Membership Selection Process
Law Review Staff Selection
Southern California Law Review staff members are selected on the basis of academic achievement during their first year of law school, as well as their performance in the Write-On, a writing competition that takes place after the end of their first year. Their grades are weighted against their Write-On scores to form a composite score, and the students with the highest composite scores are invited to join the staff. Students who perform exceedingly well on the Write-On may also be invited to join the staff, regardless of first-year grades; however, outstanding grades alone are not enough to earn a position on the staff.
The Law Review does not reveal the formula by which grades are weighed against Write-Ons, though both factors carry considerable weight. The Write-Ons themselves are graded based on the quality of the legal argument, legal citations, and writing style. Each Write-On is read and scored by two student editors, whose scores are averaged to reach the final Write-On score.
To ensure that Write-On grading is unbiased, the student editors who grade the Write-Ons do not know their names or grades of the students whose work they are evaluating. Only the Law School Registrar knows the composite scores of the applicants, and the Registrar does not reveal them to either the applicants or the Law Review board.
The applicant pool is very competitive. In 2006, nearly 150 students applied for the approximately 35 positions on the staff. The numbers have been similar in previous years.
Transfer Students
Each year, the Law Review also invites one or two transfer students to join its staff. Transfer students are selected solely on the basis of their Write-On score, with no weight placed on their grades from their first-year schools. Transfer students typically complete the Write-On in August or September of their second year, and are informed shortly thereafter whether they have been invited to join the staff.
Law Review Board Selection
Law Review board members (including senior editors and the executive board) are selected by the outgoing executive board. Staff members applying for board positions are considered on the basis of the quality of their staff work, as well as a written application and interview.
