The California Law Review runs a write-on competition to accept new members. The 2021 membership selection process is described below.

Watch a recorded panel discussion on “Who Cares About Law Review, Anyway?” hosted at Berkeley Law on October 24, 2019, to learn more about the California Law Review.

Write-On Competition for Berkeley Law First Years

This year the Write-On for current first-year students at Berkley Law will begin on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 12:00pm and end on Sunday, May 30, 2021 at 12:00pm PT.

Option 1

Complete and turn in the line-editing packet during one of the following periods during spring break:

Friday, March 19, 2021 at 5:00pm PT to Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 5:00pm PT

OR

Friday, March 26, 2021 at 5:00pm PT to Sunday, March 28, 2021 at 5:00pm PT

AND

Complete and turn in the comment and personal statement parts of the Write-On within eight days following your Spring 2021 final exams. For Option 1, the Competition will begin on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 12:00pm PT (the day after finals finish) and end on Friday, May 28, 2021 at 12:00pm PT.

Option 2

Complete all three parts of the Write-On within the ten days following your Spring 2021 final exams. For Option 2, the Competition will begin on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 12:00pm PT (the day after finals finish) and end on Sunday, May 30, 2021 at 12:00pm PT.

The deadline to register for Option 1 is Thursday, March 18, 2021 and the deadline to register for Option 2 is Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Registration forms will be distributed via the bCourses page and completed forms should be turned in on bCourses. Please email the Senior Development Editor to be added to the bCourses page at jspierer@berkeley.edu.

Successful participants who are invited to join California Law Review’s membership will be expected to contribute to annual membership dues, provided that this does not create a financial burden. New members will also be expected to attend a CLR orientation. The date for orientation is still being determined but we will update Write-On participants as soon as it’s available.

Write-On Competition for Transfer Students

Any potential transfer student may take part in the Write-On regardless of whether they have been accepted or committed to Berkeley Law. Dates for the Write-On competition have not been decided yet, but more information will be available during summer 2021.

Successful participants who are invited to join California Law Review’s membership will be expected to contribute to annual membership dues, provided that this does not create a financial burden. New members will also be expected to attend a CLR orientation. The date for orientation is still being determined but we will update Write-On participants as soon as it’s available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! The California Law Review is happy to support student groups who want to learn more about the California Law Review and the Write-On. If your student group is interested in organizing a workshop with a group of students, please Jessica Spierer at jspierer@berkeley.edu with your request. Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to the California Law Review 3L members in your student groups. 2L members may not provide samples of their successful Write-On materials, but 3L members can provide support and mentorship in this way. Both 2L and 3L members are excited to answer your questions and give you advice!

Students pursuing the following degrees may participate in the Write-On Competition:  JD, JD with concurrent degree.
Students pursuing a JD or a JD with a concurrent degree must participate in the Write-On competition immediately following completion of their 1L year (their first year of legal instruction). Transfer students, and only transfer students, may participate in a summer Write-On beginning in mid July before their 2L year.
No. Each applicant may only participate in one California Law Review-sponsored competition. “Participate” includes those who apply but do not complete the components.
There is no “in-person” requirement to participate in the Write-On. In past years, applicants have been in other states or other countries while completing the components. Please let us know as soon as possible if you will be in a location with unreliable internet or mail and we will try to make reasonable accommodations.
The Write-On for 1Ls will be held from Thursday, May 20 at 12:00 pm to Sunday, May 30 at 12:00 pm PT in 2021.
For transfer students, dates for the Write-On competition have not yet been decided, but more information will be available during summer 2021.
The California Law Review is hosting information sessions and workshops explaining every component of the Write-On. This year the information sessions are Wednesday, February 24th and Thursday, February 25th from 5:30-6:30. The mandatory trainings will take place on March 3rd and 4th from 5:30-7:45. You only need to attend one training.
You will not know the case or subject until the competition begins.  However, there are a few things you can do now to prepare for the Write-On. We suggest joining a journal during your 1L year. While membership will not factor into our decision, as a journal member you will become familiar with legal scholarship, bluebooking, and editing guidelines. All these skills will help prepare you for the Write-On competition.
Students planning to take a year or more off before their 2L year must participate in the Write-On Competition immediately following their 1L year and may then defer membership.
No. The California Law Review only considers the Comment, the editing packet, and the personal statement. We are unique in that we do not consider grades and we believe this fits within the nature of Berkeley Law and gives each student an equal chance to display the skills necessary to be a California Law Review editor. However, past experience with legal scholarship, bluebooking, and editing will show through, and we suggest you participate in other Berkeley Law journals to gain these skills.
On average, about 130 students complete the packet and we accept between 50-60 of those students. On average, 25 students participate in the transfer Write-On and we accept about 8. The number of students we accept is subject to change.