Welcome, Class of 2019, from the Board of the UBC Law Review! We’re all excited to meet the incoming 1Ls, and we’re sure you’re looking forward to starting your three years at Allard Hall. You’ll find that the opportunities to enrich your legal education with extra-curricular activities are many and varied—but we think joining the UBC Law Review is one of the best opportunities you’ll have as a 1L.
What is the UBC Law Review?
The UBC Law Review is one of Canada’s leading legal journals: articles published in the Law Review have even been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada! Every year the Law Review publishes two to three issues of peer-reviewed articles written by seasoned practitioners and legal academics across the country, and the Table of Statutory Limitations, an annually-updated resource for legal professionals practising in BC. The Law Review also has the distinguishing quality of being run by the funniest, best-looking students at the Allard School of Law.[1]
Why the Law Review?
Being part of the Law Review in 1L has its perks: You’ll get more comfortable reading legal academic writing, which comes in handy when that Transnat final paper rolls around; you’ll be able to put your budding legal research skills to immediate practice, by checking sources and citations online and in the library stacks; and you’ll hone your attention to detail, both to the nightmarishly specific citation style dictated by the McGill Guide, and to following other writers’ legal arguments, a vital skill for success in law school. Just as importantly, you’ll get to meet other 1Ls outside of your small group, as well as upper-year students.[2]
How do I get involved?
The Law Review puts out a call for Assistant Editors each year to the incoming class of 1Ls. As an Assistant Editor, you’ll have a hands-on role in editing our submissions and putting together the Table of Statutory Limitations. Assistant Editors are trained by and work under the mentorship of an upper-year Associate Editor, who you can feel free to pepper with as many questions as you like! The time commitment is reasonable—you’ll have 2-3 assignments per term—and largely predictable: we know your first year will be crazy busy, so we build our editorial schedule around the 1L class and assignment schedule. We don’t require any previous publishing experience, only that our Assistant Editors demonstrate an eye for detail.
At the end of the year, 1Ls who worked as Assistant Editors also have the opportunity to apply for positions on the Law Review’s Board of Directors. If you want to get involved in a senior editorial or managerial position, beginning as an Assistant Editor is the first step! (More details about the application process will be provided in September.)
For more information, you can visit our website at ubclawreview.ca, send us an email at lawrev@interchange.ubc.ca, or look for us at our Orientation Week session and at Clubs Day in September. Have a great Orientation Week; we’re looking forward to meeting all of you!
[1] Claim not entirely verified.
[2] The aforementioned funniest and best-looking students at Allard, claim still not verified.