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What is the write-on competition? |
| Who qualifies for the write-on competition? |
| What are the components of the write-on? |
| Editing Assignment |
| Writing Assignment |
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Deadlines
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What is the write-on competition? Membership on the Texas Tech Law Review is obtained through participating in the spring multi-journal write-on competition. This is the only way to become a member of our Law Review. Students are required to pick up the write-on packet from Law Review Secretary Donna Jones. Picking up the packet will not obligate any student to finish the packet or be a member of any journal.The application in the packet will allow the students to rank the journals (the Law Review the Administrative Law Journal, and the Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal) by membership preference. The packet will include information regarding the requirements of the competition and the selection process. The packet will also include all of the information necessary to write the casenote portion of the competition and to do the editing portion of the competition. Upon completion of the packet, the current Law Review members will grade the packets. Membership invitations will be extended at the beginning of July. Who qualifies for the write-on competition? Participation on Law Review requires a two-year commitment. As such, the only opportunity a student has to be considered for Law Review is after their first year in law school. Only upcoming 2Ls are allowed to enter the write-on competition. Law Review selects its members based on applicants' participation and performance in our write-on competition. Thirty-five members are selected annually from the first-year class, with offers being made during the summer. Transfer students can gain more information regarding obtaining a packet on our Information for Transfer Students page. What are the components of the write-on? The write-on involves completing a writing exercise and an editing exercise. Packets are ranked according to a score derived from the grading of the casenote and editing exercise. Students who pick up the packet are under no obligation to complete it or be a member of either journal. The editing essignment will consist of an editing exercise where the student will edit the assignment for errors in Bluebook form to citations, and for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Students may use the following reference tools in completing the exercise: the latest edition of the Bluebook (A Uniform System of Citation), the Green Book (Texas Rules of Form), the Texas Law Review Manual on Usage & Style (a/k/a the MOUS or MUS), a legal dictionary, and an English dictionary. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER SOURCES. Students should use the proofreader marks that are in the back inside cover of MOUS.
The exercise should not be edited for style! In other words, students should not concern themselves with things
like the use of passive voice or choices of words they think are less then perfect for the context. For example,
if a sentence says: “The umpire called the batter out on strikes, and the batter was very upset about it,
” students should not change the words “very upset” to “enraged” or “angry.
” Students should, however, correct the use of words that are considered informal or inappropriate for
legal writing (e.g., contractions and slang).
1. Follow the editing exercise instructions. Students should not forget to make a photocopy of the editing exercise before he or she begins to use as a working draft. 2. Students should look up and cite to the appropriate rule in the Bluebook, 18th Edition (BB), Greenbook, 11th Edition (GB), or Manual on Usage and Style, 10th Edition (MOUS). Students should remember, one-half of the score for each correction will come from proper citation to one of these rulebooks to support the edits (i.e., 1 point for making the appropriate correction and 1 point for citing to the appropriate rule).
3. Citing the rules:
4. Students should make sure their citations are legible. When necessary, students should make corrections in the margin. The writing assignment is a closed research project. To that end, students may only use the research materials provided in the packet. The Texas Tech Law Review allows and encourages the use of THE BLUEBOOK: A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF CITATION, 18th Edition (the “Bluebook”), the TEXAS RULES OF FORM, 11th Edition (the “Greenbook”), THE TEXAS LAW REVIEW MANUAL ON USAGE & STYLE, 10th EDITION (“MOUS”), and any English or legal dictionary. Please do not use any additional materials in completing your casenote or editing exercise. Because this is a closed research assignment, students may not consult or use any other source of information in completing the assignment. Failure to comply with these instructions is a violation of the Honor Code and will result in your disqualification from the write-on competition.
Upon completion of both parts of the write-on competition, students may return the packet in one of the
following ways:
Texas Tech Law Review |