily) respond to a recent development in the law, such as cases, legislation, law review articles, lawsuits, File Size: KB  · To begin, understand that first impressions are important. Thus, before you begin writing, take some time to glance through some law journals and law review articles. You will doubtless notice a few things. First, there is usually a catchy title that both captivates the reader and encapsulates the whole heart of the piece  · Reflections by recent law journal editors about their law review experiences are offered, along with suggestions about how authors may improve their manuscripts. Following that, the who, what, where and when of the publication process is covered. Comments about the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN) are presented, then followed by a brief discussion about the currency value of citations. Author: Vicente Garces